September 28, 2016: Half A Decade

Last we talked Cubs, they were posting their 99th victory of the year.  Since then, they’ve tallied 100 and 101, making them the first Cubs team since 1910 to win 101 games in the regular season.  In half a decade, the Cubs have went from losing 101 games to winning 101 games.  Mighty, mighty impressive that is.

It was the first year of the Theo era.  I remember it well.  I remember watching Comcast during his first interview.  I remember thinking this is going to be something.  I remember telling my wife how good this was.  She remembers it too; she remembers because she was pregnant.  Our son would be born during the first week of the 2012 season.

Back then, the Cubs signed Theo to a 5 year 18.5 million dollar deal to turn this franchise around.  The first year results were in, and it was 101 losses on the chin.  We knew this was coming though, right?  We knew from listening to Theo talk, that this would be a process.  It wouldn’t be something that happens overnight.  The Cubs were far, far away from being contenders.  These were the rough years.

These, and a whole lot of other ones honestly.  But would these years, these rough years be worth it.  Would there be a light at the end of the tunnel?  The Cubs were 5 games better the following year, and I was just happy to avoid a triple digit loss season.  Still, 197 losses in 2 years wears on a die hard.  Still, we waited.

The next year, 2014, the Cubs would improve 7 more games.  OK, we loss less than 90 games.  We’re slowly headed in the right direction.  Then another key piece was added.

Joe Maddon became the coach of the Cubs; another day I will never forget.  I was so happy when it happened.  I figured that was good for at least a 10 game improvement, right?

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Now, the resurrection is almost complete.  With 101 victories, the Cubs have at least a 40 game improvement from 5 years ago, with 4 more chances to improve on it after a loss on Wednesday in Pittsburgh.  That wasn’t the story of the day though; it was the resigning of that guy.  This time, it will be for a bit more than that original 18.5 million.

Theo will be here another 5 years.  Why not?  He’s transformed this franchise.  The arrows are pointed up all the way around.  We sit on the brink of extended greatness… unprecedented greatness.  Well, you have to dig a bit, but from 1906-1910, in that 5 year stretch, the Cubs won 530 games and their only 2 World Series in franchise history.  Will history repeat itself… more than 100 years later?  I can dig it.

It’s a great time to be a Cubs fan.  I think of my son, who was born at the start of the Theo era, and all the other young kids… they can be the generation that only knows the Cubs as winners.  That’s pretty cool.  It will be cooler when we finish the job.

Win or lose THIS year, we’re positioned for many years, and we owe that in big part to Theo.  Yes, many things had to fall in place, credit goes to the owner and manager too, but it was his great baseball mind and his crew that put the Cubs in this position.  Now, it’s on the players.

It’s been a half a decade since this turnaround started, and we are positioned for the next half too.  It’s been a full century since the last time we’ve tasted championship glory.  I don’t want to wait any longer.  Our time is now boys.  We’re in position.  Let’s make it happen.  Ready for these playoffs, and oh yeah, thanks Theo.