Even a World Series Ring Can't Guarantee Patience for Cub Fans

As I sat and ate my breakfast this morning, I read all the articles I could find recapping last night's Cubs game (a morning ritual for me between the months of April and October). Jesse Rogers and Carrie Muskat are usually my go-to beat writers for all things Cub, but an article written by former Cub Doug Glanville was my favorite this morning. He talked about his experiences on the Cubs back in 1997 when they started the season 0-14 and how a 3-4 start for the 2018 team should not cause panic for the Cubs' fan base.

I was only 3 years old in 1997, so my knowledge of that start and that season as a whole is non-existent. In fact, my first memory as a Cub fan is sitting on the living room couch watching game 6 of the 2003 NLCS. It doesn't require an explanation, you know what happened. Moises Alou went up against the brick wall in left and Steve Bartman did what any fan would have done. I remember being frustrated, but as a fourth grader the enormity of the situation didn't stand out to me. I viewed it as a bump in the road in that game and that game alone, but for my dad, a lifelong Cub fan who had experienced plenty of Cub-related heartbreak before that game, it was a much bigger deal. My dad is one of the most laid-back and easy-going individuals I've ever met, but when Bartman touched that ball and my brother, Zach (a Cardinal fan, no less), started laughing, my dad about lost it ("IT'S NOT FUNNY!"). Needless to say, that's one of the funnier moments we reflect on as a family now, but how fitting is it that my first memory of cheering for the Cubs is one of heartbreak?

It's hard to believe this year will be the 15th anniversary of that game. The craziest part about it is how much the Cubs' organization has changed since then. In 15 years the Cubs have had plenty of different "saviors" who would lead the ball club to that coveted World Series title: Nomar Garciaparra, Derrek Lee, Alfonso Soriano and Lou Piniella just to name a few. Not one of those guys made it out of the NLDS. However, those guys gave the fan base hope. It was after they were all gone, with Soriano being the last man standing, that things had to get ugly in order to get pretty.

I have this app on my phone called "TimeHop" which, for those of you not familiar with it, allows you to see your social media posts from past years on today's date. Looking back four, five and six years ago on that app at this time of year is incredibly painful. Seeing the starting lineups featuring the likes of Luis Valbuena, Emilio Bonifacio and Jeff Baker isn't something I hope to relive any time soon. Add in the fact that Carlos Marmol was the closer back then and you have a heart attack waiting to happen. Cubs baseball was not fun back then. Did I still watch as many games as I could? Absolutely. All the way through September. It was brutal most days, but there was a reason for it and Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer had the 5-year plan in place.

So now here we are in 2018. A World Series banner has been raised and the Cubs have made three consecutive trips to the NLCS. I grew up watching an NL Central division that was perennially dominated by the St. Louis Cardinals. Heck, the Cardinals made three consecutive trips to the NLCS TWO SEPARATE TIMES. My brother couldn't have been more spoiled as a Cardinals fan. Sheesh. But look at who was on those Cardinals teams. Generational legends like Jim Edmonds and Scott Rolen. All-time legends like Albert Pujols and Tony LaRussa. Those teams were flat-out good, and now the Cubs have the roster to make the same noise those Cardinals teams did.

Who would have thought there would ever be a year where Cubs fans couldn't wait for their bullpen to enter the game? Last night, Justin Wilson walked three straight hitters to load the bases only to watch new-comer Steve Cishek strike out Lorenzo Cain to get out of the jam. The days of watching Kevin Gregg or Brian Schlitter blow a late-game lead are over. They have one of if not the best bullpen in baseball right now (albeit with a very small sample size) and even though they're off to a bit of a slow start, their starting rotation should be at least in the top five, potentially top three by the end of the season. There is not a single hole in their batting order and the youth of the team projects perennial contention for the next few years. This is a Cubs team unlike any other Cub team before them.

So stop panicking. Stop being impatient. Stop questioning the Cubs' focus or motivation. It's April 7th. This team was built for longevity, not just "win now" on a one or two year timeline. Cubs fans (myself included) have been so spoiled these past three years and I never thought I'd be able to say that. The problem now, though, is that success is not a hope or a pleasant surprise, it's an expectation. Hoyer and Epstein have made all the right moves and now the team has shown the potential it has. That brings about a lot of pressure, but also a lot of irrationality from the fan base.

The bottom line is this: things could be so much worse. It's a beautiful day when a 3-4 start can be considered a reason to be anxious rather than bringing about a "here we go again" mentality when thinking of the season as a whole. Be excited because truthfully, it could and has been so much worse. I'd take a 3-4 record with Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Addison Russell and Javy Baez headlining the Cubs any day over a team with Marlon Byrd, Bryan LaHair and Koyie Hill. Smile, Cub fans. Life's pretty darn good right now.