There are many things in life that scare me. From big dogs to roller coasters (both of which I pretend I am not afraid of to impress women) to having the waiter at Buffalo Wild Wings mess up my order (I'm the only person in their twenties who still orders chicken tenders. How hard is that to remember?) there are numerous terrors that keep me up at night. But recently there has been a new fear that has sprouted up.
For the first 20 years of my life it did not exist but now, due to events that are out of my control, I am becoming deadly afraid of this new phenomenon. What is this incredibly terrifying skeptical you might ask? Well, it is the idea that the Chicago Cubs might actually win a World Series in my lifetime.
Since 1993, as a die-hard White Sox fan, I have had the good fortune of being alive for four division championships and of course one World Series. Being a White Sox fan has allowed me to attend countless memorable games with my family, an opportunity to work at the stadium (which is where my love for Latinas first began), and of course the ability to say that I have actually witnessed the team I so dearly love, capture a World Series championship.
I get it. It has been nine years since Don't Stop Believin was the anthem of the '05 champs. It has been almost a decade since the Sox were on top of the baseball landscape. However, with the Cubs being so miserable for so long, this has become my argument in heated debates with Cubs fans over the years.
The life of a die-hard White Sox fan growing up on the Northside of Chicago is tough. Maybe don't dodging bullets in Englewood tough, but still pretty tough. Being able to point at Cubs fans and laugh because their team was the laughing stock of baseball while possessing no sense of direction was dare I say, therapeutic. Cubs fans had nothing to cheer about and I loved every moment of it.
Yes, it is true. I am one of those Sox fans that finds enjoyment in the Cubs losing. Do you blame me? For years the Cubs were worshiped like gods by fans as well as the media and for what reason? Because their ballpark was a historic tourist attraction even while it crumbled to the ground? Because fans (and I use that term loosely because a majority of them were tourists) showed up to games even when the team was bad?
The Cubs kept on priding themselves on the mystique that they were the lovable losers. "Don't worry if prospects we consider can't miss (Felix Pie, Kerry Wood, Corey Patterson, and Mark Prior) do not live up to expectations, you can still have a great time at our ballpark!"
Describing the Cubs could be broken down to the four b's: bleachers, beer, babes, and ballpark. All of these are fantastic, but that is besides the point. Until the all beloved Theo took over the club, no one seemed to care that the Cubs did not have a present or a future. Then by the power vested by Theo and his gang, the Cubs transformed their image.
There is no telling that the Cubs have absolute studs in the minor leagues. Javier Baez, Kris Bryant, Albert Almora, Jorge Soler, and Arismendy Alcantara are just a few of the exceptional youngsters that are projected to be tearing it up in the bigs by 2016-2017. Coupled with proven pieces, Anthony Rizzo and Starlin Castro, the Cubs lineup could be lethal for years if all of these prospects pan out. While they do not possess much pitching in the farm system besides C.J Edwards, the freshly minted Cubs core could start making an impact in the majors in the near future. Talking to my friends that are die-hard Cubs fans, it is easy to see the optimism they have surrounding the ball club not just for 2016 but for 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and so on.
Cubs fans have been synonymous with proclaiming the phrase "wait til next year" in order to make themselves feel better about the doom and gloom of the baseball team they were currently witnessing. For the first time in a while, there is actual reason to be looking forward to next year, and the year after that and the year after that.
Agree or disagree with Kap's take on the transformation of the Cubs organization? Leave a comment below the link
Nick Kapetan is the host of The Sports ReKap with co-host DJ Vogt on MarquetteWire.org. Programming will begin airing again in September.
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