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While the Chicago Cubs’ 2018 season ended on a down note, fans have a lot to be thankful for regarding their team this holiday season.
Look, I get it; sometimes, it can be hard to keep things in perspective. But for the heck of it, hear me out: Chicago Cubs fans should be extremely thankful for their team this Thanksgiving.
Believe it or not, the Cubs missed the postseason for six straight years, spanning from 2009 to 2014. Before that, the franchise had just three postseason berths on their resumé since the new millennium dawned (2003, 2007, 2008).
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The dark days
Everyone knows how the 2003 Cubs’ postseason run ended; some may need to be reminded that the Cubs were swept out of October in both 2007 and 2008.
Yes, the 2018 Cubs saw their postseason run end after one game – an extra-inning battle with the Colorado Rockies in the Wild Card game. The disappointment that followed is quite understandable.
At the same time, the Cubs have won at least 92 games four seasons in a row. They’ve made the postseason each of those seasons, advancing to the NLCS three years straight, from 2015-17.
Players among baseball’s best
Cubs fans have been fortunate enough to witness players on “their” team win or be nominated for baseball’s best awards. Kris Bryant won both Rookie of the Year (2015) and Most Valuable Player (2016).
Former-Cub Jake Arrieta won the Cy Young Award (2015); Joe Maddon won the Manager of the Year award (2016). Jon Lester and Kyle Hendricks were Cy Young finalists (2016), while Javier Báez was an MVP finalist this season.
Is it fair to be disappointed in the 2018 Cubs? Maybe, as they hardly tasted the postseason. This is not an excuse to overlook the fact that the team won 95 games and once again made it to October, though.
Don’t take it for granted
Readers may ask why I am delivering obvious information to them, which is fair. The point is that we are currently living in the gold-standard of Chicago Cubs baseball.
Think about how many previous generations of Cubs fans longed to see the team perform as they have under Maddon. Think of all the fans that never witnessed the Cubs win a playoff series or even play in October.
Expectations have never been higher on the North Side. Sooner or later, fans will yearn for these days when they are long gone. For that reason, fans should be thankful for what the Cubs have done in recent years.