Cubs in 06

Well, here we are at the start of yet another baseball season. And once again, we (me, my dad, and all of Chicago - well the part that counts, the rest can have the White Sox) blindly, foolishly, believe (hope) that "this is the year". That the Cubs will somehow overcome all the past futility, cusrses, jinxs, inevitable injuries and bad luck, and like 2003, put together a magical season, and finally make it the World Series.

So, with that, I bring you (from ESPN) the Best Case and Worst Case scenairos for the 2006 season:

Last World Series title: 1908.

Best case: Mark Prior and Kerry Wood quiet the doubters with big seasons. Wade Miller is good, too, and Dusty Baker suddenly has more pitching than he can accommodate. Juan Pierre gives the team the desired lift out of the leadoff spot and the Cubs turn out to be the White Sox of 2006. They sail through the NL Central and win the World Series.

Worst case: The Prior-Wood injury watch becomes a season-long fiasco, and Baker and GM Jim Hendry get cranky over the constant second-guessing from Steve Stone and Mike Marshall. And Dusty's unsettled contract situation is an ongoing distraction. The Cubs limp home an uninspired fifth.