Chicago Cubs eager to put a disappointing offseason behind them

Sure, October baseball is great. But there’s nothing quite like the start of Spring Training, where you get a clean slate. Don’t believe me? Ask the Chicago Cubs.

I never thought I’d see the day where I’d want to turn the page on a Chicago Cubs season that culminated in a fourth-straight postseason appearance and 95 wins, but here we are. And, by any and all indications, I’m not alone, either.

Pitchers and catchers reported to Sloan Park in Mesa this week as camp opened and the Cubs, once again, eye the Commissioner’s Trophy. Much like the fan base that’s been irritable and has shown little empathy for an organization that’s made as many missteps as they have in recent months, manager Joe Maddon is ready to move forward.

"“We’ve talked about it a lot. We did not like the way the season ended,” Maddon said Tuesday. “And when you have that extra month to really mull things over, you get more determined to get back, more determined to prove yourself again. I’ve had a lot of conversations with different guys during the winter time and some even recently, and to the man — I mean, everybody — we want to make a statement this year.”"