1989 Cubs (MLB: The Show mostly, some RBI Baseball 2)

[Herschie]

Since I seem to love the 1989 season, I've decided to play it. I've tried using franchise, but it doesn't feel very realistic facing the Marlins, Diamondbacks, or Rockies, while never facing the Astros. Plus, there was no regular season interleague play, and the Cubs play a lot more night games now (The city of Chicago restricted the Cubs to 18 regular season night games at the time).

So I've decided to simply play this as a series of exhibition games, using the 1989 schedule. I'm going to make the lineups as accurately as I can, playing mostly MLB The Show. However, I'll probably also sneak in a couple games of RBI Baseball 2. As for the other teams in the league, the actual results will be what I'll go with, unless the games I play changes things. For example, the Cubs were 4-6 against the Giants in the regular season that year. If I end up going 9-1 against them, then the Padres would win the West, because they finished 3 games behind San Francisco, and me handing the Giants 5 more losses would change the standings as such.

More to come...

[Herschie]

Don Zimmer had finished his first season in 4th place at 77-85. Still, 1988 was interesting on the corner of Clark and Addison. The Cubs played their first night game, and although it was rained out, they beat the Mets the next night. And they showed flashes of some good up-and-coming talent. Still, some holes would need to be filled for 1989:

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The blockbuster trade of the winter when general manager Jim Frey sent Rafael Palmiero to Texas for pitchers Paul Kilgus, Steve Wilson, and Mitch Williams. The newspapers have been tearing poor Frey a new one, but we'll see how the trade pans out.

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Cubbies are hoping that Jerome Walton can provide a nice bat and cover some ground in center field.

[Herschie]

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Cubs have some depth in front of the ivy, acquiring Lloyd McClendon from the Reds, and also hope for good things from a young Dwight Smith.

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Two mainstays, Ryne Sandberg, and Andre Dawson. Hopefully Dawson's bat can stay as strong as his Jheri curls.

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Catcher Damon Berryhill played adequately in 1988. They even named a street after him that's not too far from Wrigley. Ok, they didn't, and the it's spelled differently, Damen Avenue.