I'm not gonna call it....BUT

[Yer a Fuckin Jerkoff]

I'd say there's about a 15% chance it can happen. And that's good odds if you're a Cubs fan.

But the Red Sox and Angels are top to bottom much better teams than the Cubs.

Chances on winning the 2008 WS is

Boston 42%
Anaheim 21%
Chicago Cubs 15%
White Sox 8%
Tampa Bay Rays 3%
others 1%

[War Wagon]

I like their chances of making it to the WS... hell, it's almost a foregone conclusion in that weakass league.

But winning it all, not so much. Don't get me wrong, the Cubbies have a helluva' team. But I think they'll get thumped by whomever makes it thru the AL meatgrinder.

[War Wagon]

I'd say there's about a 15% chance it can happen. And that's good odds if you're a Cubs fan.

But the Red Sox and Angels are top to bottom much better teams than the Cubs.

Chances on winning the 2008 WS is

Boston 42%
Anaheim 21%
Chicago Cubs 15%
White Sox 8%
Tampa Bay Rays 3%
others 1%

Where's the other 10%?

Math is clearly not your strong suit.

[Yer a Fuckin Jerkoff]

Shit....



Boston 42%
Anaheim 21%
Chicago Cubs 15%
White Sox 8%
Phillies 4%
Tampa Bay Rays 3%
Dodgers 3%
Mets 2%
Twins 1%
others (Brewers, Toronto, etc) 1%

[TheJON]

I like their chances of making it to the WS... hell, it's almost a foregone conclusion in that weakass league.

But winning it all, not so much. Don't get me wrong, the Cubbies have a helluva' team. But I think they'll get thumped by whomever makes it thru the AL meatgrinder.

I think making postseason baseball predictions is meaningless because any team that makes the playoffs can win. Heck, the worst team in the playoffs 2 years ago (St. Louis) won it all. That's how baseball works.

But I will say this......The Cubs are the best team in baseball. The AL is clearly superior to the NL, but the Cubs are the best team. They have a great lineup, a quality defense, a damn good rotation, and a solid bullpen. Marmol is the best set-up man in baseball. Harden-Zambrano-Dempster is the best starting trio. Their hitters are patient......every one of them. Heck, even Soriano has shown patience at the plate this year.

They have power, they hit for average, they have a high OBP. And on top of all of that, they are as clutch as any team in baseball. I don't care what league they're in, this is the best team in baseball. But it doesn't mean they'll win it all, or even make it to the World Series. Best team only wins it all maybe 1 out of every 3-4 years.

[Shoalzie]

If the Cubs can lock up home field throughout the NL playoffs, I really like their chances. I think they can potentially ride the emotion wave from the fans at Wrigley to the Fall Classic. They remember how close they were a few years ago to making the World Series and they've got a much better team than that 2003 team. I'd put the Cubs as the favorite in the NL when the playoffs begin with the Dodgers, Phillies and Mets/Brewers following them.

The Angels appear to be the best team but haven't really had to play games of high importance for quite a while. They've got similar pitching depth as the Cubs have but they've got the best closer in the game and now have a lineup that can help carry them to the World Series ever since they picked up Teixeira. The Rays and Red Sox appear to both be going to the playoffs but the matter of which team is going to be the AL East and the Wild Card is still up for grabs. The Wild Card team is going to have to face Angels and I think both teams would rather play the AL Central winner instead and they'll have home field as well. The White Sox and Twins are limping to the finish line and whomever makes the playoffs out of those two won't have much left in the tank. I see the Rays or Red Sox wiping the Central winner out in 3 or 4 games.

Playoff predictions:
American League
Angels over Red Sox in 4 games
Rays over White Sox in 3 games

Angels over Rays in 6 games

National League
Cubs over Mets in 4 games
Dodgers over Phillies in 5 games

Cubs over Dodgers in 6 games

World Series
Angels over Cubs in 6 games (MVP: Teixeira)

[jiminphilly]

I like their chances of making it to the WS... hell, it's almost a foregone conclusion in that weakass league.

Beg to differ- Phillies went 4-3 against the Cubs this year including a 4 game split in the windy city. With Meyers having seemingly reinvented himself in a matter of months, the Phillies rotation is suddenly very very strong and I don't need to say much about Lidge now do I?

[jiminphilly]

If the Cubs can lock up home field throughout the NL playoffs, I really like their chances. I think they can potentially ride the emotion wave from the fans at Wrigley to the Fall Classic. They remember how close they were a few years ago to making the World Series and they've got a much better team than that 2003 team. I'd put the Cubs as the favorite in the NL when the playoffs begin with the Dodgers, Phillies and Mets/Brewers following them.

The Angels appear to be the best team but haven't really had to play games of high importance for quite a while. They've got similar pitching depth as the Cubs have but they've got the best closer in the game and now have a lineup that can help carry them to the World Series ever since they picked up Teixeira. The Rays and Red Sox appear to both be going to the playoffs but the matter of which team is going to be the AL East and the Wild Card is still up for grabs. The Wild Card team is going to have to face Angels and I think both teams would rather play the AL Central winner instead and they'll have home field as well. The White Sox and Twins are limping to the finish line and whomever makes the playoffs out of those two won't have much left in the tank. I see the Rays or Red Sox wiping the Central winner out in 3 or 4 games.

Playoff predictions:
American League
Angels over Red Sox in 4 games
Rays over White Sox in 3 games

Angels over Rays in 6 games

National League
Cubs over Mets in 4 games
Dodgers over Phillies in 5 games

Cubs over Dodgers in 6 games

World Series
Angels over Cubs in 6 games (MVP: Teixeira)

I want what your smoking bro.

[Shoalzie]

I want what your smoking bro.

Howard is red hot right now, I'm not going to deny that...but riddle me this, didn't they go into the playoffs last year in a similar fashion. What's so different about this year? Utley and Howard had better years last year and Rollins isn't nearly the same player. The only thing I might give you the benefit of the doubt on is that your pitching shapes up better than last year. The Rockies ran a train over the Phillies in the NLDS. To me, the Dodgers became a World Series caliber team when they got Manny and Torre is still one of the best managers in October.

[jiminphilly]

I want what your smoking bro.

Howard is red hot right now, I'm not going to deny that...but riddle me this, didn't they go into the playoffs last year in a similar fashion. What's so different about this year? Utley and Howard had better years last year and Rollins isn't nearly the same player. The only thing I might give you the benefit of the doubt on is that your pitching shapes up better than last year. The Rockies ran a train over the Phillies in the NLDS. To me, the Dodgers became a World Series caliber team when they got Manny and Torre is still one of the best managers in October.

Rockies caught lightening in a bottle (remember they weren't even a contender until mid-July last year). There is no team like that in the NL this year. You also have to remember it has been 14 years since the Phillies last playoff appearance. They're a little wiser and less deer in the headlights this year. You mentioned Howard being on fire; Myers is equally hot- 7-2 in his last 9 games.

There is no denying what Manny has done for the Dodgers but I'll take the Phillies pitching and bullpen over the Dodgers at this point in the season.

[huh?]

They have a better shot this year than at any other time in my lifetime. They have been very fun to watch this year. Adding Harden has re-energized the team.

Some of the positives I've noticed are: a lack of easy outs in the everyday lineup, solid 1-2-3 starters, and oh by the way their #4 has 15 wins as well, aside from Soriano pretty solid defense. Great clucth hitting, pretty much all year. I love the bench this year. Lou actually has several options late in games. That's a pretty good blueprint right there.

Having said that, there are some weaknesses. The Cubs haven't been hurt by the injury bug too bad this year (no jinx, no jinx, no jinx). They've gotten lucky as to when they were facing other teams, seemed like early in the year they would miss the other teams #1 a lot, or a key component of the opposition would be knicked up for a few days while they were in town. By far my biggest concern is the bullpen. Wood still scares the shit out of me, Marmol is worn out, the rest of the pen is spotty at best. Who knows, they've been able to make it work so far.

It's all about who's hot during the playoffs though. Still I like the Cubs chances of making it to the WS. I absolutely think they can play with whoever limps out of the ALCS, if they're fortunate enough to make it there.

[Shoalzie]

I want what your smoking bro.

Howard is red hot right now, I'm not going to deny that...but riddle me this, didn't they go into the playoffs last year in a similar fashion. What's so different about this year? Utley and Howard had better years last year and Rollins isn't nearly the same player. The only thing I might give you the benefit of the doubt on is that your pitching shapes up better than last year. The Rockies ran a train over the Phillies in the NLDS. To me, the Dodgers became a World Series caliber team when they got Manny and Torre is still one of the best managers in October.

Rockies caught lightening in a bottle (remember they weren't even a contender until mid-July last year). There is no team like that in the NL this year. You also have to remember it has been 14 years since the Phillies last playoff appearance. They're a little wiser and less deer in the headlights this year. You mentioned Howard being on fire; Myers is equally hot- 7-2 in his last 9 games.

There is no denying what Manny has done for the Dodgers but I'll take the Phillies pitching and bullpen over the Dodgers at this point in the season.

I do like the Phillies chances better than last year...the Rockies were a supernova until they ran into Boston. The NL East right now is in the same situation at the AL East...the top two appear to be going to playoffs and the wild card team will have a much tougher matchup in the LDS. Milwaukee is still alive but they are lifeline is weakening by the day. For the Phillies, I'd give you more of a chance against the Dodgers than against the Cubs.

[Shoalzie]

Setting up for an awesome weekend...

Twins comeback on the Sox...6-6 in the 8th. A win puts them into first place.
The Mets beat the Cubs to draw them closer to the Phillies and temporarily ahead of the Brewers...Brewers-Pirates tied 1-1 in the 10th.
Rays look to wrap up the East and they have a shot at stealing away home field from the Angels.

The 5th ticket for the postseason has been punched...the Diamondbacks eliminated today, the Dodgers are the NL West champs.

[Shoalzie]

Two walk-off extra inning wins in pivotal games...Braun hits a slam to lead the Brewers and the Twins win on an Alexi Casilla single.

Series to watch...
Indians @ White Sox (CHW lead season series 10-5)
Royals @ Twins (MIN lead season series 11-4)
Nationals @ Phillies (PHI lead season series 9-6)
Cubs @ Brewers (CHC lead season series 9-6)
Marlins @ Mets (NYM lead season series 9-6)

What could be interesting is if the race in the AL Central finishes with 1/2 game difference...the Sox-Tigers will have to play a makeup game likely on Monday. It's the only way my crap team will get to play postseason baseball.

[Goober McTuber]

Two walk-off extra inning wins in pivotal games...Braun hits a slam to lead the Brewers and the Twins win on an Alexi Casilla single.

Series to watch...
Indians @ White Sox (CHW lead season series 10-5)
Royals @ Twins (MIN lead season series 11-4)
Nationals @ Phillies (PHI lead season series 9-6)
Cubs @ Brewers (CHC lead season series 9-6)
Marlins @ Mets (NYM lead season series 9-6)

What could be interesting is if the race in the AL Central finishes with 1/2 game difference...the Sox-Tigers will have to play a makeup game likely on Monday. It's the only way my crap team will get to play postseason baseball.

Hate to burst your bubble, but that would NOT be a post-season game. On the bright side, if they wind up tied I’m sure you’ll be able to relate to that whole “kissing your sister” thing.

[Adelpiero]

Could this be the year?

nope, 100 and counting

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

Sox over Cubs in 6

[Yer a Fuckin Jerkoff]

The numbers are a little more crunched now with all the playoff teams in. The Philadelphia up 1-0, I will assume Sabathia wins tomorrow and it's a best of 3.

Here are the percentage odds for each team winning the World Series:

Boston 43%
Anaheim 22%
Cubs 15%
White Sox 7%
Phillies 5%
Dodgers 5%
Tampa Bay 2%
Milwaukee 1%

[Screw_Michigan]

Sox over Cubs in 6

Great fucking take. Game fucking over, tard ass Cub fans. Another postseason, yet another example that CHAMPIONSHIP CALIBER baseball is played six miles to the south and not anywhere on the north side. While all you yuppie tards on the north side (or backwater, redneck tards in Iowa) jerk each other off on how Wrigleyville is so much fun and the Cubs are so loveable (while the owners are second to Dan Snyder in squeezing every last fucking dime out of its fanbase), and buying into that stupid fucking curse shit, the reality is that your ballclub is the least clutch in sports, will choke at any possible moment, and will leave you tards blue-balled with your hands on your dick every single fall. Hope you enjoyed all those regular season wins and that shitty ass, urinal smelling toilet you play in because the ride is over. Unfortunately, Steve Bartman is still a fan after you all did him wrong. I wish he would be laughing his ass off wearing black and white, like he should be. Piss-hands Alou agrees.

Off yourselves, tards. Unlike a REAL championship ballclub, the Cubs have no idea how to finish. And for every fucking tard wearing the racist "Horrry Cow" slant eyed Cubs shirt in the stands, which completely personifies your shit ass douchebag fan base, I will toast and celebrate every fucking loss you suffer this postseason. Eat shit, losers.

[socal]

And for every fucking tard wearing the racist "Horrry Cow" slant eyed Cubs shirt in the stands...

So glad the Dodgers could be of service to vet out all of your inner tard.

[Screw_Michigan]

And for every fucking tard wearing the racist "Horrry Cow" slant eyed Cubs shirt in the stands...

So glad the Dodgers could be of service to vet out all of your inner tard.

I figured it would get a few laughs. The point is RACK THE FUCKING DODGERS anyway, asshole.

[indyfrisco]

The world is a good place when the Cubs lose.

Fuck the Cubs.

[Shoalzie]

The world is a good place when the Cubs lose.

Fuck the Cubs.

I'll admit, I did get some enjoyment out last night's Game 1. I think the fact that the Red Sox and White Sox have ended their droughts...it's like they think they're entitled to get theirs next. This year is definitely a great chance for them to win it all...which obviously means they'll probably fall short (again).

[socal]

BTW S_M, the Rays are doing their part to rid the Windy City of baseball in October.

8-1 in the 8th, Mace. Yesterday 'twas the walks, today errors. What will game 3 bring?

[Adelpiero]

Could this be the year?

nope, 100 and counting

'

rack


and go fuck yourself chubs fan

[Whitey]

Could this be the year?

I've refrained from posting about the Cubs because I don't want to jinx it......but could it be that this is the year that will end the drought? What's your thoughts on the Cubs' chances of actually winning it all in '08?

Mace

In a word...
NO!

[Screw_Michigan]

and the ongoing ineptitude of the south siders will be of little consolation.

Mace

this is karma for your dipshit fan base. all you sheep should be slaughtered, but we'll (i.e. us sox fans) will more than accept your utter and hilariou failings.

bwahaha.

[Shoalzie]

Instead of "Maybe Next Year"...the CubFan can now use the phrase "Maybe Next Century".

Let's be honest, the Cubs wouldn't be the Cubs without all the losing. Thank you Dodgers for maintaining the balance of the force.

[Shoalzie]

I don't know how CubFan can throw any smack towards the Sox considering...THEY'VE ACTUALLY WON A FRIGGIN' CHAMPIONSHIP IN THE LAST 100 YEARS! (In fact, they've won two.) They aren't the media darlings like the Cubs but they actually win in October. They aren't that much more successful than the Cubs but they can say that they've held that commissioner's trophy. To the Sox credit during their drought, they didn't go the route of the Cubs and Red Sox and act like they were cursed.

[Shoalzie]

I'm not shocked by that reaction at all...I'll leave it at that.

And to answer your question...I do care about the White Sox because they're the team I'd like my team to become...at least out of the ones that are in the AL Central. The idea of actually having a decent bullpen intrigues me...what is that like? Ironically, I probably hate the Sox more than any other team in baseball because of the divisional rivalry and the fact that they've had more success than my team has had recently. Winning breeds resentment...which is really jealousy in disguise.

[Shoalzie]

I'm jealous from the standpoint that are playing in October and my team isn't. I'm jealous that their GM hasn't saddled his team with bad long-term contracts to mediocre players and sold off some of his future for players that are past their prime. Although, Dombrowski was able to get Cabrera...the Sox were very much interested in him. I'm jealous that their GM spent money on bullpen depth in addition to addressing lineup needs. Granted, they might end up with as many playoff wins as the Tigers will have after we're all said and done but the prospects for the White Sox going into next year a bit better than the Tigers and that makes me a bit envious.

Right now, I'm a little jealous of the Cubs as well for being the postseason the last two years and having something to be excited about. I got to see my team in the World Series two years ago...which was nice but I don't know when I'll see my team back in the playoffs again. You gotta be happy just to get that far because only 8 teams get to do that each year. In recent years, we're just as likely to see an improbable story like the Rays as we are to see teams like the Mets or the Tigers fall flat when given lofty expectations. To their credit, the Cubs didn't go totally "Cubs" and miss the playoffs outright. They did what most expected them to do...win the N.L. Central again and return to the playoffs. But for them they pooped the bed again in the big spot. For the White Sox...they somewhat overachieved and won the Central when many expected the Tigers or the Indians to win it. To a lesser extent, they were a surprise this year much like the Rays.

[Screw_Michigan]

Yep, the Sox have won 2 championships in the last 100 years.....Big fucking deal. "The Sox win in October"? How they doin' against the fuckin' Devil Rays, for God's sake? Yeah, that's what I thought. I don't normally bash the south siders, Shoalzie, because I don't give a rat's ass about them.....and neither does anyone else.

Mace

Typical Cubs fan: "They've actually won a World Series title. Who gives a fuck?" And unlike the fucking Dodgers, the Rays were actually one of the best teams in teh AL. So, the Cubs have been swept out of their last two playoff appearances. Not only do the Sox actually win in October, they actually show signs of life, unlike the North Side Toolboxes. Maybe you dickbags should actually pay attention to what goes on at Comiskey. Maybe you'd learn something valuable like: Winning at home, winning at home in October, playing quality defense, playing mentally tough (which the Flubs flat-out were not), how to finish an opponent, how to play well in the clutch, and HOW TO GO WIRE TO WIRE AND FINISH THE JOB. I gotta give the Flubs some props, though. It has to be tough to win games when you have such a pussy fanbase ready to abandon the team at any instance of struggle, as we saw Thursday. Fans were readily admitting they left the game early because of "same old shit." Same fanbase that DIDN'T EVEN FUCKING EXIST IN HTE 70s AND 80s and only arrived when the Wrigleyville party scene overtook the actual game being played on the field. The same dipshit fans who attend each game for the outdoor beer garden and only happen to notice when a homer goes out of the park.

And the whole "We don't give a fuck about the South Side" is real fucking rich coming from some backwater, Iowa-residing tard. You're in that prestigious handful of states people would never relocate to unless forced by gunpoint with the Dakotas, Montana, and Nebraska. Talk about a location no one gives a fuck about. Keep flapping your fucking gums. And that's cool, us South Side fans enjoy the fact that no one cares about the Sox, but a whole hell of a lot of people care about the Flubs, only to be perennially rewarded with a pathetic, choking, underachieving team that will never succeed until its fanbase is purged of all the bandwagon, front-running, baseball-second tards who actually believe in the stupid fucking "curse" bullshit.

Go fuck yourself. Feel free to come back when you shit-eating pantloads actually win a single game in the postseason.

[Screw_Michigan]

You're "jealous" of the White Sox? Wow, Shoalzie, you've got some serious issues. I hope you weren't trying to infer that I'm in some way jealous of the south siders because nothing could be further from the truth. Like I said, I don't give a rat's ass about the Sox and, really, I don't. I pretty much feel the same way about the American League in general and don't follow the scores during the season or pay any attention to the standings until the last couple of weeks of the regular season. I just don't care about the Sox or the A.L. Besides, if I were going to be jealous of any team, it would be one that's a hell of a lot better than the Sox.

Mace

BWAHAHA. I can't make this shit up. "I don't care about the AL," "I don't care about the Sox," "I'd be more jealous of a team that is a hell of a lot better than the Sox." BWAHAH.

Let me translate that for you:

"I don't give a fuck about the team six miles south that actually brings home the hardware while my club leaves us with our hands on our dicks every single season. They make us look like the piles of shit we are, so I'd rather just live in my own little Cubbie-fandom bubble, cover my hands and eyes, scream LALALALALALALA and pretend they don't exist so I'm not exposed as the dimwitted, ignorant deserted wasteland, Irie Lagos neighboring cunt I am."

Props to Shoalz. He gets it, and like many of your Flubbie brethren, you do not. And for the final time I'll mention why I'll never have any respect for you Cub pole-smokers: The way you did Bartman was pathetic and inexcusable. If they could have got away with it, one of your douchebag fans would have offed him and dumped him in the fucking River, when it wasn't even his fault in the first place. And to prove the delusional depths of Cub stupidity, even Steve Bartman is a fan of the team whose fanbase had him closer to being killed than he even knew.

Fuck the Cubs. Fuck you.

[.m2]

Why the White Sox will always own the Cubbies till the end of time...






"They were and always will be a hell of a lot more fun"!







Associated Press, 1951
SHRINKING STRIKE ZONE Veeck hired Eddie Gaedel, a 3-foot-7 stuntman, to be a pinch-hitter. In his only at-bat, Gaedel predictably walked.


TAKE ME TO YOUR LEADER Veeck entertained fans in 1959 when midgets dressed as spacemen landed at Comiskey Park by helicopter.


Associated Press, 1979
UP IN SMOKE In 1979, a Disco Demolition Night evolved into fans' burning records on the field and caused the White Sox to forfeit a game.


Associated Press, 1959
WHAT GOES WITH PEANUTS Circus elephants paraded past the White Sox dugout between games of a doubleheader against the Yankees.


HOT WEATHER UNIFORMS The White Sox wore Bermuda-length navy shorts with white pullover tops.


Bill Veeck used signs to poll the fans about his manager's strategy during a game.




.... and Bill Veeck was all class


Associated Press, 1947
Veeck helped to break the color barrier in the American League by acquiring Larry Doby, a 23-year-old outfielder, to play for Cleveland.





Yes, I'm originally from Chi-Town





the truth