Chicago Cubs Completely Useless by October?

Is it better to have made the playoffs and lost, than never to have made the playoffs at all?

The answer is yes. Just ask a Pirates fan what he remembers of the 2008 season, or any year since 1992.

Despite the depressingly anticlimactic postseason, history was made this year, albeit not the one Cubs fans wanted to see.

The total of 97 regular-season wins was the most since 1945, and also the first time in 100 years the Cubs made the playoffs in back to back years. It was also the first time in 102 years that the Cubs and White Sox were in the playoffs at the same time. Carlos Zambrano posted the first no-hitter by a Cubs pitcher in 36 years.

Even though this year's Cubs team ended with the same result as the last 100 teams, this was a once in a lifetime team.

As another season ends, the infamous streaks grow. The World Series drought of 100 years, the NL pennant drought of 63 years, and the postseason losing streak of nine games, after consecutive sweeps in October and losing the last two games to the Marlins in 2003.

That particular streak is tied for the longest current streak in baseball.

The good news—or bad news—is that the Cubs will be back next year, and unchanged for the most part. The two key free agents this year are Ryan Dempster and Kerry Wood, along with old relievers Bob Howry, Jon Lieber, and bench players Daryle Ward and Henry Blanco.

The two key free agents were the best story of this season's Cubs team. Ryan Dempster transitioned well from closer to starter, and Kerry Wood from starter to closer. Both are fan favorites—Dempster for riding his bike to Wrigley, and Wood for striking out 20 Astros 10 years ago.

With the season abruptly over, I find myself waiting until next year, yet again.

The last two seasons have transformed the acronym C.U.B.S.—Completely Useless By September—because the team came through in September. But now a new acronym is more fitting, C.U.B.O.—Completely Useless By October.