A Lifetime of Disappointment

Here we are at the end of winter, and the ONLY reminder it will be warm soon is that pitchers and catchers reported for Spring Training.

So next time the snow falls or temperature plummets, picture some baseball players working out, hundreds of miles from Chicago. That should fill you with enough weather-induced jealousy to fuel you to opening day.

Side Note: There really should be a word for the weather jealousy that Chicagoans and other cold weather dwellers feel for their southern brethren November through February, but I digress…

Jamie’s getting a little bit older, and at some point in the course of this baseball season, he may start to slightly comprehend what is going on. I fully intend to set him up for a lifetime of disappointment by introducing him to the Chicago Cubs this year—a decision that down the road could make some therapist very happy.

The Cubs bring historically bad to a whole new level for professional sports franchises. The old motto of “Wait ‘til next year” was put on hold while Theo rebuilt the franchise. That phrase provided a distant hope that “lifted” fans spirits through a tough century. Any team is capable of a bad decade. The Cubs strung 10 consecutive in a row, and counting.

After spending the last few seasons in a commitment to suck, improvements are finally happening and it’s tough not to get excited about. More buzz surrounds this team, than I have ever seen. For Jamie, this means it is no longer his father’s Chicago Cubs. Theoretically.

I’m a Cubs fan, but I’m also a realist. They look great on paper, where they still claim an undefeated 2015 record. They are not Hillary Clinton in a Democratic primary, however. Somebody’s going to crawl out of the woodwork for a challenge.

They have a proven track record of throwing games and seasons away, and a deserved reputation, that they will keep until it is not deserved anymore. Even when they get within a few outs, they find a way to royally screw it up. (And you cannot blame that one on a fan.)

The Cubs are actually a great way to teach a toddler about sports, and heck, even life. You have to have faith, but it is important not to take the things you cannot control too seriously. The Cubs seem like the perfect delivery system for the lesson that life isn’t fair.