Chicago 365 Playoff Central: Four Days In October

     On October 17, 2004, the Boston Red Sox found themselves with a big problem on their hands. They were down 3 games to nothing in the American League Championship Series to their hated rival, the New York Yankees. Improbably, they managed to win 4 games in a row, reach the World Series, and excise the Curse of the Bambino once and for all. Eleven years later, Theo Epstein's team finds itself in the same position. Except this time that team is the Chicago Cubs. Last night's loss at a rainy Wrigley Field put the Mets up 3-0 in the NLCS. Defensive lapses, an offense that still looks anemic compared to last week, all of them have led to where we are now. Also, simply the fact that the Mets are a good team.

     We are now left with but a few things: young players who (hopefully) remain blissfully ignorant of history, a manager who hasn't been rattled by anything all season, Jason Hammel on the mound, and something Cubs fans have plenty of: hope. Hope that the Cubs will pull off what has only been done once before. Hope that Ernie, Ronny, Harry, and all the other departed Cubs greats will look down and provide us some good mojo. Hope that tomorrow will not be the final game of the magical 2015 Season. All of these hopes culminate at 7:07 PM tonight, when the Cubs take the field for Game 4 of the National League Championship Series