Product Description
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The games included are: -Ryne Sandberg: June 23, 1984-5 for 6, 2
HR, 7 RBI -Rick Sutcliffe: 1984 NLCS game 1-no ER allowed, one HR
hit -Andre Dawson: Aug. 1, 1987-3 for 4, 3 HR, 5 RBI -Mark Grace:
1989 NLCS game 2-3 for 4, 4 RBI -Kerry Wood: May 6, 1998-20
strikeouts -Sammy Sosa: September 13, 1998-61st and 62nd home
runs -Greg Maddux: Aug. 7, 2004-300th career win -Derrek Lee:
June 1, 2005-5 for 5, 1 HR, 4 RBI The set provides a good mix of
games for Cubs fans (and if Wrigley was smart, they'd sell the
set in the park), starting with Hall of Famer Sandberg's 7 RBI
game against the rival St. Louis Cardinals, which saw the cubs
down 7-1 after two innings, only to manage a comeback in the 11th
inning, winning the game 12-11. Andre Dawson is another example
of a classic Cubs player. In 21 seasons, Dawson recorded an
amazing 2,774 hits and was so eager to join the Cubs that he let
General Manager Dallas Green determine his salary. It's a
surprise that Dawson hasn't gotten inducted into the Hall of Fame
yet (Sandberg tried to push for Dawson in his Hall of Fame
speech.) As for newer highlights, one disc offers Kerry Wood's 20
strikeout game from 1998 versus the Astros. The 20-year-old
Wood's 20 strikeouts tied a Major League record set by Roger
Clemens.
.com
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Until Major League Baseball is able to preserve footage of the
1908 World Series in a digital format, Chicago Cubs fans will
have to content themselves with the Chicago Cubs Legends - Great
Games Collector's Edition. It's an eight-disc set of complete
games in the Cubs' history since 1984, each dedicated to a
significant player. Hall of Fame second-sacker Ryne Sandberg gets
the obvious game, his coming-out-party on Game of the Week when
his two clutch homers vs. St. Louis Cards closer Bruce Sutter
signaled something big was happening in 1984. From there you can
skip to the first game of the NLCS when Rick Sutcliffe shut down
the Padres and even pounded a homer to lead a 13-0 romp, Andre
Dawson hitting three home runs in his MVP season of 1987, and
Mark Grace's epic duel against the Giants' Will Clark in the 1989
NLCS. There's more: rookie Kerry Wood fans 20 Astros and allows
no walks and only one infield hit in arguably the most dominating
p performance of all time; Sammy Sosa ces home runs
nos. 61 and 62 in his race with Mark McGwire to set the
single-season homer mark; returning-prodigal-son Greg Maddux wins
his 300th career game in 2004; and first baseman Derrek Lee goes
5 for 5 in 2005.
But it wouldn't be the Cubs without some heartache, and there's
plenty of it--even these memorable games (they're all wins too!)
led to further misery. The 1984 heroics led to a
defeat-from-the-jaws-of-victory playoff loss. Dawson's three home
runs still netted him only five RBI, and the club finished in
last place despite having the MVP. The 1989 NLCS was tense and
hard-fought, but the game included here was the only win in a
4-games-to-1 series loss. Due to injury, Wood became the
boy for unfulfilled potential; Sosa ended up leaving a game, and
the team, in infamy; and Maddux in 2004 was not the vintage
Maddux of old, nor did his addition turn out to be the move that
pushed the post-"Bartman" team over the top. Lee played a big
hand in knocking out the Cubs that year, and his subsequent
acquisition led to near-MVP numbers in Cubbie Blue in 2005, but
based on tenure he's the most questionable "legend" as of 2007,
when this set was released.
That said, these games are some of the most memorable, and
enjoyable, in Cubs history. And although none of the complete
games is earlier than 1984, classic fans should enjoy the bonus
footage of older Cubs such as Ernie Banks and Billy Williams.
Unlike other MLB collector's editions, though, no new interview
footage is included. --David Horiuchi