Chicago Cubs Baseball

“Next year” is finally this year, and this year is sounding a lot like last year to this Chicago Cub baseball fan.

Unbridled hope, a healthy disregard for reality and another Chicago Cub pitcher making World Series predictions.

Yep. It must be February in Mesa.

At least this year there’s a new mouth in the south making predictions besides Carlos Zambrano. If you remember it was spring training 2007 when Zambrano boldly went where few sane Chicago Cubs have gone before - predicting a World Series championship and a Cy Young award.

Well, we all know how that turned out.

Welcome to 2008 and meet the Cubs’ new self-appointed Nostradamus - Ryan Dempster. For those of you who haven’t heard, the one-time closer turned starting rotation candidate tossed in his two-cents on the Chicago Cubs fortunes. And that was before the lights even went on at Fitch Park.

“I think we’re going to win the World Series, I really do,’’ Dempster said last Wednesday. “The curse? It’s been 100 years. I think I’m all right saying that.”

Yes, Ryan, it is okay to say it. It’s also all right to say nothing at all. In fact, I’ve probably saved myself a few slaps across the face by keeping a perfectly healthy thought to myself.

I figure it must be the intoxicating idea of finally leaving the closer’s role behind that prompted Dempster to speak up and out . Either that or he’s drinking from the same water bottle as Zambrano.

As a Chicago Cubs baseball fan I can live with Dempster’s remarks. A healthy self confidence goes a long way in life and in baseball.

And it’s good to see that Cub manager Lou Piniella’s culture of winning may finally be taking root. It’s a growth that’s been slow to mature.

But I swear, if Dempster says anything about the Cy Young award…