By Matt Veto, mveto@qconline.com
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On the Cubs baseball-reference.com page, 2008 is sponsored by a T.J. Brown, who left a permanent message stating, As of right now (June 6) Ive never seen a better Cubs team in my life. Can they keep it up? They better!
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On June 6, the Cubs were a season-high 27 games over .500. Im happy to tell Past T.J. that on Aug. 18, the Cubs are 28 games above .500, and I have not seen a better Cubs team in my life either.
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On Aug. 18, just 39 games away from the end of the regular season, I reiterate T.J.s question: Can the Cubs keep it up?
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While 2003 had bigger names in the starting rotation Zambrano, Wood, Prior, Clement 2008 has more effective starters Zambrano, Dempster, Lilly, Harden.
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While 2003 had big-named sluggers Sosa, Alou, Ramirez 2008 has more versatile little men Johnson, Theriot and Fontenot.
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While 2003 had a toothpick eating coach that led the Cubs to the playoffs in his first season, 2008 has Lou Piniella, who is poised to become the first Cubs manager to lead Chicago to two consecutive playoff appearances since get this Frank Chance. He managed that in 1906, 07 and s disgusting. And its a note I havent heard talked about yet. Perhaps Ill be the trend setter. (So, if you hear Stu Scott say this followed by youll know he got it from me. That would make me feel cooler than the other side of the pillow.)
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Only Charlie Grimm, Chance and Cap Anson coached the Cubs to multiple playoff bids.
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Talk about history.
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Ryan Dempster has 14 wins after Sundays 9-2 of the Marlins. Blowout, of course, in quotations as it took a gigantic eight-run Cubs seventh to get the win.
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I got to hear the highs and lows of the game thanks to my buddy Jeff, who brings his five-dollar mini radio with him to all of our weekend baseball games so he doesnt miss an inning. The commercials get pretty annoying, though, so Ive offered up a root beer to anyone who manages to smash it with a line drive.
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No luck yet.
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But I suppose I would have kicked myself had I missed this game. It was a good one.
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