Chicago Cubs: Without Javier Baez, they have no chance to make magical run

Javy Baez has been the emotional and statistical leader of the Chicago Cubs for the last two seasons. With Baez now out with a fractured thumb, it’s doubtful the Cubs will be playing meaningful baseball in October.

You wouldn’t think the Chicago Cubs and the Antonio Brown saga would share any kind of similarities this week, but they do. Actually… unfortunately, they do. They’re both live look-ins at the manic nature of professional sports (and its fans) and how quickly things can change. Thursday afternoon, all seemed perfect in the Cubs’ world.

Two starters were back from an extended time away from the team, and another was purportedly coming back after sitting a couple of games. With the Cubs releasing their best lineup of the season pregame, positivity reigned supreme. By Saturday night, everything had changed. It happened so fast; it’s hard even to process what the heck just happened.

Raiders fans can probably commiserate.

When word came back that Javier Baez had a clean X-Ray following the game in which he hurt his left thumb (sliding into second on a steal) one week ago, Cubs’ fans breathed a collective sigh of relief. When he was scratched from the most exciting lineup of 2019 on Thursday night because he couldn’t complete batting practice without pain, there may have been a collective groan, but it could have just been a minor sprain or tweak that was flaring up. When the news came out yesterday after that Baez had suffered a hairline fracture, many fans took some rather large steps to edge ever so close to that ledge that many (including the worst) fans have already vacated.