July 3, 2008 (Debut Entry)

OOF-WAH!

As we enter the 4th of July weekend, its a good time to assess where we are, and dream of the fireworks that weve waited to see for 100 years.

Much of the talk at the bar has confirmed that this is the best Cubs team in memory. Expectations are higher than at any time any of the regulars can remember. Of course, with this comes that I can't look feeling, in fear of whats going to happen next (many lifetimes of not reaching the ultimate goal can do that to a person). Fear not my Cubbie brethren, in this The Season of All Seasons we have many things to celebrate.

Here are Frankie Os 4 four the Fourth!

1. Pitching, pitching, pitching!: Much like the 1st rule of restaurants and real estate, (location, location, location!) you can overcome a lot of things if you start with control of a prime location. In baseball, its the area 60 feet and 6 inches from home plate. While a lot has been made of this teams ability to hit (and they sure can hit), it will be the 12 men that occupy this space that will determine the fate of the 2008 squad. The thing I like the most is the balance between the starters and the bullpen. My rule #1 for a World Series winner is this balance. I think that a team can get to the playoffs without this balance, but to win 4 games in a series, the starters will win 2 and the bullpen will win 2. For the life of me, I could never understand why the Atlanta Braves could never figure this out. They had the most dominant starting staff in baseball, but followed it up with a 10cent bullpen. Fourteen(!!!) straight division titles and 1 World Series win? ...and that was a little lucky in the sense that Mark Wohlers (who?) pitched out of his mind, but proved the point that it was the only season that their bullpen could match the excellence of the starting staff. We will debate the ultimate make-up of the playoff roster, but for right now, the Northsiders have the best staff and balance in baseball.

2. Be it ever so humble: Games at Wrigley are always awesome, but it seems to have taken on a new level this year. You can feel it as soon as you walk in. The fans have an increased expectation for good things to happen and the players are feeding off of it. (or is it the other way around?) Either way, its a force to be reckoned with. The continued best record in the NL will ensure 2 rounds of the best home-field advantage. Of course, if you cant get to the stadium, you can feel and watch the magic happen at any of the five Harry Carays locations in the Chicago-land area. (Got to butter that bread!)

3. Sweet Lou!: Aside his handling of Alfonso Soriano, Lou Piniella is putting on a clinic. One thing for sure, this guys no Terry Bevington! (Sorry for that shot Sox fan. Then again if youre a Sox fan why are you reading this?) With Lou, everyone plays and every move is 3 steps ahead. Eventually the players on the field have to perform, but one is guaranteed, Lou is going to put them in the best spot to succeed and that is the ultimate job of any coach or manger. That he does it with an entertaining style is a fans icing on the cake. He has the fans backing as much as any field-boss that I have ever seen. (or heard, and Ive heard a lot. Thanks Dusty!)

4. 4th dimension: Sometimes things happen for reasons we dont understand. Especially when things go wrong, we feel the need to come up with a reason, any reason, to explain why. Well this year well have none of that. Its the end of all curses! The Rooters are seeing to that! This is not the year of goats, black cats or the infamous ball. This is the year of unexplainable good things happening. Such as former Cub killer Jim Edmonds playing at Wrigley, and getting standing ovations! Next, Im convinced that the NL will win the All-Star game at Yankee Stadium, giving the Cubbies home-field advantage in the World Series. And giving New Yorkers heartburn at the same time. How cool is that? In the end, I know that its going to come down to the best team on the field winning, but Im convinced that some weird things are going to happen along the way, only this time Cubs fans are going to be able thank the occurrences attributed to the other world.