Cubs Continue to Grow as Postseason Looms

The process was supposed to take five years. The complete dismantling of the Chicago Cubs roster began when Theo Epstein took over the ball club in October of 2011, and it was a process that was high risk, high reward. Every veteran was traded or not re-signed in favor of youth and each of Epstein's first three seasons ended with records that were 15+ games below .500. The Cubs were, in a word, horrible. Yet oddly enough, everything was going according to plan. Prospects were being acquired slowly but surely, and with Anthony Rizzo and Starlin Castro leading the way, Cubs fans could see their future lineup begin to take shape.


The players were surrounded by hype. Names such as Kris Bryant and Addison Russell headlined the future of the Cubs, yet the most important spot in the dugout was the one hole that needed to be filled. Former managers Dale Sveum and Rick Renteria were unproven managers that, quite frankly, were not the right men for a task this tall. To lead a franchise back to the top of the division you need a culture change. You need a manager that will give an organization a chip on their shoulder and an identity that the players can buy in to.

Maddon has restored the faith on the North Side

Enter Joe Maddon. The former Tampa Bay Rays skipper stepped in as the new manager for the Cubs this season and immediately talked about making the playoffs this year. THIS year? Surely not. Not with four rookies consistently being in the starting lineup (Bryant, Russell, Jorge Soler, and now Kyle Schwarber). After all, this is only year four of the five-year Master Plan. To think of making the playoffs this year seemed a bit too optimistic, even for Cubs fans.

Then came Jon Lester, and his decision to sign with the Cubs. A bona fide ace the Cubs so desperately needed. He would join the reacquired Jason Hammel and Jake Arrieta on a rotation that was suddenly quite formidable and, suddenly, the Cubs' hunt for October didn't seem so far-fetched. The bullpen was still a question mark, but the North Side finally had a couple high-profile starting pitchers.

Now here we are in late September, with the Cubs sitting one game behind the Pittsburgh Pirates in the NL Central and on the verge of overtaking the Bucs for the top Wild Card spot. They have pieced it all together, and they have weathered every storm that has come their way. They've enjoyed walk-off wins on numerous occasions and have shown that they have the potential to boast one of the best lineups in the league. Runs have been easy to come by lately, and when the performances of Lester and the Cy Young candidate Arrieta are taken into account, it's easy to see why Chicago has reason to believe again.

The Lester signing headlined a successful off-season for the Cubs

Winning in the NL Central is not easy. The Cubs sit in third place in the division but also have the third-best record in all of baseball, which goes to show just how tough this team is. They are not intimidated by anyone and they play with excitement. Joe Maddon has led the charge and has preached patience while also demanding perfection on the simple aspects of the game. They are currently 25 games over .500 and have a very good chance to move into second place in the division. And while it would be a historic charge as well as a brutal collapse by the Cardinals, winning the division is still a possibility as well. The opportunities are endless, and this Cubs team realizes that.

The regular season is quickly drawing to a close. The playoff match-ups are beginning to take shape and October is right around the corner. It's been 7 years, but this Cubs team is staring a postseason berth right in the face and deservedly so. The young kids have led the way, backed by stellar starting pitching and even better management. There is not a team in the league the Cubs don't think they can beat, and with a weekend series against the Cardinals currently happening, the Cubs have a great chance to shake things up in the NL Central. They believe they can make a run deep into the postseason as do the Chicago Faithful. What else would you expect the theme of this team to be? It's always been about being optimistic, whether that be justifiable optimism or not. It's time to realize that this Cubs team is not following Theo Epstein's five year plan. They're ahead of schedule, and the rest of the league would be smart to notice that.