BY MICK TIDROW | BALL STATE SPORTS LINK
In 1908, the ball dropped in New York City for the first time ever to mark a new year, the Yankees lost 100 games and the Cubs won the World Series.
The first two, Americans are accustomed to seeing almost routinely. The latter has not happened since.
Fast forward to 2016, 108 year later, and baseball sits in a peculiar situation with the Cubbies.
No team has been better than the team on the north side of Chicago this season. The team holds perhaps the best trio of pitchers this season in Jake Arrietta, Jon Lester and the remarkable Kyle Hendricks. All three are contending for the National League Cy Young Award.
But it isn’t that simple for the Cubs. They have been in this position before as the end of the regular season comes to a close. The last time the Cubs won 90-or-more games in back-to-back seasons was in the 1929-30 years.
There have been only three teams since 2000 that have won the World Series when holding the best regular season record. Only ONE team in the last 100 years has taken home the hardware at seasons end when winning 100 games before postseason play.
Chicago stands at 93-53, nearly a lock to win 100 games or pushing the century mark. Numbers have historically gone against the Cubs. But this year feels different. There is a sense of win-now from the club. Joe Madden has his crew pushing the limits. They have clinched the first playoff spot of any team.
All eyeballs are on the Cubs as the season dwindles down. They have responded to criticism and heartbreak (Kyle Schwarber’s injury) during the season. Offense wins games, defense and pitching win championships.
The Cubs have the best in the business on both sides. No team in MLB is as well-rounded as the Cubs. They pose so many issues for other teams.
But baseball is not a predictable sport. The hottest team going into the postseason has a leg up. The Cubs are hot now, but the end of September is when teams define their run going into October.
Buckle up your seat belts baseball fans, this is going to be a fun one.
