The Chicago Cubs came out smoking-hot to start the season, posting a 25-6 record. It put them on a pace to break the all-time record for most wins in a season. Heck, it put them in a position to win about 130 games. It also was incredibly unrealistic. So, nobody was or should have been too surprised when the North Siders experienced what financial planner Mike Bergen would describe as a “market correction” from the end of June to the All-Star Break. The Cubs played under way under .500 baseball during that time frame and their lead in the NL Central slipped from 12 games to 6. And with that, the inevitable occurred – Cubs fans panicked, the media wrote about it, and that honked off some of the Cubs players. Most notable in their frustration with the media and fan base was first baseman Anthony Rizzo and President Theo Epstein. Rizzo snapped at the Cubs beat writers in what was supposed to be a “we’re back from the All-Star Break” press availability. He accused of them of writing stories of woe about the team’s troubles for no reason, and for writing about the atmosphere in the clubhouse in a way that was not at all accurate. He let them all know that it was not OK. “Honestly, I think the only people panicking about this team is the media,” Rizzo said. “No offense to you guys, but it’s been pretty negative, all the comments coming out of everyone’s mouths, except in this clubhouse. We feel great. Everyone feels great to get back together and we’re ready to go.” He went on to add that he thought the media was bored because it was July and was desperate for stories, and the Cubs losing 15 of 20 was low-hanging fruit. Rizzo won me over as the leader of the Cubs when he single-handedly challenged the Reds dugout while standing at first base in Cincinnati a couple of years ago. I am opposed to violence, but he was not going to stand for the way the Reds pitchers were throwing at Cubs batters and he was ready to do something about it. It was fantastic, and Rizzo should be named captain of the team because he is the voice and he is the leader. When he made his comments Friday, part of me was thinking “atta boy Rizz … get revved up and let’s get back at this thing.” Another part of me, though, thought “this is exactly what we Cubs fans are afraid of.” Go back and look at or listen to interviews of guys like Jody Davis, Mark Grace, Ryne Sandberg and Ryan Dempster about what it’s like in Chicago when the Cubs are in the playoffs. They will tell you that it’s suffocating. The hoping that year would really be the end of what is now a more-than-century-long wait for a baseball championship on that side of town becomes tougher than trying to field a ground ball hit right at you (see Leon Durham or Alex Gonzales). Heck, the infamous ESPN 30 For 30 documentary on the 2003 NLCS Game 6 loss to the Marlins enlightened everyone on not only what happened during that 8th inning collapse, but also the things that happened in the aftermath. Moises Alou admitted that he and Sammy Sosa, after the gut-wrenching loss in what has become known as the Bartman Game, bought plane tickets to leave Chicago that were due to leave O’Hare Airport in the middle of the night after Game 7. Their thinking: “we don’t want to be around here if we lose tomorrow night, too.” As we know, they did. Rizzo, Epstein and everyone else must understand that no matter how many regular season wins they compile, Cub Nation is going to always wonder in the back of their minds when the trap door is going to open on the way to the middle of the stage for their coronation as champs. I am 48. I have lived it ... everyday. The jokes. The scorn. The abuse from fans of other teams. Many have heard it longer than I have. We all want it to end. I appreciate the fight in the Cubs, but don’t blame us if we watch the rest of the 2016 baseball season play out through the slits in between our fingers as we almost hide behind couches and chairs in our living rooms too afraid to watch it. Too afraid to let our hearts believe it.
