Soriano the Savior November 20, 2006

Hello folks, it’s MJ here with your journal.

So the biggest free agent out there, super slugger Alfonso Soriano has decided to commit career suicide and join the Cubs. Here is a man who has hit over 40 HRs, over 90 RBIs, and stole 41 bases. What a guy! And I think every Cub fan I know was decent enough to ruin my Sunday afternoon with the news. I had to hear the familiar phrase “it’s going to be our year this year. Screw your Sox.”

Well let me recount all the things I have heard from Cub fans over the last few years.

2003…We got Dusty Baker, he is going to bring us to the World Series. Result: after a promising run and a division championship, the Cubs blew it in the NLCS by bad calls by Dusty, a blown double play by Alex Gonzales, and a wild pitch by Mark Prior. Cub fans like to tell you it was Bartman’s fault, one of their own. Some like to blame it on Bernie Mac singing during the 7th inning stretch.

2004… We got Normar!!! We are going to the World Series. Result: Normar gets injured, along with a few other players and the projected National League Champions finish anything but with a dismal 89-73 3rd place finish.

2005…Wood is healthy so is Prior, we are going to the Series. Result: once again the “two headed monster” has a small case of the flu and goes back to the DL, proving once again don’t count on those two. Meanwhile, the better team of Chicago goes to the World Series, and sweeps bringing Chicago it’s first championship since 1917.

2006…We got Juan Pierre, it’s our turn now! No it’s not, after a season full of injuries and mismanagement, the Cubs do what they do best, suck!

So here we are 2007. New manager who is a great candidate for the next Prozac ad, a new suit who is ready to fire up the team, and now a multi million dollar egomaniac who was so freaked out last year to play the outfield, he almost quit the team. Yes I know it is early in the off season. Yes I know, the Cubs have more money to play with, but every year there is a goat. And this year it’s Neal Cotts buddy! He is your Latroy Hawkins of the year, your Ryan Dempster this year. We will sit back and laugh once again.

But maybe, just maybe the Cubs will get it right. And maybe they will make it to the big dance. Only to have another team that represents Chicago correctly sweep another National League Central Division team, and once again the city of Chicago can rejoice, and once again the Cubs can cry that familiar phrase, “wait until next year.”

JAE