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If you want to talk about the Cubs from a few years before, I can even tell you the backup players like Paul Popovich, who did a credible job at 2nd when Glenn Beckert was injured during that heartbreaking 1969 season, and pitcher-turned outfielder Willie Smith who helped hold down that third outfield position with Al Spangler, Jimmy Qualls and others. It was the only really weak spot on that great team.

You forgot the real weak spot on the 1969 Cubs---the manager's office. Even a Met fan (as I've been since the day they were born) could appreciate that the biggest reason why the Cubs blew the 1969 National League East was Leo Durocher. And it only began with burning out his regulars by the time the real meat of the stretch arrived and the Mets were re-heating to stay. The Yankees were stupid enough to fire Yogi Berra the day after the 1964 World Series (that story should have been a scandal in itself) after a) he'd lost the Series in seven thrilling games; and, b) he'd managed to overcome a clubhouse revolt to shepherd a staggering stretch drive surge to get them there in the first place. The Cubs should have fired Durocher after the 1969 season for mismanaging the team out of a clean shot at the National League East at least.

Good grist, but I still think people are overly hard on poor Leo. Ron Santo and other Cubs from the 1969 team have said as much. Other than Popovich, they didn't really have that great of a bench, as evidenced by the shuffle in that third outfield position. There was also no viable backup catcher to Randy Hundley, a position that really requires occasional rest. The Wrigley family was still running the team at the time and trying to win a pennant on the cheap. So I think Leo did as well as he could with what he had.

In a normal year, it would have been enough. But, face it, 1969 was not a normal year. The Mets fielded what was arguably their best team of all time. You had no name players like Al Weis and Wayne Garrett and platoon players like Don Clendenon, Art Shamsky and Ron Swoboda coming up with clutch hits at just the right times during that August-September stretch.

If you are big into baseball statistics, you should check out the Pythageroan won/loss record here. Even with normal luck, the 1969 Cubs would have finished one game ahead of one of the greatest teams in baseball rather than eight games behind.