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.

The 2017 World of Wadley MLB Guide

The calendar has turned to that familiar time when the sun shines a little brighter, the grass turns a little greener and the grills come out. It's baseball season, and while the excitement of a new season is nothing new, something feels a bit different in 2017. The Chicago Cubs are defending World Series champions. 99.9 percent of the world's population has never known this kind of world, but the curse ended and so too did a major story line in the game. 2017 is a new chapter for baseball and it's an enticing one.

Here are some things to keep an eye on and what to watch for this season...

Can the Cubs repeat?
This is an obvious starting point for the 2017 discussion. The Cubs open the season Sunday night in St. Louis on ESPN and may have improved from last season. Kyle Schwarber will be available for an entire season and, who knows, maybe Jason Heyward will play like a big leaguer again. It's scary if both of them produce. After all, this team already has MVP Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo plus a stable of pitchers who are downright nasty.

So can they repeat? Sure they can, but they won't. It's simply too hard. Too many things can happen such as injuries or poor play at the wrong time. As ESPN pointed out, no team has repeated since the Yankees in 1998-2000 and only one National League team (the Cincinnati Reds) has ever repeated in the last 95 years. The numbers simply aren't on the Cubs' side.

So who wins then?
The Boston Red Sox. Boston spends big and they should win big this season. Rick Porcello may not turn in another season like last season, but Chris Sale is in Boston now and he and Porcello along with David Price is a nightmare for opposing offenses. Big Papi is gone, but name a more fun trio to watch than Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts and Jackie Bradley, Jr.? The Red Sox will have to overcome an always tough AL East and the Cleveland Indians, but if they stay healthy then they will win it all.

What about those Indians?
The Indians will be in the ALCS. They came oh so close last season and they have a loaded roster. It wouldn't be surprising to see them in the World Series again if they can get past Boston. But like the Cubs, it's hard to do it all over again and that's why we are predicting the Indians to be ousted before the World Series rolls around.

Don't forget about Mike Trout
Last season we wrote about how Mike Trout is stuck in Anaheim. He might be stuck on a bad team, but tune in whenever you can to see him play. He's the best player in the game and it's easy to forget that he's still only 25 years old. Trout will be an MVP front-runner once again, but like past seasons, he's going to be sitting at home watching the playoffs. Still, he's a special talent so don't miss out on his best years.

Speaking of the Angels, Albert Pujols is going to make history
Albert Pujols' star has faded since leaving the St. Louis Cardinals, but this season he should pass 600 career home runs. He enters 2017 with 591 and he's done it all clean. His name has never been linked to steroids and he will become the ninth player to eclipse the 600 mark.

Are the Dodgers ever going to win with all that money and talent?
Who knows, but they won't win this year. Magic Johnson and the Dodgers have spent big and on paper this team looks fantastic. Clayton Kershaw is the best pitcher in the game and will surpass 2,000 strikeouts for his career this season. Adrian Gonzalez, Corey Seager and Justin Turner make a great lineup. Yasiel Puig is a wild card year-in-year-out. LA hasn't been able to get over the hump in the playoffs and with the Cubs in the National League it doesn't seem like that will change this year.

Will Bryce Harper return to form?
Harper struggled last season after his MVP campaign two years ago. He hit .243 with 24 home runs and 86 RBIs last season, which is a great season for many guys in the MLB. But this is Bryce Harper, the guy who hit .330 with 42 home runs and 99 RBIs in his MVP season. Still only 23 years old, this is Harper's sixth year in the league. The Nationals, much like the Dodgers, haven't been able to get over the hump in the playoffs and without Harper at his best they don't stand a chance.

Which Astros team should we expect?
The Astros have taken us on a rollercoaster ride the past two seasons. The joy of 2015 was gone after an average 2016 season in which Houston missed the playoffs. The core of Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa and George Springer is still there and the pitching staff hasn't changed. Dallas Kuechel's shoulder is an issue, but one thing to watch is whether or not the Astros make a move for Chicago's Jose Quintana before season's end. This is a fun team to watch, but the AL West has strengthened the past few years. Time will tell if the Astros can take the next step.

The White Sox stink now, but....
Okay, we know no one is tuning into White Sox games this year because they just can't get enough of the SouthSiders. Chicago is going to stink. Sure, Todd Frazier will hit some bombs, but that's about it. However, don't sleep on this team in the future. They made some quality moves this offseason (namely getting Yoan Moncada) to go along with youngsters Tim Anderson and Charlie Tilson, which means the future could be bright on the South Side. The young guys are going to get their chances this season and that may just be worth tuning in.

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The 2017 season begins Sunday, April 2nd with a tripleheader on ESPN.

For the Cubs and the City of Chicago, "Next Year" is Finally Here

12:47 AM eastern time. Two outs, and a one-run lead. Mike Montgomery was on the mound. Wait, who? Talk about your unlikely closer. This moment was made for Aroldis Chapman, the flame-throwing left-hander who came up big time and time again in the World Series. Or maybe this moment was Jon Lester, the prized 2015 free agent who put up Cy Young-caliber numbers this season. Or maybe, though it's a stretch, this moment was for Hector Rondon. A guy who struggled with consistency yet still managed to seal a couple key wins for the Cubs these past few seasons, yet lost his closing job when Chapman was acquired this summer. Could you imagine Rondon being the hero after the guy who took his job was knocked out of the game? So many scenarios, so many possibilities, but it was Montgomery who had the weight of 108 years and generations of sadness on his shoulders.

108 years later, the Cubs can celebrate once more

And it didn't phase him one bit. That final pitch, a curve ball that the Cleveland Indians' Michael Martinez grounded just past the mound to a charging Kris Bryant, is the pitch that will replay in the minds of Cubs fans for eternity. Bryant threw the ball to Anthony Rizzo, Montgomery completed the one-out save, and the baseball world was turned upside down. The Chicago Cubs, yes, THE Chicago Cubs, were World Series champions. There are people who lived and died without ever saying those words in the same sentence. Yet here we are, still trying to comprehend what took place in Cleveland, Ohio last night.

So many times in that game it seemed like the Cubs were going to crumble. Dexter Fowler's lead-off home run seemed too good to be true when it happened, but the Cubs piled it on early. It was in the fifth inning when things started to get shaky, and every Cub fan desperately hoped and prayed that this team would avoid another historic collapse. David Ross' throwing error, Lester's wild pitch, Chapman giving up three straight hits, Rajai Davis' game-tying home run in the eighth. You name it. Time after time it seemed like the Cubs' magical season was going to come to a horrific end. So many times it seemed like history could repeat itself.

But this team never cared about history. Dexter Fowler said it himself. This team was not going to break under any pressure. Down three runs in the ninth inning of game four in the NLDS? No worries. Fail to score a run in consecutive NLCS games? Don't sweat. Trail 3-1 in the World Series which requires winning two of three games on the road? No big deal. Time and time again this Cubs team was faced with season-threatening obstacles. To watch this team fight back and show grit and heart that no Cubs team has ever shown is something that every baseball fan should be able to admire. I understand the Cubs have their fair share of enemies and haters, but to look at a group of kids, literally kids with a little veteran leadership,  and see the maturity, the fight that this group has. How can you not appreciate that?

It's what brought so much excitement to the north side of Chicago. It's what gave every single Cub fan reason to hope. The emotions that fans feel towards the Cubs are something no other fan base can truly appreciate. No other fan base in all of sports understands what that kind of perennial mediocrity and disappointment feels like. I'm 22 years old, I don't even know the full affects of that, but I'm old enough to vividly remember "The Bartman Game". I watched the Cubs get swept out of the playoffs back-to-back years in '07 and '08. I sat and watched as they lost 101 games in 2012. I witnessed the Cubs drop four in a row to the New York Mets in the 2015 NLCS. 22 years of age and still experienced all that disappointment. God bless those Cubs fans who are on the back half of their lives. That's dedication that will always be respected.

That is why emotions were in abundance when Bryant and Rizzo combined for that 5-3 putout. Decades of hope, passion, and anxiety finally rewarded. No more talk of curses. No more jokes. No more "this is what was happening in the world the last time the Cubs won" on Sportscenter. No more waiting for next year. The Cubs are on top of the baseball world, and this team is built to last.

Bedlam in Wrigleyville

So now what? 108 years of pain has been alleviated, so where do the Cubs go from here? The "lovable losers" label is long gone and the wait for a championship is now over. Are the Cubs ever going to be the same? The answer is no, and that's perfectly okay. Look at what the Red Sox have done since they broke their curse: they're now perennial contenders (with a few bad years sprinkled in) and have sustained their success. To this generation, they are a better organization than the New York Yankees even though history would certainly tell us otherwise. Are the Cubs now setting themselves up to be viewed as superior to the St. Louis Cardinals? Again, history would tell us otherwise, but for now the Cubs are in the driver's seat in the NL Central with a young core that will be around for at least a couple more years. And now, with no curses to think about and every single reason to hope, Cubs fans can truly begin to wonder if a dynasty started on November 3rd, 2016.


I shed a lot of tears last night. I wasn't old enough to appreciate Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls. The Cubs went to the playoffs four separate times before this year and never came close to winning the World Series. Shawn May and the North Carolina Tar Heels beat Illinois in the 2005 men's basketball championship. Peyton Manning and the Colts took down the Chicago Bears in the 2006 Super Bowl. USC disposed of Illinois in the 2007 Rose Bowl. Derrick Rose went down with a torn ACL in 2012, one year after the Miami Heat beat the Bulls in the Eastern Conference Finals, and that core's potential was never fully realized. I've never experienced what it's like to have a favorite team of mine win on one of the games' biggest stages. Let me tell you, watching my brother and grandpa celebrate a couple St. Louis Cardinal World Series wins got old really quick, too. So last night, there was a lot of emotion that went into that Cubs victory. Sweet relief and pure joy. This Cubs team gave the city and its fans everything they had and completed one of the best seasons in major league history. And you know what's most exciting? They could just be getting started. Hey Chicago, what do you say?

Pitchers' Complaints Over Unwritten Rules Growing Old

After giving up a bomb that landed on Waveland Avenue last night in the Chicago Cubs' 1-0 loss to the San Diego Padres, John Lackey became the latest MLB pitcher to complain about a batter's post-homer celebration. Christian Bethancourt's solo blast was the only run of the game and he took a minute to watch it go. Lackey took exception and had a few things to say afterwards.

The following is from ESPN's Jesse Rogers:

""How many home runs does he have?" Lackey asked sarcastically after the game.

Wednesday was Bethancourt's third of the season, and it was a monster blast to left that landed on the street outside Wrigley Field. Bethancourt watched it for a moment before rounding the bases.

"I got a long memory," said Lackey (4-2), who took the loss after going eight innings and allowing a run on three hits, with no walks and seven strikeouts.

Bethancourt and Lackey don't have a history; this was the first meeting between hitter and pitcher, which Lackey was well aware of.

"Oh, I know," Lackey said. "He'll learn.""

You can watch the highlights here.

This is a tiresome subject that seems to be a hot topic this season. Bryce Harper made headlines for trying to make baseball fun again, and last season Jose Bautista's bat flip in the ALDS drew the ire of pitchers young and old. Harper called baseball a "tired sport because you can't express yourself" and, quite frankly, he's right. Any emotion from a hitter is seen as disrespect and it has to stop.

Goose Gossage went on a rant during spring training and called Bautista a "disgrace to the game." His comments were a perfect illustration of the old-school players and his thoughts seem to still ring true with some pitchers today.

Baseball currently is a one-way street and it's an annoyance. Pitchers can yell, scream and stare down a hitter after a big strikeout, but batters aren't allowed to take a look at a home run that travels over 400 feet. Give me a break. It seems that there is still some lingering thought that baseball should be a gentleman's game, but that went by the wayside when players started wearing hairstyles more suited for rock stars (i.e. Josh Donaldson) and teams started sporting lumberjack beards. You can forget that notion and understand that baseball has changed. Get with the times.

It's unfair for pitchers to think that hitters should show respect to them, but pitchers don't need to return the favor. A pitcher can get upset with a hitter and throw a 95-mph fastball into their ribs. What can a batter do if they feel disrespected by a pitcher? This has to be a two-way street.

When Harper first made his comments a few months ago, I disagreed with what he was saying. My stance has changed though. I'm tired of guys like John Lackey getting upset for allowing a home run. I'm tired of guys like Goose Gossage calling people a disgrace to the game because they hit the biggest home run of their life. Get over yourself, pitchers.

There certainly is a line for celebrating, and when it's crossed retaliation is warranted, but that line is not what Christian Bethancourt did last night. I side with Harper: let's make baseball fun again. For that to happen pitchers need to get over themselves. 

For St. Louis, Cubs Present Serious Threat

Normally, winning 100 games with several key players injured throughout the season in the MLB's toughest division bodes well for the future. The St. Louis Cardinals held off the Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates last season to win the National League Central despite patching together a roster that suffered injuries to Matt Holliday, Yadier Molina, Adam Wainwright and Matt Adams. With hardly any roster turnover, and the above players all healthy, there's hardly a reason to doubt that St. Louis can replicate last season's success.

Except for one thing: the Chicago Cubs.

The Lovable Losers were neither lovable nor losers to Cardinals fans last season as Theo Epstein's master plan started paying dividends. Chicago's young studs Kris Bryant, Addison Russell and Kyle Schwarber all enjoyed successful seasons and the Cubs received a career year from Jake Arrieta. After dispatching the Cards in five games in the NLDS, the Cubs were defeated by the Mets in the Championship Series.

The successful campaign was apparently a year ahead of Epstein's schedule and that has the baseball world gushing over Chicago. Several media outlets have picked the Cubs to end the 108-year drought and win the World Series, while manager Joe Maddon has his team wearing shirts that say "Embrace the Target." Life is good on the Northside of Chicago and there's reason to be excited.

For the Cardinals, life is changing. The Central Division has been owned by St. Louis since the new millennium as the Cardinals have won nine division titles. In addition, the Cardinals have also been a wild card team three separate times in that span, while adding two championships to their collection. Rarely has St. Louis not been the favorite in the division and it's been a while since they looked up to the Cubs. Sure, Chicago tasted playoff success in 2003 and won the division in 2008, but it wasn't like last year. Last year was different. Last year, legitimate belief trumped Cubbie skepticism and a confidence rarely seen overshadowed fear of curses.

In the offseason, Chicago signed former Cardinals Jason Heyward and John Lackey, along with Ben Zobrist. The Cubs got better. The Cardinals stayed the same. In the St. Louis clubhouse, the belief is that the organization did get better in the offseason by getting healthy. A pitching staff that was a bit thin will get its ace back in Wainwright and a lineup that was starved for runs at certain points will get Holliday and Adams back.

But is it enough? Everybody is healthy for the Cardinals, but will it stay that way? The reality is that Holliday is 36, Wainwright is 34 and Molina is 33. On the other side of the coin, Randal Grichuk hasn't played a full season without injury and Stephen Piscotty is unproven, although he did tear up the 2015 postseason.

Think about this: the Cardinals won 100 games while ranking 24th in the league in runs scored and 25th in home runs. The low offensive output put extreme pressure on the pitching staff, which responded with a league-best 2.49 ERA. Just how good is that figure? The Pirates' staff was second in the league with a 3.21 ERA.

It would be foolish to count on the same domination from the pitching staff and if St. Louis is to keep its strangle-hold of the Central than the lineup must produce.

As for the Cubs, Maddon is right - the target is squarely on their back. Fans are aching for the agony to end. But before blue and red confetti can rain down on Michigan Avenue, the Cubs have to win and that may be tougher than it looks. The roster is stacked with talent, but the Cubs made it through last year with hardly any injuries. Luck was on their side. They will need a little luck again this season in the ultra-competitive Central Division.

St. Louis is the king of the Central; the past 15 years tell us so. The Cubs are no longer the lovable losers; last season showed us that. And St. Louis knows they must be firing on cylinders if they are going to win their fourth-straight division title.

Because the Cubs are coming and they are embracing the target.

Cubs' Postseason Run Providing Plenty of Emotion

You've heard about it. You've read about it. You've been a part of it. The Cubs are in the National League Championship Series, and that is not a typo. For the first time in seven years, the north side of Chicago has life in the month of October, and it would behoove the rest of the country to pay attention to it.

Since 2000, the Cubs have enjoyed a couple postseason appearances, three to be exact. Those years were fun, they had excitement. Even the trip to the NLCS in 2003, the first Cubs season that I can vividly remember, was something that gave the North Side hope. That was supposed to be The Year and yet, it wasn't. You know the story. You know how that season came to a screeching halt. And then 2007 and 2008 came and went without a single postseason victory. Those teams were good, but there was always a lingering doubt, almost as if Cub fans were waiting for a reason to believe something bad was going to happen. And sure enough, both seasons ended in 3-0 sweeps in the NLDS.

Epstein has pieced together one of the best teams in Cub history

Yet here we are, with the New York Mets cementing themselves as the only thing that stands between the Cubs and that elusive World Series appearance that the Cubs, their fans, and the city of Chicago crave so badly. But this year is different for reasons other than just this season alone. This season has been a long time coming, and the Cubs are now reaping the benefits of one of the biggest rebuilds in sports history.

It began with Theo Epstein, the mastermind who put together the 2004 World Series Champion Boston Red Sox. In 2011, he took over as President for the Cubs and announced a five-year plan to completely tear down and rebuild the Cubs roster. It was painful to accept and even more painful to watch. The first year of the five-year plan ended with the Cubs finishing with a 61-101 record which, obviously, gave Cubs fans very little reason to feel optimistic. Yet each year showed improvement. In 2013 they went from being 40 games under .500 in 2012 to being 30 games under. Then in 2014 they finished 16 games under. And now here they are, in 2015, with a regular season record of 97-65: the best record left in the postseason.

This wasn't a part of the plan. After all, it's only year four of Epstein's time with the Cubs. Were they supposed to compete? Yes. Were they supposed to make the playoffs? Not likely. Were they supposed to up-end the top two teams in the league on their way to the NLCS? Never in a million years. It's not even so much that they did it, but HOW they did it. Joe Maddon, though one of the best in the business, is in his first year and until August 8th when Anthony Rizzo turned 26, their entire infield plus two thirds of their outfield was 25 or younger. These are kids we're talking about. These are rookies that haven't even been in the league for a full calendar year. And that's what makes it so great.

Being a Cub fan is not something you just do, it's something you invest in. There may not be another team in all of American sports with a fan base that has more pitiful optimism or dedication to their team than the Chicago Cubs. After all, how many teams can say that their fan base's motto is "Wait till next year"? A phrase that has been uttered millions of times in hopes of defending letdown season after letdown season? The fans are committed, even when the Cubs are bad. This is not to get into a debate about the best fans in baseball, this is about realizing how much this postseason run means to the organization, the fans, and the city of Chicago.

The Cubs are 4 wins away from another celebration

When you walk into Wrigley Field, as I had the extreme pleasure of doing three times this past summer, you feel the electricity. I've been in 17 different MLB ballparks, none of which have a buzz like Wrigley Field, especially this year. There is nothing like walking up the steps from the main concourse and looking out onto the field and seeing the green ivy, or the scoreboard in center, or the rooftops that line the opposite sides of Waveland and Sheffield Avenue. The park is beautiful, and every day it's filled with a sea of blue that hopes it gets to see a win that will move their team one step closer to the month of October.

It's October now, and what an October it has been. First the Pittsburgh Pirates, then the bitter rival St. Louis Cardinals. Neither team could match the Cubs offense and now the Cubs have given the baseball world every reason in the world to hope, to believe. It has no longer become a season where fans wait to see something bad happen for the Cubs. This team provides an excitement and energy that the previous three playoff teams did not. They're young, but they're good, and everybody knows it. There is no longer doubt and there is no longer any reason to wonder. The Cubs are legitimate World Series contenders.

So now the date is set: Saturday October 17th. The New York Mets vs. the Chicago Cubs. Matt Harvey vs. Chicago's $155 million-dollar man, Jon Lester. 1986 World Champions vs. 1908 World Champions. Two teams that tore through the second half of the season and now sit on the doorstep of potential history. If you're a Cubs fan, confidence is not hard to find. After all, the Cubs did go 7-0 against the Mets in the regular season and outscored them 27-11. But this is a different Mets team, one that has added Yoenis Cespedes and has brought back their captain David Wright. Winning won't be easy, but for once, the Cubs are favored. The Cubs are now the top dog. It is their series to lose. They know it, the fans know it, and Chicago knows it. And with each win, the city of Chicago comes one win closer to being thrown into absolute chaos. The baseball world will be flipped upside down and the party may never stop. And for the first time in a long time, the Cubs have given everyone reason to believe that the party is not an unrealistic thing to believe in. There is no next year. Next year is here.