Maddie Werner: Fan Perspective
This upcoming Cubs season may be frustrating for some baseball fans, as it seems all of Chicago has hopped on the bandwagon because the Chicago Cubs, usually the losing team, are finally on top.
On top? What? That seems impossible … except it’s not.
For the last five or six years, this is usually the time of year when Chicagoans are obsessing over the Chicago Blackhawks and cringe at the fact that another heart-wrenching Cubs season is underway. For the first time in a decade, people actually believe “this is the year.” The lovable losers are now picked to end the elusive 107-year championship drought by Bovada Official.
As a writer, I know I should usually be objective, but being objective doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t also be a fan. The last Cubs game I attended was on Oct. 13, when the Cubs dominated the Cardinals, winning Game 4 of the NLDS. This was a big deal because the Cardinals have been the best team in baseball for years and have always been a big rival for the Cubs.
Well, I lied. My last game was actually when the Cubs lost Game 4 of the NLCS to the Mets at Wrigley Field. I try to forget this game; watching the Mets’ Daniel Murphy’s home run after home run, knowing this was the Cubs’ last game of the season, was a heartbreaking feeling. However, I didn’t leave that game feeling defeated…I was just excited.
I was excited for the next season to come. The energy at Wrigley Field was something I’ve never seen before (and I’ve been attending Cubs games since I was 18 months old): “W” flags waving in the stands, fans constantly on their feet, and no one was leaving their seats during the game to get their usual hot dog or Old Style because the game was just THAT exciting.
Now, after having the best offseason in the MLB, the Cubs are reloaded and ready to take the league by storm. As if the lineup wasn’t good enough last year, the team now has Jason Heyward and has also shockingly resigned Dexter Fowler to a one-year deal, which many are excited for.
New pitcher John Lackey, Cy Young Winner Jake Arrieta, and Jon Lester bring three unstoppable pitchers into the rotation. My personal favorites, Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant, are a great 3-4 lineup duo and are eager to break the curse of the Billy Goat. Kyle Schwarber is known for his massive home runs, and I can’t wait to see what he brings to the plate this year.
There may only be a handful of people left on this planet who were alive when the Cubs won their last World Series in 1908, which is pretty insane. If the Cubs were to win the World Series, this would be a true “once-in-a-lifetime experience” for so many Chicagoans.
The city estimates two million people attended last year’s Chicago Blackhawks parade, and it was their third championship in five years. This would be the Cubs’ first championship in 108 years! Would the city even be able to handle a rally for the Cubs?
Many fans anticipate riots, citizens pooling over into Lake Michigan, and maybe even Chicago going up in flames. Work will be called off, buses and trains will shut down, nothing will get done in the city of Chicago. There aren’t just Cubs fans in Chicago, they’re all over the world. And even those who aren’t Cubs fans would probably celebrate their World Series win. Cubs fans have daydreamed of this day their whole lives and this year, it could finally come true.
Jack Kosowski: Preview
After lots of losing and building up their farm system with young talent, can the Cubs finally win a World Series? A lot of pressure is upon 2015 Manager of the Year Joe Maddon and his young squad to reach the final stage after a surprising 2015 campaign, which saw the Cubs make it all the way to the National League Championship Series.
Several new additions to the Cubs include OF Jason Heyward, P John Lackey, P Adam Warren, and IF Ben Zobrist, who all add more depth to the team. After many thought Cubs free agent Dexter Fowler had signed a deal with the Baltimore Orioles, days later, he came out to surprise his teammates in Arizona with the news that he had signed a one-year deal with the Cubs.
Coming off a surprising 97-65 record last season, the stakes have never been higher for the North Siders. Odds may vary between sportsbooks, but according to VegasInsider, the Cubs have 7/1 odds of winning the World Series. (That means that for every seven dollars you put up, you get one in return. Totaling to 8 dollars in winnings). The Cubs have the highest odds of winning it all. Around the MLB, the league is buzzing about the possibility of having the Chicago Cubs in a World Series, let alone win one.
Maddon was asked by an ESPN reporter about the mounting pressure on his team to be top notch contenders and responded by saying that he wanted his team to “embrace the target,” meaning that he wants the players to use the pressure to their advantage.
Theo Epstein, President of Baseball Operations, has built the Cubs from the bottom up since joining the team in 2011, a tenure that has been successful when looking back on all the trades, moves, and additions he has made over the years.
Last season, Wrigley Field averaged 36,500 fans each game and totaled almost three million fans over the course of the year, according to Baseball Reference. The way many baseball analysts and league executives are talking about this season, Wrigley Field will be crowded with fans going into the 2016 campaign. Will it be a year of “Go Cubs Go” or “Choke Cubs Choke?” The nation is watching.
