Later this month I’ll post about the significance of the 1984 season as it relates to Cub fandom in general and how it affected me personally, but for now I thought I’d reflect on how the media and some fans see parallels.

If you don’t get the Marquis Network you may not know that Rick Sutcliffe has called several Cub games this season. With the 8th pitcher hitting the IL yesterday and the failure of the Cubs bullpen in recent weeks, people have called for immediate action. Several people have invoked the Sutcliffe trade in 1984 as a blueprint for success.

By now, Cub fans of all ages know that he went 16-1 and won the NL CY that year on the way to winning the NL East (after a 71-91 record in ’83). The Cubs traded Joe Carter, Mel Hall, Don Schulze and Darryl Banks for Suttles, George Frazier and Ron Hassey.

One of the more entertaining activities for the media and fans, is trade speculation. We all love to play GM and make the big calls-97.2% of the time aren’t willing to part with quality talent in return. We think other teams will be willing to trade .30 on the dollar. On occasion, someone might throw out an actual possible trade that makes sense for both parties. The guys and gals covering the team aren’t as invested in the players involved, at least they are supposed to remain objective. Fans are not under any such constraints. We become attached to particular players and often hate to see them go, no matter the return. Luckily for Cubs fans, new manager Craig Counsell isn’t burdened by those emotional attachments and can help Jed Hoyer and Carter Hawkins make the correct decision.