November 4, 2014: When is Opening Day?

5 months away.  That’s when the opening day for baseball is.  Tell me why do I wish it was tomorrow?  Tell me why in the midst of the Bears season and the beginning of the Hawks and Bulls, am I thinking Cubs?  The Cubs introduced Joe Maddon as their skipper on Monday, and I can’t wait to see this team led by him take the field at Wrigley.

I don’t think this is the final step in the plan; I still think we need at least one big splash in FA.  We need some starting pitching and some veteran presence, but we are definitely in the fun stages of the plan.  The rebuilding is in the rear view mirror.  The 90 loss seasons are behind us.  There are a lot of fun times ahead for us Cubs fans, and I can’t wait to get them rolling.

I interrupted my busy work day, actually multi tasked, to listen to the press conference live in its entirety at work.  I was excited.  This perfect mix of a modern day numbers guy with an old school manager mentality has been chosen to lead the Cubs to the promised land.  He said all the right things.  He loves Wrigley and referred to it as a cathedral multiple times.  He loves the young talent that the Cubs have, and now he has to mold into champions.  He loves the city of Chicago.  He loves the National League.  He WANTS to be here.

Couple things I really liked in his preaching was that nobody should be afraid to fail.  I like that approach, because why?  Failure is inevitable.  It happens multiple times per game, multiple times per season.  Failure is what builds character; it reveals who you really are at the end of the day.  Without failure, there is no true success.  He’s got the right franchise for that, let me tell you.  The Cubs know all about failures, and now, we are ready for the ultimate success.  I liked the fact that he wanted to push himself to the limit, to challenge himself, to feel uncomfortable is good… again, he’s in the right job now.  There is NO greater challenge; there is no longer drought.  Pushing yourself to the limit has the ultimate reward at the end of the day, or it should have.

We’ve seen many managers come through here, and many talk a good game at the outset.  What makes him different?  What makes me believe that this is THE guy?  I like the fact that he talked about the mental approach to the game, and how that is more important than the physical.  This is 110% true.  I don’t know if the managers who had the most recent success, Sweet Lou and Dusty, really managed that aspect of the game.  That’s really what we need when it counts.  We need to relax, and let all the hard work that was put in the entire season pay off at the end of the day.  We need to avoid letting the pressure choke out all the joy in those October games.  As Joe said, the saying that is on his lineup card every day… don’t let the pressure exceed the pleasure.

Yes, I’m talking October games.  Yes, Joe talked that too.  Playoffs ARE a realistic goal in 2015, not later.  I liked to hear that for a change.  No more waiting, no more rebuilding, no more looking to get to .500… we’re talking playoffs here, and as we all know, you get in the playoffs and anything can happen.  You have to get in to win, and that’s our goal from here on out… that should have always been our goal.  I hope it always is our goal from now on.
Stress often causes a lack of desire or negative libido The painful physical intimacy for women is brand levitra in usa based on testosterone (T) therapy. Nerves of genital area require constant flow of energy to hold semen from coming out viagra sample pills during love making, and thus, delay ejaculation. Men who have had recent heart or penile surgery are advised against these medicines. generico levitra on line These discomfort will have negative http://appalachianmagazine.com/category/featured/page/63/?filter_by=random_posts discount viagra impact on sexual life.
He has great experience and has great successes.  However, he doesn’t have a World Series title.  Is this a negative?  OR, is this a positive… leading to an even more motivated manager.  His first would also be our first in forever.  Is this how it will go down?

Even though he said all the right things, even though he talked about the mental aspect, even though he talked about pressure vs pleasure, it’s all easier said than done.  I really don’t think he has an idea of what he is getting himself into… none of them do.  When October rolls around and the Cubs are playing postseason baseball, crazy shit happens.  I hope Joe is crazy enough to get us through that… to get us over the biggest mental hurdle.

If there was one thing I would tell Joe, it’s don’t underestimate the 107.  That weighs on you… especially as you get closer.  I hope all the talk is put into action and is pounded into our players heads, so that when the time comes, we can handle it.  I’ve seen too many Cubs teams choke it away.  Can Joe prevent the choke?  Can anyone?

I’m excited because I think he can.  I think his attitude and mentality is what we need.  I’m excited because I look forward to the one day where it all comes together, and I see the last thing I need to see in my sports life.  There is only one thing left, and Joe is here to help make that happen.

With a 5 year deal, you have to think the window is now open again for the Cubbies to do it.  Within these next 5 years, we could very well see history.  We could see something happen that will make grown men cry.  We could see something happen that all the naysayers said would never happen.  We would see the newspaper read Cubs World Series Champions, and no, I’m not talking about the video game commercial or Back to the Future 2…. the real thing.  So all I have to say is one thing… When is Opening Day???