Think Cubs fans have it bad? Try being a fan of the MilwaukeeBrewers.
No World Series in more than six decades? No championship in acentury?
"It's not the same," new Cubs outfielder Craig Monroe said.
Not the same as what the Brewers are going through, and Monroeknows because he went through it with the Detroit Tigers before theybroke free of their franchise tailspin last season.
Just imagine not having so much as a winning season since Al Goreinvented the Internet, or failing to make the playoffs in RonnyCedeno's lifetime.
So save some respect -- or at least pity -- for the albatross theBrewers are trying to shake this year as they and the Cubs stumbleover each other this week, trying to grab hold of the NationalLeague Central before it rolls into the gutter with the rats andCardinals and Reds.
They are the teams the baseball gods forgot, and they meettonight for the start of a three-game series that could tilt thedivision toward the end of one's curse or the other's. The Cubscan't hit and the Brewers can't pitch, but this clash of misery runsfar deeper than that, into lousy baseball histories that evokenatural comparisons, regardless of how much longer the Cubs havebeen around.
"No, I don't see it," Cubs great Ron Santo said.
Come on. Granted, the Cubs have baseball's longest championshipdrought (98 years) and pennant drought (61 years).
But the Brewers have the second-longest drought without a playoffappearance (24 years) and are tied with the Pittsburgh Pirates forlongest drought without a winning season (14 years).
The comparisons are clear, the question of which curse is worsethe stuff of high-minded debate.
"I really don't see it," Santo said.
Santo has seen too much for too long, not the least of which wasthat black cat at Shea Stadium in 1969, while the Cubs were blowinga nine-game lead to lose the division by eight games to the New YorkMets.
He has seen enough to believe at times that the Billy Goat Curseis real.
"That billy goat, ever since that came in, crazy things havehappened," Santo said. "I've said it before, if we don't win in mylifetime, when I die, I'm going to find that [expletive] billy goatand kill him."
Santo may be a little too close to the situation to see it fromthe Brewers' side, but they have their own curse going. And whilenearly 100 years is a long time to go without a World Series title,the Brewers shake their heads and point out that the Cubs at leasthave gone to the playoffs four times since the last Milwaukeeappearance -- and even won a playoff series as recently as fouryears ago.
"It compares," said Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Doug Davis, whopitched for the Brewers from 2003 to '06. "Not even being over .500[for 14 years in a row]. Hopefully this year they'll be able to comethrough and beat them Cubbies."
If it sounds like Davis has little regard or sympathy for whatthe Cubs have endured for so many decades, maybe it's because hefelt the effects of Milwaukee's curse when he joined the Brewers.
"Yeah, the Selig Curse," he said of commissioner Bud Selig, theused-car salesman who worked the smoky backrooms after the 1969season to snatch the Seattle Pilots and relocate them to Milwaukee.
"I don't want to bash the guy because obviously he's the boss ofall baseball," Davis said, "but ever since the Seligs have owned it,they really haven't done much with it. As soon as they got newownership, all of a sudden it starts turning around. What's thatsay?"
It hasn't turned around yet. But the Brewers' only .500 season inthat 14-year drought came in 2005 -- the first season after MarkAttanasio bought the team from the Selig family.
Santo isn't buying the Selig thing -- or anything in Milwaukeethat approaches a curse. Not that he believes the current Cubsplayers are thinking about it.
"I think about it more than this ballclub does," he said."Certain things happen, and I just..."
MIDGETS OF THE MIDWAY
The Cubs and Brewers are at or near the top of every list when itcomes to current futility streaks. A look at the longest droughts:
Without a Winning Season
Milwaukee 14
Pittsburgh 14
Baltimore 9
Tampa Bay 9*
Cincinnati 6
Colorado 6
*Entire franchise history postseason
Montreal/Washington 25
Milwaukee 24
Kansas City 21
Pittsburgh 14
Philadelphia 13
Toronto 13
Pennant
CUBS 61
Washington/Texas 46*
Montreal/Washington 38*
Seattle 30*
Pittsburgh 27
Milwaukee 24
Baltimore 23
Kansas City 21
World Series
CUBS 98
Cleveland 58
New York/San Francisco 52
Washington/Texas 46*
Houston 45*
Seattle/Milwaukee 38*
Montreal/Washington 38*
San Diego 38*
WAIL OF TWO CITIES:
Who has it worse -- fans of the Cubs or the Brewers? Both teamshave a lot of lousy history they're trying to overcome this season,starting tonight when they open a three-game series with first placeon the line. The sad tale of the tape:
CUBS BREWERS
Last World Series
1945 1982
Last World series title
1908 Never
Last playoff appearance
2003 1982
Last winning season
2004 1992
Franchise cursed by
Billy goat Bud Selig
Not in Hall but should be
Ron Santo Nobody
Ballpark quirks
Wind factor, ivy Roof leaks
Bad karma moment/ franchise crime
Cap Anson pushes Selig steals team
MLB color barrier (1880s) from Seattle (1970)
Radical change that failed
College of coaches (1961-65) Move from AL to NL (1998)
Radical change that stunk
Lights at Wrigley Bernie Brewer's keg replaced
(1988) (2001)
Woulda won already if...
Wood, Prior stayed healthy Fingers stayed healthy
Coulda won already if...
Durham made the play Sheffield didn't tank it
Shoulda won already if...
Not for the black cat in '69 Not for the strike in '81
ON DECK:
BREWERS AT CUBS
The story line: The biggest series of the season for both teamsalso marks the final three meetings of the top two teams in the NLCentral. Cubs LF Alfonso Soriano (quad) returns to a lineup sorelymissing his offense, while Brewers pitcher Ben Sheets might make hisfirst start since spraining his right middle finger July 14. He hasnot been formally scheduled in this series, but Brewers manager NedYost said Sheets -- whose anticipated return Saturday was scratchedbecause of a blister -- could be ready to pitch Wednesday. TheBrewers have the worst record in the division since the All-Starbreak (16-26) and are 17-31 since July 2.
Source: Gordon Wittenmyer
PUSH FOR THE PLAYOFFS:
NL central race
Team W L GB
Cubs 66 63 --
Brewers 65 65 1
Cardinals 63 64 2
Next game: vs. Brewers
7:05 tonight, CSN
Next game: at Cubs
7:05 tonight, CSN
Next game: at Astros
7:05 tonight
gwittenmyer@suntimes.com
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