What has gotten into the Chicago Cubs? The last time they won like this was the 1989 NL East division campaign. This is great for Cub’s fans because they see this about as much as Halley’s comet or a solar eclipse. Why the changed Cubs? What makes this team any different than any of the other teams that would finish in the bottom half of the division? I find four reasons for the improvement.

First, the addition of the Milwaukee Brewers to the National League Central. The Brewers are the best thing that has happened to the division. That team has brought an American League atmosphere, which makes the division more competitive. The last time a team from Milwaukee was in the National League was when Hank Aaron was blasting home runs as a member of the Milwaukee Braves some 30 years ago.

Secondly, the Cubbies have gotten rid of the purse strings and opened up the wallets. Obviously, the Cubs’ management and owners (the Tribune Company) have listened to desperate cries of fans to spend money wisely. Other contenders have spent big money to win, and the Cubs are finally going that route. Free agents signings of Henry Rodriguez, Jeff Blauser and Rod Beck and a trade for Mickey Morandini have made the Cubs more balanced now offensively and defensively than at any previous time. Morandini’s hitting and glove-work tend to make Cub fans forget about the great Ryne Sandberg — and at a much cheaper cost.

Thirdly, the Cubs have become a much better hitting team. With Sammy Sosa hitting about .345 and Mark Grace doing his usual, the Cubs have found ways to come up with hits other than home runs. The Cubs are executing well at the plate, using the opposite field to get hits instead of pulling everything. Who can forget the walks the Cubs have been getting? Long known as a strikeout-proned club, the Cubs no longer seem to think the only way to get on base is to get a base hit. It’s about time they figured that one out!

Lastly, two words: Kerry Wood. Kerry is about the only prospect the Cubs haven’t given up on. If they decide to get rid of him sometime because he isn’t throwing 20 strikeout games anymore, the Cubs deserve to lose every year. It isn’t very often that a talent like Wood comes along who can average 14 K’s per nine innings pitched. Not even “all-worldly” Greg Maddux can do that!

Wood set a major league record for strikeouts in consecutive games with 33 earlier this season. Not bad for someone at age 20 who is pitching like he is 30.

This year’s Cubs team could finally be a playoff team in the N.L. come October. They will probably have to get past the Houston Astros to do it, but it can be done since the Astros aren’t exactly a team who crunches at crunch time. If the Cubs are still in contention when the trading deadline comes around, look for them to spend more money, since the Tribune Co. said it would if they were in a close race.

Contending is something the Cubs have only done four times since the end of World War II. In 1945, they lost in seven games to the Detroit Tigers in the World Series; in 1969, they blew big division lead to the New York Mets and lost a chance to play for the pennant by eight games; in 1984, they were a better team than the San Diego Padres on paper, as a 13-0 win for the Cubs in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series would indicate, but they lost in five games; in 1989, the Cubs had a better team than the San Francisco Giants, but lost in the NLCS again in five games.

Hopefully, this is the year for the Cubs to be playing in October, because they have to experience to perform in the postseason. Wouldn’t Harry Caray be proud if the Cubs could actually beat the Atlanta Braves in the NLCS — and the New York Yankees in the World Series — and end this 91-year drought without a championship!

Chad Drury is a senior in journalism and mass communication from Marshaltown.