Ready for the 2016 Chicago Cubs
As a lifelong fan of the Chicago Cubs, the 1908 World Series team has always been something of a legend to me. Yes, they played in a completely different era of baseball. The league was smaller and the game was still segregated. Wrigley Field had not yet even been built. However, that team still represents the last time anyone wearing a Cubs jersey has managed to win on baseball’s biggest stage. Prior to last year, the closest I ever got to see them even get back to the Series came in 2003 and 2008. For most of my life Cubs fandom was a penitential endeavor of bravely following the doormat of the National League.
In 2015 everything changed. Thanks to the work of Theo Epstein and Joe Maddon the Cubs became a different team altogether. They built a roster of capable young players. They were well rounded. They taught the team to believe in themselves. Most importantly, it was genuinely fun to watch Cubs once again. The three best teams in baseball, the St. Louis Cardinals, the Pittsburgh Pirates, and the Chicago Cubs were all playing in the same division in the same league. It was wild, competitive, summer-long adrenaline rush. What a ride.
Even after Chicago got knocked out of the playoffs by my sister-in-law’s New York Mets, last year will forever remain one of my favorite seasons. The Cubs seemed to come from nowhere and exceeded everyone’s expectations.
(Youtube Video: Hibbeler Productions)
As good as last year was, it is incredible watching the preseason reports for 2016. Chicago has made some exciting trades and free-agent moves over the winter. Seemingly half of the Cardinal bullpen is now wearing Cubs jerseys. The odds makers of Las Vegas have even weighed in to declare the Chicago Cubs the favorites to win the World Series this year.
Whether they ultimately win the Series or not, the fact that they are the team to beat is something that I would never have imagined just a few years ago. The Chicago Cubs are no longer the underdogs. This is going to be a good year to be a baseball fan.
