Superstitious types will certainly appreciate the NLDS matchup between the San Francisco Giants and the Chicago Cubs, which starts tomorrow night at Wrigley Field. On one side you have the Giants, a team that has what a lot of people call "Even Year Magic" on its side. This is the phenomenon that explains how, since 2010, the Giants have won the World Series in every even-numbered year despite not necessarily having the odds stacked in their favor. Conversely, in odd-numbered years, the team has failed to even make the playoffs. 2016 is obviously an even-numbered year, so it would stand to reason that fate is on their side this postseason. It's also interesting to note that the Giants' last World Series title in 2014 started off with them winning the Wild Card play-in game on the road like they did last night in New York against the Mets.
On the other hand there's the Cubs, who suffer from the diametric opposite of the Giants' recent streak of good fortune. This is a franchise that has been hexed with almost every curse imaginable for the past 108 years. Billy goats, black cats, Bartman, bad baseball— you name it, they've been cursed by it. Even in incredible seasons like this one, these curses are at the back of the entire fanbase's mind. Instead of having complete confidence in the best team in baseball, there will always be natural, lingering thoughts like "Oh god, what supernatural force is working against them this time?"
So should Cubs fans be worried about this? That despite all the success the North Siders have had this amazing season, the team will somehow ultimately be undone by the crushing weight of its own history of misfortune and another team's lucky streak?
HELL NO.
Magic and curses be damned, the Cubs have proved over the course of the past year that they are the best team in baseball, and they will continue to do so in the NLDS. They have a high-powered offense that is spearheaded by MVP candidates Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo (Or "Bryzzo," if you will). The starting rotation is a murderers' row led by Cy Young candidates Jon Lester and Kyle Hendricks, with last year's Cy Young winner Jake Arrieta taking the mound in Game 3 this series. The back end of the bullpen has been in lockdown mode since the arrival of flame-throwing closer Aroldis Chapman. They are the most complete team in the majors.
The Giants can't match the offensive firepower of the Cubs and the team's bullpen cannot hold a lead to save their lives. Their starting pitching matches well with the Cubs', especially Madison Bumgarner, but overall their rotation is not on the same level. The Giants' "Even Year Magic" can't cover up those flaws.
So, while I know I'm tempting fate by saying this, I will confidently state that the Giants can take their "Even Year Magic" and shove it. The Cubs have the the power, they have the speed and they are the best team in the National League, which I fully believe will be demonstrated in this series.
I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little bit nervous for this series, though. It's playoff baseball, something that doesn't happen on the North Side very often and usually ends in disaster, so of course there's reason to be nervous. But overall, Cubs fans should feel pretty good about their chances in the NLDS. And if that they do lose this series, it will be because a good team slightly edged them out in a best-of-5 series where variance can be high and pretty much anything can happen.
But there's no such thing as curses or magic. It might be an even year for the Giants, but this is THE year for the Cubs. Cubs in 4. #FlyTheW
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