Folks In Chicago Preparing For The Worst Baseball Season Since The Carter Administration

March, when hope springs eternal, and fans of even the most down-and-out teams can convince themselves that somehow, someway, this might be the year. Until opening day, everyone's tied for first place. But not in Chicago, where a century of misery (never mind 2005; that's ancient history) has damped even the thoughtcrime of optimism.

Chicago Magazine makes the case that, new managers Dale Sveum and Robin Ventura notwithstanding, 2012 could be the worst year since 1980, when the Cubs and White Sox finished a combined 53 games out of first place. The Marcel projections don't see it quite so gloomy, but there's something fitting about writing "everything is fucked" and calling it a Chicago Baseball Preview.

Chicago Baseball Preview: The Most Dismal Season in 30 Years? [Chicago Mag]