State of the Union: We are moving forward

April 5, 2012; Chicago, IL, USA; A general view of a new digital scoreboard in right field before the opening day game between the Chicago Cubs and the Washington Nationals at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports

Yeah, you thought we were getting all political here at Cubbies Crib, didn’t you?

Not a chance. Baseball is apolitical – at least it should be. But that’s neither here nor there.

On the eve of President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address in our nation’s capitol, we are taking the time to talk about the status of our nation – Cubs Nation.

In many ways, the status of the United States and the Cubs franchise are similar. Although many signs point to a recovery, fans and citizens alike are growing impatient at what they see as a lack of progress.

The Chicago Cubs’ farm system continues to improve in many ways – the team landed several prospects on recent top prospect lists, Javier Baez is widely regarded as one of the best talents in the game today and C.J. Edwards headlines pitching talent still in the early stages of development.

Meanwhile, at the Friendly Confines, an uneasy mood has settled over the 100-year-old ballpark. Fans grow restless as ticket prices continue to rise, the team continues to lose and the much-anticipated renovation of Wrigley Field remains at a standstill due to continuing disputes with local rooftop owners.

It’s not so much that progress isn’t being made; it’s clear we’re moving in the right direction. It’s the lack of apparent progress at the big league level that leaves us all doubting we’ll ever contend for a World Series title. Just two-plus years ago, when Theo Epstein took over the baseball operations department, we were all starry-eyed schoolgirls anticipating what that first kiss might taste like … what it would be like to hoist the Commissioner’s Trophy up in October.

For now, we must stay the course. We are moving forward. We have added talent, stopped overspending on aging veterans and removed the bulk of outlandish contracts left behind by the previous regime. We are only a handful of seasons away from true NL pennant contention. We can’t turn back now, because whether you know it or not, we’ve already come so far.