Now that the euphoria has worn off, it’s time to assess the Cubs’ 1998 season in the cold light of reality. Several facts must be considered.
– Yes, the season was fun and exciting, but the Cubs did not win anything. In their division, they finished second to Houston by a couple of light-years. Only because of the quirky divisional situation were they given the dubious role of warmup opponent for the Atlanta Braves, a role they played to perfection. They allowed the Braves to stay sharp, but did not force them to work too hard.
– Sammy Sosa came in second in the National League in home runs. Despite all the hype, there was another guy who hit four more than Sammy. All Sammy did was break a record that had already been broken, so it was no longer a record when he broke it. Get it? I agree that hitting 66 home runs is a great accomplishment, but Mark McGwire is the player who broke the record. Even when all of Sammy’s playoff home runs are added in, he still has 66. But he did set one record, for the most postgame appearances wearing T-shirts and caps with his own name and picture on them.
So the Cubs were much improved over their 1997 record and provided many thrills, but all the celebrating and media frenzy would make one think that they had won the World Series. Let’s win something first, then celebrate. Wait till next year.
