Chicago Cubs: Who has something to prove this spring?

Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer told us they had a plan.  They also preached to the Cubs and the fans for patience. That’s a lot to ask a fan base who has been waiting 100 plus years for a championship.  But we gave them that wish. We have been waiting calmly for the day that we hope is right around the corner.  We now feel like that is all about to pay off.  The pressure is on Epstein, Hoyer, and even the Ricketts family to show all of us fans that those few years we sat on our hands, bit our tongues, and held our breath – will be all worth it in the end.

I personally believe in all three.  They were dealt a bad hand at first.  The club was a mess, the finances were a mess, the developmental system was beyond a mess.  They fixed all of that in four years.  We now have one of the top farm systems in all of baseball.  We have financial flexibility to make moves during the season if needed, and in the off-season when the right players become available.  We are going to have a renovated Wrigley Field to call home soon.  We have a new-found hope in our Cubbies.

But just because we have all of that, doesn’t mean the job is done.  Now the real work begins – now it’s make it or break it time.  If the Cubs and their core prospects turn into what is expected, what will be expected is a world series trophy.  If that doesn’t happen, will it take all of us Cub fans into a deeper darker state of baseball fan depression? Quite possibly.  We are hungry for a winner, we are tired of the jokes, we are tired of our rivals winning while we are losing.  We’ve put all our chips into the middle banking on the cards that Epstein, Hoyer, and the Ricketts hold and we’re ready to cash in.

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