Zambrano Wins Game 7!
By Arturo Mora, Kansas City Star Midwest Voices columnist 2009
At the risk of biting the hand that now feeds me, my baseball heart is still in Chicago, so I’m going to ignore the Royals and make my umpteenth annual prediction that, yes, THIS is the year the Cubs win the World Series!
101 years be damned! Billy goat be damned! As Ernie Banks might say, October ’09 is gonna be just fine!
I know Kansas and Missouri are college sports-mad, but baseball’s Opening Day is what I look forward to each year. Especially as a Cubs’ fan, it’s yet another chance to let hope Spring eternal.
The record is 0-0 and fantasies are ripe. Carlos Zambrano vs. Josh Beckett, Game 7 at Wrigley Field. I’ll be there (or at least on Waveland Avenue if tickets are over $1000 for standing room only!).
There used to be a great old joke about the Red Sox vs. Cubs, Game 7, bases loaded, bottom of the 9th, 2 outs, one team winning 4-3….then the world ends.
The Red Sox ruined the joke by actually winning the Series, of course. Twice. Yeah, I know, the White Sox ended their drought too. Get over it, who cares anymore?
Anyway, here’s my predictions: Cubs win the NL Central in a laugher. With Milton Bradley as the left-handed bat missing against the Dodgers last Fall, they’re the complete package now.
They’ve got question marks, sure—middle relief, Kosuke Fukudome, the annual Alfonso Soriano lead-off drama—but their combination of deep starting pitching and proven run-scoring ability is heads above anything the Cardinals, Brewers or Astros have to offer this year.
NL East- Phillies; Mets Wild Card
NL West-Dodgers
AL Central-White Sox. Royals will get over .500 finally, maybe win 85, but that’s it.
AL East-Red Sox; Yankees Wild Card
AL West-Angels
Playoffs-The first round choke is over, Cubs over Mets. Dodgers over Phillies. Yankees over Angels. Red Sox over White Sox.
League Championships-Cubs get revenge over the Dodgers, sweep them as Waveland Avenue goes nuts. Red Sox sneak past the Yankees, ESPN goes nuts.
You know the rest, future history.
Wrigley, Game 7
Zambrano
Beckett
Nirvana.
Delicious
Digg
Nirvana??.....
.....Kurts Dead, get over it!
da onions...
...it ain't a dog without the onions...Wrigley: still the best place to see baseball...the real deal, the real field...airfare's cheap...I feel a Chicago weekend comin' on...
Tom Ryan
The Crossroads
Kansas City
http://crossroadscurrents.blogspot.com/
and with tons of grilled onions of course!
it's all about dogs at the ol' ball park. Plan to go to a few Royals games this year, baseball anywhere's always a good time.
....what's so funny about peace love and understanding? E.Costello
kosher hot dogs at Wrigley
are my personal favoritie.
Tom, must feel great to be a Phillies fan and break your (relatively short) drought. Someday, someday, Cub fans will feel the same joy....
....what's so funny about peace love and understanding? E.Costello
Arturo…what’s the best sandwich at Wrigley Field?
The current favorite, after the Cheesesteak, at the Phillies’ games over the past year is the “Schmitter”, named after our old pal, that Golden Glove third base hero, No. 20, Mike Schmidt.
See: http://eatcharmcity.blogspot.com/2008/04/schmitter-sandwich-philly-goodness-on.html
Raised in the Philly area, somehow we’ve been able to dull the pains of loss with gross quantities of cholesterol over the years. Last year, an exceptional one. Could we have a repeat? I dunno…pass the cheesey fries.
Tom Ryan
The Crossroads
Kansas City
http://crossroadscurrents.blogspot.com/