Chicago Cubs Baseball

It’s no secret the Chicago Cubs are to baseball what Cracker Jacks is to snack food - a surprise in every box score.

This season is no exception. If Cubdom has learned anything about this year’s bunch it’s that they’re about as predictable as April weather - a sprinkling of sunshine here, an occasional flurry there, but mostly damp and overcast.

What a surprise.

Through two weeks and 12 games the Cubs have compiled a 7-5 record and sit in third place in the National League Central.

Not bad for a team who’s middle reliever (Kevin Hart) leads the pitching staff in victories (two). Downright remarkable for a club who’s lead-off man is batting less than his weight and a third baseman playing with slightly more enthusiasm than Rip Van Winkle on ginseng.

That’s our 2008 Cubs. Always achieving. Sometimes overachieving, but mostly underachieving.

Then again, is it possible to keep Cubdom happy? Last year through 12 games Chicago Cubs baseball stood at 4-8 and worst yet, the club looked awfully comfortable in last place. When Chicago batters weren’t hitting, the Cubs bullpen was giving games away - hand over paw.

All of Cubdom was wondering when, if ever, the Cubs would shake off a winter’s hibernation and begin to meet pre-season expectations. As we know that didn’t occur until early June when Chicago manager Lou Piniella went into a jet-fueled tirade. Lou got tossed but the Cubs got launched.

By then the Cubs were 2-10 in one-run games and 22-30 overall.

Records aside, it’s hard to tell this year’s team from lasts. The offense really hasn’t shown the expected promise and the starting pitching is borderline atrocious.

Still, the Cubs are 2-2 in one-run games this season and 3-1 in extra inning affairs. So are the Cubs lucky? Good? Or just good and lucky?

Who knows? However it turns out, I bet it’ll be a surprise.