My Official Pick Next Year: The Cubs

If you were to go on the sheer logic of "magic" and the mystical means by which a team ends a curse, you will be picking the Cubs to end what would be their 98th year of futility next October. By rule, here's how the crazy-assed magic-logic has been created:

1. The Red Sox, down to their long-time nemesis Yankees 3-0 in the 2004 ALCS, a year after feeling the sting of yet another heartbreaking loss, somehow come back and win 4 in a row. Unheard of, unprecedented. They easily drill the Cards in the World Series and end the drought. Magic-logic says they had to fall 3-0 to the Yanks first, then make them feel the same terrible loss that the Sox had experienced for all those years. The Curse of Babe Ruth, which tied both teams together, was broken.

2. The White Sox thereby gained the Red Sox' magic by beating them 3-0 in the ALDS, when really, no one expected them to dominate as they did (including me...it was my only miss in this year's postseason predictions). With their superior play and their weird umpire breaks, they easily glided through the playoffs with an 11-2 record.

3. Through magic-logic rules, the White Sox, who share the same town as the Cubs, will then transfer the magic that the Red Sox generated and passed on.

But perhaps, if we believe in the magic, and we pick the Cubbies, it won't happen. If the Cubs win, that's the Indians we'll be looking at (1948) and then the Giants (1954).

But for now, I can imagine a Cubs renaissance. How about Wood, Prior, and Zambrano all having a healthy year, and Garciaparra returns to form and doesn't snap like a twig whenever he steps on a pebble? And Corey Patterson suddenly breaks out? And some free agent in the future backs up Derrek Lee (I know it doesn't seem possible, but how about Manny Ramirez?) in the lineup?

This World Series ended just like last year's, a sweep of a gunless National League team. It may have been the best 4-game Series I've ever seen, though. There were two 1-run games, including last night's great pitcher's duel, and two 2-run games. The White Sox won this Series by a margin of 6 runs. 4 wins, 0 losses, 88 years out the window.