Too many Cubs fans can’t let go of the past – and it shows

Despite a stronger than expected second half, there are a lot of Cubs fans out there still desperately clinging to the past. No, I’m not talking about 2016 – I’m talking about the emotional events that transpired during the midst of the 2021 season.

I tend to go into the comments section on various websites and social media pages/groups. You can always find those individuals who are still disturbed by the idea that the Cubs ownership decided to move on from the core that finally brought that long-awaited championship to the North Side. These people are oblivious to the notion that professional sports are, above all else, a business.

All season long, I could find people complaining about Tom Ricketts, Jed Hoyer, and even Theo Epstein. I’m sitting here thinking, “do you people remember how terrible some of these teams were back when the Chicago Tribune owned the Cubs?” Most of the disdain came from the idea that they didn’t re-sign players like Kyle Schwarber, Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant and Javier Baez.

There is nothing wrong with loving the players of the team who you support. You can cheer for them and purchase jerseys with their names on the back. Some people even take it as far as naming their pets and kids after these players.

However, everyone should be understanding that most of these men will not play their entire career with your beloved organization. It’s a business and it can be downright ugly at times. You can blame management, or you can understand players themselves for having other motives as well.

I would see these comments out in full force whenever Rizzo or Schwarber hit a home run. Also, I would see other individuals come out and counter the good with the bad. Of course, the bad would be the fact that Bryant’s latest season was plagued by injuries and Baez continued to be a strikeout machine in a disastrous first season with the Tigers.

Nevertheless, we all love our Chicago Cubs. We have enjoyed more winning and postseason baseball over the last seven years than what our fathers or grandfathers ever experienced. These teams were entertaining. We watched many of these players come up through the system  before joining others acquired via free agent signings and trades.

Too many Cubs fans continue to live in the past – for various reasons

Why can’t some of these people understand what is happening right now? If management re-signed two or three of those other players – then we would certainly be watching them on the downside of their careers. At the same time, trading those players brought us a new crop of prospects.

Yes, professional baseball is a business. Smart people will talk about the Return on Investment (ROI).  They will also mention that you shouldn’t pay for what a player has done in their career. You should pay for what they will do for your team in the future. The “Core Four” had a great run in Chicago. However, we all enjoyed them while they were in the prime of their careers.

Can we all just admit that it was time to move on from the past? What did that group do after the 2016 World Series? They were supposed to be a dynasty and win multiple championships. It didn’t happen, but can’t we all be grateful they were able to bring home that one? Seriously, think about how bad we all would be feeling right now if they were not able to come back against Cleveland after being down 3-1 in that series.

Yes, you can love the players who have taken their talents to other teams. But you also need to understand that the car windshield is much larger than the rearview mirror. Get excited about the future stars of this organization. Look forward to meeting new players like Pete Crow-Armstrong, Brennen Davis, Alexander Canario and Matt Mervis.  The future is bright if you’ll only look ahead.