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Chicago Cubs: The hate and dismay for the Cubs needs to stop
As Chicago Cubs fans and part of a blog that’s a member of the FanSided Network, we are tied into essentially every social media channel available. And some of what we see from fans has us disappointed.
In an age of digital media, Cubbies Crib reaches our readers via all of the available social networks. We’re dialed into Chicago Cubs fans like never before. One thing that is different from back in the day is the immediate response we can get from our readers. We post it, and our readers can instantly give their take on it. Whether this is right or wrong can be debated from one fan to the next. But one thing is for certain. Winning may have ruined many Cubs’ fans.
Listen, we’re all aware that the Cubs aren’t playing great baseball right now. The pitching hasn’t been what it was last season, and the bats are simply non-existent. The same guys that helped the Cubs break a 108-year drought have gone “Jason Heyward“–except for Heyward who is playing better this year. But do you think the Cubs could have done what they did last season without Joe Maddon? Because there are many of you that think “anyone” could have managed that team.
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I’ve seen recommendations of sending down Anthony Rizzo, Kyle Schwarber and Addison Russell. Are they all struggling? Hell yes, they are. But these are the players–the young players–the Cubs have built this thing around. So we win the World Series and just ditch anyone and everyone that was a part of it because they’re slow out of the gate? Because that’s the extent of what we see on our Facebook page. There’s nothing wrong with being frustrated with their performance. But some of you have gotten out of hand. Winning ruined you. It really did.
We’re to blame as well
I think that we in the media are partially to blame for that. All the talk of this young team and the potential to become a “dynasty.” The start that the Cubs had last season made anything less look weak in the eyes of the fans. And it’s been poor, but “the plan” that Theo Epstein put in place over five years ago worked to perfection. We all trusted in the losing in hopes that it would bring us a winner. And it did. And immediately those same fans that believed Epstein are ready to ship out Maddon and a third of the roster. Are we serious here? WTH?
Maddon is responsible for some of the Cubs poor play on the field. But he isn’t the scapegoat, no matter how much some of you want to see it. Think about this. After winning 97 games and then 103, the Cubs are off to a 25-27 start–and you’re ready to fire a guy. Schwarber has played LESS than a full season and has been spectacular in the postseason, and many of you want to trade him.
You drove out Starlin Castro as well, and he’s having one of his best offensive seasons to date. This isn’t an endless supply of talent. You can’t just replace every player that struggles. This is what you get with a team this young. Time to look back on the patience you had once to get here and pull from that because many of you seem to have forgotten what it means to be a Cubs’ fan.
Do you even like baseball?
I see things like “You sound pathetic, fans are frustrated because we expect more out of these prima donnas. So shut-up and mind your own business ass clown.” Brilliant words. If you believe they are primadonnas, why are you even watching the game of baseball? It sounds like your hate is rooted pretty deep.
It is June 1, and the Cubs are just two games below .500, three games out of first place. Just a week ago they were in first place before the road trip collapse. Maddon has never been a manager that gets on his players when they’re playing poorly. He trusts in them to figure it out, with an occasional nudge here and there. Imagine you’re doing a terrible job at work and your boss is riding you for it. Don’t like him much, do you? Develop and animosity towards him? That’s not Maddon’s M.O., and he isn’t going to start that now.
In Joe we trust…Still
He trusts in each of the players on the roster to dig deep and figure out what they need to do. The same players you want to “trade or demote” are the same ones that lead the way last season. And before you say “It’s all because the Cubs were to cheap to sign Dexter Fowler.” Well, as disappointing as Schwarber has been? .313 to .286 is the difference in on-base percentage. Fowler wouldn’t be “saving the day” with those numbers. It’s a team failure, not a missing link issue. The Cubs need to play their way out of this–and they will.
The reason the Cubs keep saying that the solutions are “on the 25-man roster” is that they are. Outside of Kris Bryant, Jon Jay and Heyward, nobody is hitting the ball. The Cubs won’t keep hitting–or not hitting–like this all year. Regress to the mean works both ways. It can come up as much as it can down, and the Cubs are going to find their way back.
Next: Playoff odds falling for the Cubs
I heard from so many fans about how now that the Cubs had won, they could die happy and didn’t care if they won again. Turns out that was BS. I never wanted to remain the “lovable losers” forever, but what some fans have become might be even worse. Dig down Cubs’ fans. Remember why you were a fan. It wasn’t because of a World Series; it was because of players like Ryne Sandberg, Ernie Banks or Ron Santo. Some of you feel entitled to “better baseball” when you never acted like that before. Because the Cubs were the Cubs, regardless of the outcome. You loved them because of the team that they were, and no other reason would change that. Those are the fans I want to see again. That’s Cubs Nation.