Theriot to DeRosa to Lee may not sound as riveting as Tinkers to Evers to Chance, but the 2008 infield trio of the Chicago Cubs are on a magical ride with a final destination headed towards the World Series. Being in first place since the early part of May and clinching their second straight Central Division title, anything less than a World Championship would be heart-breaking to a team who has suffered through 100 years since their last championship season.

Destiny is a word that is loosely used in the Windy City. However, this season there is a different aura, which may have started in spring training when, now 17-game winner, Ryan Dempster made his bold prediction.

"I think we are going to win the World Series," he said. "Enough of the curse this, curse that, the goat this, the black cat that, the 100 years. We are a better team this year...I just feel our chances are better."

Dempster, who has successfully converted from a dominant closer to a starting role, has done his back to back his words up. He leads the pitching staff with 17 wins, 2.99 ERA and 183 punchouts on the season.

The righty has also received plenty of support this season from an unherald amount of players that may not be your household names, such as Ryan Theriot, Mark DeRosa and Reed Johnson just to name a few.

Add in super-stars Alfonso Soriano, Aramis Rameriz, Carlos Zambrano, Kerry Wood and Derek Lee to the mix and there is not much of a need for one player to carry the burden of 100 years worth of weight of curses, billy goats and Steve Bartman.

By clinching the division title, the Cubs will be making consecutive appearances in the post-season for the first time since 1906-08. The 96 wins the Cubs have as of Wednesday night, are the most since 1984 when the team finished 96-65.

The way the '84 season ended was painful for Cubbie Nation. The Cubs held a two games to none lead the in best-of-five National League Championship Series over the San Diego Padres, and even led 3-2 in game five as late as the seventh inning. But a slow grounder that went through first baseman Leon Durham's legs fueled a four-run inning for the Padres that sent the Cubs home yet again without a post-season championship.

Along with the back-to-back post-season drought that has ended this season, another long standing nonoccurrence came to an end just two weeks ago. Ace Carlos Zambrano threw the teams first no-hitter in 36 years, when he blanked the Houston Astros at Miller Park.

The last no-hitter in Cubs history before Zambrano's gem came on September 2, 1972 by Milt Pappas. Burt Hooton also tossed a no-no earlier that season on April 16th.

Although this season's team may not possess eye-popping numbers from just one player who could be considered as a favorite to win the Most Valuable Player award, it has been a collective effort from everyone who happens to be in the lineup for any given game.

For instance, super utility man Mark DeRosa, who has played every position this season except for putting on the "tools of ignorance" behind the plate has enjoyed a career year. He has a career high in home runs (21) RBIs (87) and runs scored (103) and has also batted near .300 the entire season.

Ryan Theriot-- (pronounced terry oh) -- not someone many people outside of Chicago knows about, has batted .304 and has collected 173 hits as the everyday starter for the northsiders.

Then there is the backstop, rookie Geovany Soto, who is well on his way to capturing Rookie of the Year honors. Soto leads all NL rookies in home runs (23) doubles (35) and RBIs (86) while being named the first NL rookie catcher to start in the mid-season classic.

In addition to Dempster making the transition from closer to starter, injury prone Kerry Wood, who is the longest tenured Cub, also made a successful conversion of his own. Also known as "Kid K" after his major league record tying 20 strikeout performance in his rookie campaign in 1998, Wood become the teams closer this season and has responded with 34 saves in 40 chances.

Just as important as Wood as been to their success, has been the role of set-up man Carlos Marmol. The 26-year old flame throwing righty has been lights out most of the season as he leads all relievers with 114 strikeouts in just 86 innings of work, and earned a spot on the All-Star team as well.

The Cubs were awarded a franchise best eight All-star selections this season.

Getting to the post-season is just one small step, but for everyone who believes the team is destined for a World Series Championship this season, the stars are aligned for a magical journey into the promised land.

On a side note, for those of you not so die-hard fans that are wandering about the Tinkers to Evers to Chance reference in the opening paragraph I will fill you in with a little insight.

Joe Tinker, Johnny Evers and Frank Chance were the Cubs double play combination in the early 1900s. The trio would become the most famous double play combination in Major League history thanks to a poem by a New York Times writer Franklin Pierce. The poem goes:

"These are the saddest of possible words...Tinker to Evers to Chance...A trio of bear Cubs and fleeter than Birds...Tinkers to Evers to Chance...Ruthlessly pricking our gonfalon bubble...Making a Giant hit into a double...Words that are weighty with nothing but trouble...Tinkers to Evers to Chance."

Travis David is a sports writer for the Greene County Daily World and can be reached at 812-847-4487 or tdavid@gcdailyworld.com