Cubs' strategy to mirror '98 sets stage for '99 letdown

Sporting News, The, Feb 1, 1999 by Peter Schmuck, Ronald Blum

If they aligned the divisions based on the corporate underpinnings of each franchise, the Cubs would be in big trouble going into the 1999 season.

In the battle of the rich media giants, they kept most of their ammunition in the closet.

The Fox-owned Dodgers broke the economic sound barrier this winter with the $105 million signing of pitcher Kevin Brown and spent liberally to improve the club in other areas.

The Disney-owned Angels spent $80 million to wrest power-hitting first baseman Mo Vaughn from the Red Sox and establish their intent to topple the rival Rangers.

The Time Warner-owned Braves, who didn't need much help to begin with, spent $40 million to sign right fielder Brian Jordan and further balance one of baseball's most successful teams.

Then there are the Tribune Co.-owned Cubs, who have made minor changes in the aftermath of their first playoff appearance since 1989. Their biggest offseason move was the $2 million signing of free-agent catcher Benito Santiago. Not exactly an earth-shattering, balance-of-power-shifting acquisition.

While the other media companies position themselves among the largest of the large-revenue clubs, the Cubs' front office seems determined to do things the old-fashioned way, which could set up their fans for a big disappointment in 1999.

Let's look at what has happened over the past two years. The club opened the 1997 season with 14 consecutive losses and suffered through a discouraging year that called into question the organization's commitment to putting a winner in historic Wrigley Field.

In 1998, the confluence of a couple of watershed events helped the Cubs bounce back to win the National League wild-card race.

Thank Sammy Sosa for that. He hit 66 home runs and turned Wrigley into an international stage as he battled Mark McGwire in the most exciting home nm duel in baseball history.

Thank rookie pitcher Kerry Wood, too. He struck out 20 batters in a game and emerged as the brightest pitching prospect to break into the major leagues since Roger Clemens.

Maybe the Cubs aren't depending on both to reproduce their 1998 magic, but it certainly looks like it. Manager Jim Riggleman concedes that the club hopes replicating its 1998 performance will be enough to make the playoffs again in 1999.

"The starting pitching was OK, and Rod Beck saved a lot of games for us," Riggleman says. "We won 90 games with that formula, so we'll pretty much stay with it."

That wouldn't sell in Los Angeles or any of the cities with large-revenue teams, but the Cubs are in a unique position. They have a faithful following that remains unspoiled by success and a cross-town rival that doesn't seem to care about competing for the heart of the city.

The Dodgers and Angels might feel the need to engage in a spending war in southern California, but there is no such economic arms race going on in Chicago. It is a Cubs town, and the Cubs are coming off an exciting, down-to-the-wire season that included the drama of Sosa's 66-homer performance and the stunning arrival of Wood, so they can afford to ride that wave of euphoria into 1999 and hope that no one notices the gray hair sprouting around the infield.

Riggleman might as well put together a prepared statement, because he's going to be answering the same questions all spring.

Wood's durability became an issue late last season, but he came back to pitch well in a postseason appearance against the Braves. Will he be able to stay healthy all year and establish himself as the ace of the rotation?

"Kerry is very healthy right now," Riggleman says. "He's been checked out a few times this winter. Pitchers who throw a lot of innings come up with soreness. I don't think we've seen the last of that. Kerry might go through some of that, but right now, he's healthy.

"Kerry's a young guy. If he develops into a No. 1 guy in 1999 or 2000, better yet, but we have some solid starters."

Sosa had the season of a lifetime and won the National League Most Valuable Player Award, but can he provide a suitable encore to his off-the-charts '98 performance?

"I don't have any expectations," Riggleman says. "If Sammy goes out there and gets into 150 ballgames, I think we'll look up there at the end and say that Sammy had a really good year."

Even if Wood and Sosa have good years, Cubs fans could be in for a major letdown. The club won 90 regular-season games last year and finished second to a Houston club that added Ken Caminiti and still holds hope of acquiring pitching ace Clemens.

Which brings us to the biggest question of all: What evidence is there that the Cubs can be better than last year?

"I don't know that we're going to be better, but maybe 90 wins will be enough," Riggleman says. "Ninety might be enough, but there's room for improvement on our club within the club that we have. There are people on our ballclub that can perform better than they performed last year."

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