Chicago Cubs' Top 10 Moments from 2008

When the Cubs' season ended it was like an argument between two good friends. Things were said and done and now neither side has spoken since the incident. What makes things worse is when you are constantly reminded of the Cubs every day, especially when you live across the street from Wrigley Field.

It’s like running into an ex on the street after a bad break up. Neither one of you knows what to say nor do nor can neither look the other in the eye. That’s how it has felt these past few months as I’ve walked by Wrigley and wondered what could’ve—nah, what should’ve been with this year’s team.

This year was supposed to be different. They were going to be the ones who erased all of the agony and heartbreak of the past. All the nonsense of Billy goats, black cats and Steve Bartman would be forgotten if only for a moment; the Cubs could’ve won it all. But a cruel twist of fate left Cubs fans with an extremely bitter—no, disgusting taste in their mouths.

While I wasn’t alive to see the 1984 Cubs team, I’ve heard stories and seen the tapes; and this year’s playoff debacle has to rank right up there with other playoff disasters in the past including ‘84 and ’03.

As badly as it ended things weren’t all that bad during the season. As I’ve had time to reflect and come to terms with what happened I’ve been thinking about the good times while trying to forget the bad.

I have to say that the six months I spent at the corner of Clark and Addison this year were some of the better ones I’ve ever experienced as a Cubs fan. I’ve compiled a top 10 list of the best Cubs moments from the 2008 season. As the year is coming to a close, I look forward to 2009 and being at Wrigley Field cheering on my favorite team. 

10. On Aug. 28, the Cubs were playing the Phillies and the Cubs were trailing the by three in the bottom of the eighth. They capped off a five-run inning, which included a grand slam by Aramis Ramirez. Wrigley erupted.

Before Ramirez stepped up to the plate I turned to the guy behind me and bet him Ramirez was going to hit a grand slam to left center. He took the bet and a second later Ramirez delivered. I had won me five bucks.

9. Reed Johnson was released by the Blue Jays in Spring Training and the Cubs picked him up to back up Felix Pie. Eventually the starting job became Johnson’s and on April 26 against the Washington Nationals Johnson made one of the most spectacular catches ever. Johnson, on a dead sprint from center field, made an unbelievable diving catch to preserve a tie game at the time.

8. The Cubs picked up long-time Cubs killer Jim Edmonds in May after being released by the Padres. Most fans were skeptical at first, but Edmonds quickly won Cubs fans over. On Aug. 8, Edmonds was playing against his former club, the St. Louis Cardinals.

If you weren’t a fan of Edmonds before, you became one after he hit a pair of game-tying home runs against his former team. After the second home run, Edmonds received a curtain call. I don’t think Cub fans would’ve ever imagined that happening.

The Cubs went on to win that game 3-2 in the 11th inning with a bases loaded single by Henry Blanco.

7. Alfonso Soriano may drive Cubs fans crazy sometimes, but when he gets hot he has the potential to put a team on his back and carry them. Soriano did just that against the Cincinnati Reds on Sept. 6. The Cubs were in the midst of a six-game losing streak and needed to put an end to it in a hurry.

Soriano would hit three home runs in this game leading the Cubs to a 14-9 victory much to the delight of the mass amount of Cubs fans in attendance. It was Soriano’s second three-homer game in a Cubs uniform.

6. The Cubs and Brewers have played some amazing games between the two since the Brewers joined the National League in 1998. Sept. 18 was another one of those classic Cubs-Brewers matchups. The Brewers had a 6-2 lead going into the ninth. They all but had the victory wrapped up until Ryan Braun went after the last out lackadaisically.

It allowed the inning to continue and Geovany Soto would deliver a game-tying three-run homer. Wrigley was rocking as the Brewers fans in attendance were in disbelief over what had happened.

It was only fitting that Salomon Torres who shot his mouth off about the Brewers catching the Cubs was the one who gave up the home run. The Cubs would go on to win in it 7-6 in the 12th inning on a Derek Lee single.

5. The Cross-town Classic between the Cubs and Sox is always a battle for city-wide bragging rights and this year was no different. It’s basically civil war with in the city. This series pits fathers against sons, husbands against wives and best friends against one another.

The Cubs kept their magical season rolling with a trouncing of their cross-town rivals. The Cubs would sweep the southsiders in round one. Brooms were in short supply on the North side after this one.

4. The Cubs won their second straight division championship and made the playoffs back-to-back for the first time since 1907-1908, but before they could pop the champagne they had to take care of an old foe in the form of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Alfonso Soriano got it started with a bases loaded, two-out single, all three runs would score as the ball got by the Cardinals’ left fielder Brian Barton.

Ted Lilly even got in on the action by laying down a perfect executed bunt single. As the game rolled along, Cubs fans began to sense that today was going to be the day they would clinch. Although, as Cubs fan know, nothing ever comes easy; as the game rolled on the Cardinals drew closer and closer making it a 5-4 Cubs lead come the top of the ninth.

But as he did all year long, Kerry Wood shut the door by getting Aaron Miles to fly out to none other than Jim Edmonds. How fitting was it that Edmonds made the final out against his former team?

3. The Cubs were hanging on to a slim lead in the division at the end of July as they headed up north to Milwaukee to play the Brewers in a make or break four-game series. This series decided the National League Central Division for the Cubs.  It had the makings of a heavy weight battle with the winner receiving sole possession of first place.

The first game was an up and down roller coaster ride that featured several lead changes and raised the blood pressure a few levels. While watching the first game a calming feeling came over me. That feeling that told me everything is going to be alright if the Cubs win game one.

The Cubs delivered a right hook, then a combo of a left and right. The final blow came in the form a Jim Edmonds grand slam in game four. A nasty uppercut that left the Brewers’ pride damaged; and now five games out of first.

2. The Cubs and Astros series was postponed in Houston due to Hurricane Ike. This left the two teams looking for a neutral site to get a couple of the games in. Hello, Miller Park. For those fans that made the trek up to Milwaukee to watch the game, little did they know they were going to witness history.

Zambrano was returning from a sore arm and what better way to hush up the nay sayers and critics then by throwing a no-hitter. It was the first Cubs no-no since Milt Pappas did it ’72.

Z’s stuff was absolutely filthy and the Astros had no chance. For those who were there it is a moment they will never forget and it’s the kind of moment that gives you goose bumps when watching the replay.

It’s the kind of moment where you call up the ones who got you into being a Cubs fan. As a fan you will always remember where you were and what you were doing when Z threw the no-hitter.

1. The theme of this year’s Cubs was comebacks. The game in which I picked evoked memories of the Phillies-Cubs slugfest of 1979. While the score wasn’t outrageous as 22-23, but the come-from-behind-style victory is what made this game No. 1. On May 30, the Rockies were in town and the wind was blowing straight-out at Wrigley.

The Rockies jumped all over Ted Lilly and he was gone by the third inning. The Cubs were down 8-1 as late as the fifth inning. No matter what the deficit was the team always found a way to come back. With best part coming right before the Cubs retook the lead. The momentum had shifted back towards the Cubs.

The fans knew it and most certainly the players knew it. Now the only question remaining was could they pull it off and come back after being down 8-0 at one point? Mark DeRosa answered that question with a resounding yes.

DeRosa would hit a two-run homer to left to give the Cubs a 10-9 lead and put the exclamation point on a very improbable, yet unbelievable come-from-behind win. This, like the Zambrano no-no, was one of those moments where you call your loved ones to talk about how amazing and unbelievable that game was.

What made this game even more awesome was living across the street and hearing the fans erupt before it is seen on TV.

As far as I can remember the Cubs teams I’ve seen and that my family has seen has never done anything like that; and that is what made this Cubs team different. The way they found different ways to win games most Cubs fans have never saw it in their life times.

Honorable mention: Daryle Ward’s go ahead home run against the Marlins, Kosuke Fukudome’s three run game-tying home run on Opening Day, Ted Lilly barreling over Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina, Jim Edmonds back to the wall catch while running up the center field hill in Houston, Kerry Wood the pitcher of record when the Cubs Franchise wins its 10,000th game. Ted Lilly takes a no-hitter into the seventh inning one night after Z throw’s a No-No, Geovany Soto’s inside the park home run in Houston.