Chicago Cubs: Panicked musings from the Cub-o-sphere

It doesn’t.  And mostly because it is all wrong.

First, the Ricketts family is why we’re even here talking about this.  They had to wage war against a Chicago political establishment that had thwarted Cubs owners for decades.  First the Wrigleys, then the Tribune Company, then they tried their same nonsense with the Ricketts family.  Until the Ricketts gave up and spent their own money on renovating the field (when has THAT happened in any sport recently?).  The Ricketts also addressed a farm system infrastructure that has been in extreme disrepair since Dallas Green left the organization.  I wasn’t all in on Ricketts either to be sure until he fired Jim Hendry in the middle of the 2011 season.  The times were about to be a-changin’.

The front office has won far more than they’ve lost

As for the front office, anyone who objected to signing Heyward, raise your hand, go on…yea that’s what I thought.  Darvish we just don’t know about yet, and if the worst mistake they make since 2016 is signing Chatwood, well, that’s not too bad.

As for the trades, Quintana for Eloy Jimenez and Dylan Cease?  Neither has seen a day of MLB play.  Not one day.  Jimenez will likely be called up sometime this season but when he was traded he was in A-ball batting .271/.351/.490.  Cease is still navigating his way through the minors.

And they traded Gleyber Torres and three others for Chapman.  And won the World Series.  And Torres basically plays second…I think we had that spot covered if I’m not mistaken, with, ummm…who again?

Yes, Maddon is a little different

Joe Maddon is the third-winningest manager in the long arc of Cubs history.  Only Frank Chance and Al Spalding have better winning percentages.  Google them if you don’t know who they are.  And, he’s one of the winningest MLB managers since 2015.  Enough said right there.  As long as he keeps winning like that I don’t give a darn about his line-ups.  Oh, and most of the regular players have played every day in the same position; Rizzo, Baez, Russell, Bryant, Conteras, Heyward.

The kids will be alright

The everyday players are veterans now, tested by the pressure of a historic World Series run, injury, slumps, and the long slog of three to four seasons.  The young core is just entering that that age range where most players enjoy their best years.  Not every player has progressed as far or as quickly as fans or the Cubs even, might have hoped.  Progress is not linear.  Some are definitely on the bubble, namely Albert Almora and Kyle Schwarber.

But the panic I’ve seen near and far on one Cubs board after another, on Twitter, and Facebook is irrational.  Which is why Ricketts and Theo are taking that sage advice: They who listen to the fans usually ends sitting with them.