The dust has settled. A week removed from my first trip to the Baseball Winter Meetings in Nashville, I am already looking forward to next years meetings in DC. There were no tedious moments to be had at the Winter Wonderland, otherwise known as the Opryland Hotel. The energy in the air was palpable. Significant baseball minds came together to inform through workshops, honored those in the “family” and made moves to improve their teams. Media broadcasted live, making sure all bases were covered, leaving no stone unturned. The trade show showcased the best of the best, everything from apparel to equipment to educational programs to mascot services. Baseball 24/7, my version of heaven.
Lots of moves went down. However, like most years there was a clear cut winner, a team that emerged as the overwhelming favorite to be front and center in the Fall Classic. Not much of a dispute that the Chicago Cubs ran away with the honors.
The Cubs were a favorite in the postseason this past October behind fireballer Jake Arrieta. With plenty of comparison’s to Bob Gibson’s 1968 magical season, Arrieta appeared unstoppable. He won the NL Cy-young, pitched a no-hitter and boasted the lowest ERA in the second half of an MLB season in history at 0.75. Aside from Arrieta’s dominance, the Cubs were not lacking talent in other places. 3rd baseman, rookie Kris Bryant emerged as one of the best players in the game on top of running away with the NL rookie of the year award. Kyle Schwarber excelled when he was promoted in June and all-star Anthony Rizzo finished the year with 31 HR and 101 RBI’s.
On October 13th, The Cubs won a postseason series for the first time ever at Wrigley Field when they punched their ticket to the NLCS by beating the St. Louis Cardinals. However, in a fiery matchup against the New York Mets, the Cubs fell flat. The Mets were in control, their offense pummeled the Cubs pitching, scoring a total of 21 runs in 4 games.
It wasn’t the time for the Cubs, despite the prediction from ‘Back to the Future II’. The Mets caught fire while the Cubs disappeared into the background. Shortly after, the Mets received a taste of their own medicine when they lost in the WS to the Kansas City Royals. While, over in Chicago, long-suffering Cubs fans looked to next season.
Cubs President of Baseball Operations, Theo Epstein was brought to the Cubs in 2011 with one mission in sight, to bring a WS to a franchise that has not won a WS in 107 years. Not a tall order for a man that did similar with a Red Sox team that won a WS after an 86-year drought. Epstein went to work, with a focus on the farm system.
A couple of years ago, while sitting in a popular LA restaurant, I overheard a Cubs executive speaking about the condition of the Cubs. During a conversation with another male diner, the executive spoke of Epstein. He spoke of why Theo was brought to the Cubs and the great trust they had in him. The executive conveyed that it would take some time, however, it was clear he had all the faith in the world that Theo would bring the Cubs to the promised land.
Fast forward, to the Winter Meetings of 2015. Just a few months removed from an early exit, the Cubs went into the meetings prepared to make a splash and a splash they did. The Cubs welcomed John Lackey, Jason Heyward, Ben Zobrist, Adam Warren and Brendan Ryan, losing fan favorite Starlin Castro. These additions bolster an already stacked club. The Cubs are now 6/1 odds to win the WS.
Barring any injuries or clubhouse issues, the Cubs are a scary team. Is 2016 the year the Cubs end the drought?
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