2021 Chicago Cubs possess a magical je ne sais quoi reminiscent of “Major League”

Chicago Cubs: El Mago spreading his magic all around

Enter Javier Baez, otherwise known as El Mago. Equal parts Pedro Cerrano, Willie Mays Hayes and Jobu himself, Baez has become a magical, mojo-producing, athletic freak who is just as likely to make one of the most ridiculous plays you’ve ever seen as he is to make, well… one of the most ridiculous plays you’ve ever seen.

You did watch what he did to the Pirates this week, right?

Capable of producing jaw-droppingly amazing plays with little effort, Baez is just as likely to swing at pitches over his head, a foot out of the strike zone, or throw away a routine ball he should be able to make in his sleep because he forgot to plant with the correct foot first.

If Baez is the magic that propels this whole thing and keeps the analogy afloat, that would make all of us writing about, watching from home (or in the bleachers), and complaining on Twitter the disgruntled fans (and grounds crew) who’ve gone from nearly giving up on the team that sold off some good parts in the offseason to coming around to the fact that this team just might find a way to be good and win the division.

Chicago Cubs: Some Cubs could pass as cast of Major League

They’ve got the soft-tossing duo of Kyle Hendricks and Zach Davies, who, while not as old or reliant on vaseline and vagisil as Eddie Harris, have overcome some earlier struggles with wily natures that have proven effective against all odds and norms in baseball today.

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Speaking of foreign substances, closer Craig Kimbrel is fresh off a game in which Joe West asked him to change hats because of a sticky or viscous substance accumulating on the brim of his hat. That being said, Kimbrel is way more Ricky Vaughn sans glasses, harnessing his fastball and nasty “dominator” after parts of the last two years where he was throwing more than his share of gopher balls and pitches just a bit outside,

And, while KB isn’t exactly a Roger Dorn-esque prima donna who’s afraid to get dirty, there are those who probably think he is and might even think it’s better for him not to dive in order to stay healthy and not have his production slip. And, let’s face it, KB is the Cubs best player, even if everyone and their mother had seemingly written him off as somehow past his prime and unlikely to get back to his MVP-type ways.

Heck, even David Ross has to find himself watching the grit, toughness, and perseverance of this team and saying to himself, “man, this is my kind of team…” It’s certainly the kind of squad Lou Brown would be proud of, and while Ross is a much younger man than Brown, he has been known to serve as the older mentor, even going by the moniker “Grandpa Rossy” in his days as a player. Sounds a lot like another guy from the movie, catcher and eventual manager Jake Taylor. No coincidence here that the real skipper exudes the best characteristics of both Taylor and Brown as he’s held both roles for the Cubs.

The bottom line for all the skipper’s guys is that this team is fun to watch in the same ridiculous and crazy way as the fictional Indians were. There’s just something special about this team you can’t find the word for, although if it turns out they’ve got a cutout of Tom Ricketts in the clubhouse, oh boy…

If the Cubs can keep up this winning style of baseball, they’ll have Boog Schiambi scrambling to find post game sponsors and swearing on the mic while doing his best Harry Doyle