As I mentioned in April, I boycotted the Braves this year and went with my second-favorite team, the Cubs. I made the decision to do so in September of 2014, when Fredi Gonzalez wasn't fired after multiple seasons of mediocrity. After observing his managerial capabilities for his first month with the Braves, I spent every year of his tenure hoping they'd replace him with a good, solid manager. It never happened, and now he's under contract until the end of 2016. :( Enough is enough. The only Braves games I watched this year were the ones in which they played the Cubs.
In September 2014 most of the unthinkable moves and trades made in the off-season hadn't happened. The Braves had a lot of talent and looked good for this year. The Cubs were struggling and seemed iffy. So, how did my boycott work out?
Between seasons the Braves sold or traded off nearly the entire team. The Cubs picked up a fantastic manager and made good trades for talented players. There was no way to predict the way things ended up happening.
2015 Season Standings
The Braves finished third worst among all major league teams, winning 67 games while losing 95 for a 41.4% win rate. As usual for Fredi Gonzalez teams, they experienced yet another late-season collapse. Only Cincinnati and Philadelphia were worse. Average attendance was 25,017.
The Cubs finished third best among all major league teams and made it to the post-season. They won 97 game and lost 65 for a 59.9% win rate. The best team in the American League won 95 games. The Cubs' record is better than the entire American League's and second only to St. Louis and Pittsburgh in the National League. Average attendance was 36,540.
My boycott went pretty well. The Cubs have a young team that's not really expected to take off until next year, and they're already in the playoffs this year. How far will they go? I expect them to make it past Pittsburgh in the first round. It's only one game, and Jake Arrieta will pitch. He's had an amazing 2015 and could win the Cy Young Award. The competition is fierce this year. Even if he doesn't win, his year was certainly worthy of the honor.
If the Cubs beat the Pirates, they would go on to face the St. Louis Cardinals, the best team in all of baseball. 100 wins. 62 losses. 61.7% win rate. The Cardinals handled the Cubs early in the season this year but lost the last series in September. Assuming he gets two starts, I expect the Cubs to win both of Arrieta's games, which only leaves them one game to win in this best of five series. I kind of expect the Cubs to beat St. Louis and move on, but a few things worry me. The Cubs are a young team. John Lester hasn't been his best this year. Over the course of the year the Cubs had too many occasions of putting runners on base with 0 or 1 out and them failing to score. The bullpen hasn't always delivered.
I think it might come down to the bullpen. If Arrieta and Lester both pitch well, that's three games, but the bullpen has to close the deal.
All in all it was a good year to be a Cubs fan. :)
