real quickly, with all this talk of the cubs being "ahead of schedule" or even "a year ahead of schedule" i just wanted to jot down on my calendar what's scheduled for next year.... is it a championship or merely being a legit contender?

from what i gather, this year was supposed to be 80something wins and maybe a WC race that they didnt get. so is next year's schedule to make the playoffs and get booted out in the DS/CS? cuz man, i think if they're SUPPOSED TO go from a ~80something win team to being legit contenders, there's a step in there where they make it to the DS/CS/WS and get knocked out, right? so if they make it to the NLCS next year and lose in 6/7 games they're still on schedule, right?

i mean its not like everyone had a WS title penciled in for 2016.... it was always supposed to be 2017/2018, right? we just get an extra year of playoff losses cuz we got ahead of ourselves this year, which means that losing in the DS/CS/WS next year is perfectly on schedule and THEN in 2017 it's win the world series or it's a disappointing year?

i'm not going to be an asshole who claims that y'all were legit contenders this year, and personally i think if you caught anyone other than the mets in these playoffs you'd beat everyone else and win the world series.... cuz i think it could be said that you ARE/WERE legit contenders right fucking now, and not winning a title in 2015 is as much of a disappointment as it will be in 2017/18/etc..... but from what i hear on all fronts "this is what ahead of schedule" looks like, which leads me to assume that a championship is scheduled because if only legit-WS-contending was scheduled, well it sure seemed like everyone thought this year's team was a legit WS contender by the time october rolled around.

sry if this came off as trollish, but i technically just wanna know what's scheduled and for when cuz my other grandpa is a diehard cubs fan who wants to see one b4 he dies, and now entering nursing homes with catheters and stuff.... man, i'd love to tell him how long he's gotta live to get one cuz it's been scheduled for years, evidently.

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Edit=nothing.

As I have said many times, 2015 was about experience and growth. The playoff experience was a great bonus for all the very talented young players. I said before the 2015 season that it was a year too soon to contend and that would happen in 2016. I have seen nothing to sway me from that opinion. I expect they will sign another top of the rotation starter which should help the team a lot. I think the decision Theo makes concerning CF and who will play there after the anticipated departure of Fowler will be interesting. What they do with Castro and Baez too. Do they trade either in a deal for another starter? Do they keep both and move Baez to 3rd and Bryant to the outfield? In any case, I expect the Cubs to legitimately contend in 2016.

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Go Cubs!!!!

What kind of a stupid Caller Bob do you have to be to watch the Cubs get swept in the NLCS and say "don't worry, this was about gaining experience?"

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I could seem them miss playoffs due to soph slump and pitching issues next year. Will be back in 2017.

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I said it before the season began and repeated it before the playoffs began. The team had a lack of depth in the starting rotation, which led me to believe that despite the young position players adjusting to the major leagues successfully faster than many expected, they were not going to get past the NLCS. I said they would beat the Pirates and thought they had a good chance against a Cardinals team that was depleted by injuries. The Cubs hitters had also done a good job hitting Macha and Lynn, so that bode well for them. I had hoped they would get the Dodgers in the NLCS, as the Mets starting staff is so good and deep. That didn't happen. But the experience and growth all the Cubs young players have realized, along with the additions I anticipate will be made, lead me to believe they will be well positioned to make a legitimate run in 2016. They did a great job in 2015 with the rotation they had.

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Go Cubs!!!!

Why not just say no?

Playoff experience doesn't mean shit.

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Steve, no matter how many dumb cliches you espouse, the Cubs were as well-positioned to win the World Series as they ever were or will be.

No one gives a shit about "expectations," especially yours.

Pretty sure the Mets didn't have huge expectations, either.

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Wow,did I crack CH's account login?

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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

You are wrong. My expectations do not matter, nor do yours. What mattered was the Cubs lack of pitching depth that had them changing pitchers in the early stages of the last 2 games. The team did amazingly well considering the starting rotation. Maddon was just talking about the value of the playing in the playoffs, this team just experienced and I agree with him. You are wrong about the Mets too. They made the deal to get Cespedes because they felt they could make a run at the WS this year if they got him. They will lose Cespedes and Murphy after this season (executives have said they don't expect to retain them) so there is a great sense of urgency for them to win now. To their credit, the moves they made at the deadline have worked. But next year it's very possible they will struggle to score again, as they did the first half of this season.

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Go Cubs!!!!

dude, it doesnt matter what the mets do next year. you keep saying that with this connotation of "yeah but the cubs are still the REAL WINNERS going forward!!"

btw, has anyone actually answered my ? of what the expectations are for next year? when does stuff like this happening officially constitute a "failure" as opposed to a "preview" --- thats what im trying to ask here.

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The thread is about 2016 and beyond, so yeah, what the Mets do matters when they have to be considered one of the better teams that will compete with the Cubs for the NL crown. My expectation is the Cubs will be in the playoffs with a legitimate chance to win the WS.

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Go Cubs!!!!