Bears and horses: a poignant parallel

After the World Series, I reflect on next year's horse racing and the usual banter of media sports writers around the country, coincidental with their chatter of another baseball season just around the corner.

With the start of each racing season, every owner and trainer has the aspiration to win every competition he enters. As it is in baseball, every owner and manager has similar ambitions, to win a pennant and eventually the World Series.

In racing, only thoroughbreds are considered to be viable contenders. Other breeds, such as mustangs, wild horses and mavericks are not and cannot be trained for the endurance and speed necessary to win.

In Chicago, we have the baby bears. Seasonally, since 1908, they have come up against thoroughbreds in the long race to October. At the beginning of each season some of our local media pundits give them a chance at the pennant but usually overlook the perennial fact that the Cubs do not have the endurance to last the full six months.

Could it be that the ownership of this organization doesn't recognize that changing managers and jockeys every other year instead of changing the horse might make a difference? Will the Cubs new manager contradict my theory?

It follows, appropriately, that if this doesn't work, the nickname of Cubs should be changed to the Chicago Quarter Horses since they are occasionally ahead of every other team early in the season, but, alas, lack the stamina to finish in either of the top three slots - Win, Place or Show.

James D. Cook

Schaumburg