Why I Like the Cubs.

Growing up in Wisconsin, my first love was the Milwaukee Brewers, but we all know how much they struggled in the early 2000’s. The pain was evident, pitching was disastrous and the line-up did not produce consistently enough to even muster a .500 season.

Meanwhile, there was a team on the North side of Chicago that seemed to be on the rise and was performing well. Moises Alou, Sammy Sosa, and Kerry Wood always seemed to be in the spotlight and that bold blue and red uniform combo caught my eye.

At this point in time, I was just starting to understand how big baseball was in America. As I noted earlier the Brewers were struggling. So, as a young naive kid, I went to the next best thing, which happened to be the Chicago Cubs. I was a fanatic. I loved watching Slammin’ Sammy sprint full speed out to right field and salute the roaring Wrigley crowd. In addition, who could not like his iconic hops after pelting a baseball onto Waveland Avenue?

This team was fun to watch. I even tried to mold my game after Alou; as a youngster, I refused to use batting gloves.

Let us not forget how historic and old-fashioned Wrigley Field is. This place is amazing. When you walk through the gates, your emotions are overwhelming. It is almost as if you can feel the presence of greats like Ernie Banks, Ryne Sandberg, and Greg Maddux at your side.  

Fast-forward 12 years to 2015. The likes of Alou, Sosa and Wood are long gone but the Chicago Cubs are on the brink of breaking the curse and baseball fans across America are starting to believe the hype that the Cubbies may cement their names into the history books. For people unaware, the Chicago Cubs organization has been around a very very long time and they have not won the World Series since 1908 (107 years).

The 2015 Cubs are making an impact. The young talent along with the veterans is a perfect match. Not to mention the team is managed by Joe Madden, who is widely respected throughout the league. Furthermore, the man on top of the food chain is Theo Epstein, who is credited for manufacturing the dynamic line-up.

The mere presence of Jake Arrieta and Jon Lester has to instill fear into opponents. When they step out onto the mound, there is a good chance that Cubs nation will be singing “Go Cubs Go” and waving the flag that reads “W.”

When Cubs catcher Miguel Montero says “We Are Good”, he means it. He and his teammates back it up. Anytime Rizzo, Bryant, or Schwarber come up to bat, everyone is on the edge of their seat knowing something exciting is about to happen. If for some reason those three do not produce, Addison Russell, David Ross, Starlin Castro, Soler, Coghlan, or Fowler, just to name a few, will be there to pick them up.

I recently attended a game at the Friendly Confines with a couple of my friends and witnessed a walk-off home run by rookie of the year candidate Kris Bryant. What a thrill that was. I do not know if I have ever been to a game where the crowd decibel level was that high given the circumstances. This was a reschedule game due to a rain out earlier in the year. It was a Monday day game and Wrigley was packed. The fans have an unbreakable bond with their team and the dedication is unmatched.

On a side note, Kyle Schwarber is my favorite player. I first heard of him when he was playing college baseball in the Big Ten Conference with the Indiana Hoosiers. I was watching a game on the Big Ten Network and he performed well and I have liked him ever since. He was a high draft pick and I continued to follow him through his minor league adventure. He moved up the rankings quickly and when he got his call to The Show, I was excited. My favorite player, being drafted by the Cubs, it is hard not to like them.