After the disaster that was 2002 the Cubs needed to make some major changes. Sure there were some nice pieces to the puzzle; Sosa was still Sosa plus Kerry Wood, Mark Prior, and Carlos Zambrano were young stars in the making. The problem was that there was a lot more missing.

The first step was the hiring of new manager Dusty Baker. Baker had led the Giants all the way to the World Series in 2002, but was still let go (we now know why). Terrible catcher Todd Hundley was shipped off for Eric Karros and Mark Grudzielanek. Moises Alou was healthy and Corey Patterson was young still able to rebound from a bad season.

Still the preseason hype wasn't there (which is a good thing) though everybody in Chicago was excited for the Dusty era. The season got off to a great start in April going 14-12 and continued the good baseball with a 15-12 May record. Things started to get ugly in June though. A 12-15 record was bad enough, Sammy Sosa was ejected on June 3rd for using a corked bat. It came not long after Sosa returned from having his helmet exploded with a HBP.

The Cubs were able to withstand the loss of Sosa thanks to Corey Patterson really coming into his own. He was hitting homers, driving in runs, and playing awesome defense in center. It looked like he had finally turned it around and become a great player (his .329 OBP wasn't good). Going into July it looked like the Cubs could rebound from a poor month and make a run. Alas it wasn't in the cards. July produced a 12-14 record and a torn ACL for Patterson ending his season and his career as a productive baseball player.

Most Cubs teams would have folded up and gone away after all of that, but instead this Cubs team rallied. They went 15-13 in August and then went on a crazy 19-8 run in September to win the NL Central. It was the Cubs first division title since 1989 and their first playoff appearance since 1998. It setup a first round series against the Atlanta Braves who had won yet another NL East.

The series with the Braves started off great with a 4-2 win in game 1. Kerry Wood got the win, and was responsible for three of the Cubs four runs. His two-run double and run scored made the difference, that along with his 7 1/3 inning 11 strikeout effort on the mound. After dropping game 2, the Cubs took game 3 behind Mark Prior's complete game two-hit one run effort. Matt Clement was unable to end the series in game 4 setting up a deciding game 5.

Kerry Wood took the mound again in game 5, a game that would decide it all. He faced Braves game 2 starter Mike Hampton and dominated the Braves. Aramis Ramirez and Alex Gonzalez both homered and the Cubs were up 4-0. The final was 5-1 and the Cubs won their first postseason series since 1908. Next up was the Florida Marlins who had upset the Giants in the first round.

The Cubs had home field advantage against the Marlins and fans (me) expected the Cubs to win the series in five or six games. Game one got off to a great start with a four run first inning for the Cubs. Unfortunately Big Z couldn't hold the lead and the game ended up with the Cubs needing two runs in the ninth inning against Ugueth Urbina. Sammy Sosa hit a two out, two run homer to tie the game and send Wrigley into a craze. Too bad Mike Lowell hit a solo homer in the 11th to give the Marlins the win in game 1.

Games 2,3, and 4 were the happiest times a Cubs fan has ever had. The Cubs blasted the Marlins in game 2, winning 12-3 thanks to Mark Prior's dominating start and homers from Sosa (off the camera well in center), Aramis, and two from Alex Gonzalez. Game three was a thriller that went 11 innings again. This time it was a Doug Glanville triple that drove in the go ahead run. The Cubs took a 2-1 series lead, and stormed out of the gate in game four thanks to Aramis hitting a first inning grand slam. Matt Clement's pitching was enough to give the Cubs the 8-3 win and a commanding 3-1 series lead. Z, Prior, and Wood were starting the next three games it seemed certain the Cubs would go to the World Series.

Honestly it just depresses me to go into too much detail over the next three games. Dusty Baker took off game 5 and the Cubs lost 4-0. Dusty left Mark Prior in too long in game 6 and he imploded along with Kyle Farnsworth. Still game 7 left hope with Kerry Wood on the mound. Kerry pitched like ass allowing seven runs over 5 2/3 innings, and the Cubs lost the game 9-6 blowing a 3-1 series lead. I should mention that my personal greatest baseball moment did happen in the second inning of game 7. Kerry Wood hit a two run homer to left-center tying the game at 3. It was a phenomenal moment that lasted into the fifth when Kerry imploded on the mound.

In the end the most successful Cubs team in a century will not be remembered for it's success, but instead it's failure. Kerry Wood's game one double in Atlanta, Mark Prior's game 3 start against Maddux, Sosa's game tying homer, and Aramis' grand slam will all be forgotten soon enough. Truthfully Sosa's homer is the only one I really remember that well now.

Instead Sosa's corked bat and exploded helment will mark the downturn of his career. Steve Bartman can't show his face in public thanks to Moises Alou, Alex Gonzalez shouldn't be able to show his either thanks to a botched double play ball. Dusty Baker is forever remembered for leaving his pitcher out one inning to long, and for going to a reliever that just couldn't get outs.

No matter if the Cubs win 10 straight World Series or never make the playoffs again, 2003 marks a change for the entire organization. No longer was losing acceptable, no longer was it okay to put crap on the field and get happy drunks in the seats. That is what the 2003 Cubs should be remembered for, the team that changed the way we all watch Cubs baseball.

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