Dempster, Cubs believe in 2008

Discussion in 'American League Central' started by Denny Crane, Jul 15, 2008.

  1. Denny Crane

    Denny Crane It's not even loaded! Staff Member Administrator

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    http://sportstwo.com/MLB/Story/MLB/2633942

    <span style="font-size:18pt;line-height:100%">Dempster, Cubs believe in 2008</span>
    Tuesday, July 15, 2008 08:13 PM

    By Larry Fleisher
    PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

    BRONX, New York (Ticker) - Five months ago, the Chicago Cubs began spring training and right away Ryan Dempster expressed confidence.

    Since then, the Cubs have rolled to the best record in the majors and sent a National League-record eight players to the All-Star Game on Tuesday. Dempster sees no reason to change his stance.

    The righthander held court in the cramped visitors' clubhouse at Yankee Stadium before the game and spent several minutes reiterating his belief that this could be the year the Cubs reach the World Series for the first time in over six decades and even win it for the first time in a century.

    Despite the popularity of the franchise and presence of Wrigley Field on the North Side of Chicago, the Cubs have failed to win the World Series since 1908.

    With the Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox ending lengthy championship droughts, the Cubs have the longest gap in between titles. Since that 1908 championship, Chicago has made seven appearances in the "Fall Classic".

    The last was in 1945, when the Detroit Tigers won a seven-game Series.

    That also was the year when local bar owner William Sians allegedly put a hex on the franchise for denying his goat admission for Game Four.

    Since then, the Cubs have made playoff appearances in 1984, 1989, 1998, 2003 and last season. Each instance has seen them fall short, but being swept by the Arizona Diamondbacks in last year's Division Series provided instant motivation.

    Just to advance to the playoffs last season, Chicago had to rally from a 10-game deficit in the National League Central, eventually winning 85 games.

    "I think last year when we were making a run, we were 10 games out and we just kind of kept plugging away, and see what we come back from?" Dempster said. "And I think seeing guys in spring training, getting swept from the playoffs actually helped us out because we worked so hard to get there and to be gone in three games it was a huge disappointment.

    "Everybody came back in great shape. Guys were hungry. Guys wanted it more."

    Dempster's role has been making the successful transition from closer to starting pitcher, which is something he did primarily with the Florida Marlins and Cincinnati Reds.

    The transition has been smooth, and his 10-4 record is why he was standing in front of a locker at Yankee Stadium.

    "We're the 2008 Chicago Cubs," Dempster said. "We can't control what's going to happen next year and we sure can't control what's happened in the past. I think if we're somehow allowed to just let our team, the 2008 Chicago Cubs, stand for themselves and not be associated with any other things that have gone on in the past.

    "Just allow us to go out and perform the way we're supposed to perform. I think something special could happen. We've got to obviously do a lot of things right. We've got to win our division. We've got to get to the playoffs and we got to play good baseball. I think that's the way a lot of guys look at it in the locker room. Whatever's happened is over and done with, this is our team. This is our group of guys we have this year."

    Helping matters for the British Columbia native and his teammates has been the recent acquisition of Canadian compatriot Rich Harden from the Oakland Athletics. That came days after the rival Milwaukee Brewers obtained lefthander C.C. Sabathia from the Cleveland Indians.

    "We felt like we had a good enough team as it was," Dempster said. "Obviously we go out and get Rich Harden and made a good team really better. He's a great guy and he's one heck of a pitcher."

    That acquisition and what the Cubs have accomplished already have them feeling good and believing they might be able to avoid some of the other things that have gone wrong in their history.

    Whether it was the "Black Cat" that made its way in front of their dugout at Shea Stadium in 1969 or Steve Bartman reaching to grab a foul ball in 2003 when they were five outs away, it is not the reason why Dempster wants to win in Chicago.

    "If you have doubts or are hoping to do that because some black cat ran along the field or some guy brought a goat to the park, then you're going to start doubting yourself. I truly believe it."
     
  2. TheBeef

    TheBeef Commish of FUN!

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    At the break, they have just as good a shot as anyone....Id say they are the favorites in the NL, but you just cant predict what will happen in October....I just want to step back, watch as many games as I can, and enjoy the journey, just in case this is the year....
     

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