A few days have passed since the Chicago Cubs were swept out of the National League Championship Series, and I am in a good place. With a few days to collect my thoughts, and put the bitter taste out of my mouth I can fully appreciate how great the 2015 season was. This was the greatest season of my life, one that I enjoyed more than any other season.
This was the year that came out of nowhere, yet was supposed to give the Cubs fans a taste of what was to come. A year of fun and excitement watching the kids we have been hearing about for a while now grow up before our eyes. Despite the talk from Anthony Rizzo, Joe Maddon and Jon Lester of the playoffs this season, that was never really considered a realistic expectation; until the playoffs became a realistic possibility.
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Going into the season, most fans would have told you they would have been happy to at least see the team get to or just above the .500 record. Our own Andy predicted the Cubs would finish in third place (they did) but with only 87 wins. Going into the season most fans would have been ecstatic to see them reach that level after three years of pain. They beat that prediction by 10 games and finished with the third best record not only in their division but in all of baseball.
Who would have thought that was possible when the season began? I am not even sure the biggest Cubs fan out there (and I know a few who would qualify for that title) could have told you that with a straight face. This was a year which (while filled with excitement and promise) came out of nowhere. A team starting four rookies pretty much every day is not supposed to be able to contend for the playoffs let alone make the playoffs and reach the LCS. That has never happened before and likely never will again.
Remember when most Cubs fans were penciling in their lineups with all of these kids written in? Remember being told that not all would turn out? So far, they are.
Kris Bryant? So far that is a big check.
Kyle Schwarber? Another big check.
Addison Russell? Looks damn good doesn’t he?
Jorge Soler? He is still a question mark of sorts but he has shown signs of greatness such as reaching base nine straight times in the playoffs.
This was the bonus year, the year that was never meant to be. This was the year the Cubs were supposed to compete for, but not make the playoffs. The year they were supposed to give the fans a peak at what the future would hold, a year without having any real expectations or genuine hope for a championship run.
But then something funny happened. They gave us just that. They announced their presence with authority. They showed the baseball world what the Cubs would be about for years to come. They gave the National League a glimpse of what they would have to go through if they wanted the top prize. They showed the National League Central that there was a new top dog.
For the other teams in baseball (and their fans) not to recognize the threat the Cubs would be for years to come would be foolish beyond measure. These young Cubs are good and, with a year of experience (and a deep playoff run) under their belts, are only going to get better.
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Every year we say wait til next year, usually tongue planted firmly in cheek with little genuine optimism in our hearts and minds. This time though, we actually have a reason to truly believe that next year will once again be a fun year to experience. A year when the Cubs already have given their fans a reason for real hope.
The previous three years were torturous, but this year made those previous year’s well worth while. We see the plan Theo Epstein presented unveiling itself before our eyes. We see what he saw when he first came to Chicago.
The plan is real, and the plan is spectacular. Thank you Tom Ricketts. Thank you Theo Epstein. Thank you Jed Hoyer. Thank you Jason McLeod. Thank you Cubs. Thank you for an unforgettable season.
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