This October has been different.  At least it feels different.  Maybe it’s because I have returned to the land of my birth from a short exile into the wilds of northern Michigan, maybe it’s because nothing in baseball seems to make any sense.  The past few postseasons it was hard not to watch the teams advancing from round to round and marvel at just how far away the Cubs seemed from competing with any of them.  Maybe it’s because two gloriously flawed teams have clawed their way to the World Series, but anything seems possible now.

Even the impossible.  Like the Cubs getting in on some of this.Likely it has more to do with the Cubs plan starting to show visible signs of progress, and Theo Epstein–sage of the east–formally stating that the pure rebuilding stage is past and it’s time to start winning some games.

Mostly it’s the thought of Jorge Soler and Kris Bryant making the left field bleachers look like this:

am1

A more likely scenario is the Cubs showing some incremental improvement over the next few seasons before they are really ready to make a serious romp through the playoffs.

But screw “likely.”  We’re fans, we’re allowed a little delusion along the way.

The Dodgers are going to be run a little more competently now with Andrew Friedman taking over for former Cubs PR man Ned Colletti.  So that’s going be a thing.  But you see the Dodgers and then the big, bad Cardinals step on their dicks in the postseason, and you realize it’s a crapshoot once you get in.

Couldn’t you see a scrappy bunch of “we-don’t-know-any-better” Cubs shoving their way to the pennant next year?

I certainly can.

Then again, I’m hopped up on Molly.

But when Twitter told me it was safe to turn the NLCS on because something named Travis Ishikawa had just immortalized himself, I couldn’t help but think that next year, in that very spot, Luis Valbuena will bat flip the shit out a homer onto Sheffield and add another chapter to his legacy of all-around greatness.

You can logically look at how long its taken the Royals to fulfill their promise as a reason to pump the breaks on the Cubs prospects, but a large part of the slow progress of the Royals has to be explained by…you know…Ned Yost…
Waiting for Rob Deer

After all, the Cubs are led by a guy who can successfully put on a shirt after only six tries:

Maybe the other arm?

OK, goddamnit, I’m not making a very convincing case here, am I?

Fine, maybe the Cubs can’t realistically contend next season.

But define realistic?

How realistic was it that the Giants would score 12 of their first 22 NLCS runs on something other than a hit?

What were the odds that the Royals would steal seven bases in the Wild Card game and come back from three different deficits?  They drew the fewest walks and hit the fewest homers in the American League this year and are in the World Series.  I had to re-read this like nine times…the Royals only hit 95 homers FOR THE SEASON.

And…Ned Yost.

OK, you’re right.  The Cubs have a LONG WAY to go.  Two of the players they are counting on for next year–Arismendy Alcantara and Javy Baez–combined to strike out 188 times in fewer than 500 combined at bats.  We have anointed Kris Bryant as the next great thing and he hasn’t played a game yet (but really, who are we kidding…he’s the next great thing, aren’t you champ?)

Kris Bryant

We’re pinning our hopes on the idea that Jake Arrieta has put it all together and that Kyle Hendricks is something approximately half way between Greg Maddux and Jamie Moyer, and that Theo and Jed will spend big money on a top of the rotation starting pitcher, lock Edwin Jackson in a store room and add an arm to an already promising bullpen.

Oh, and then all the guys have to do is get used to playing in the big leagues, and play really well.

Honestly, that doesn’t seem like THAT big of a stretch.

I just put one of my dining room chairs out in front of the ticket booths to reserve my spot for playoff tickets.

Because frankly, I think these guys can give two shits about your “timetable.”  Right Jorge?

jorge-soler

Fuckin’ A, Jorge.

I hope the Giants enjoy their third World Series in five years (I’m sure that’s not a problem for them) and the Cardinals are happy with their cute little run atop the NL Central, because they’ll be living in a new world come April.  One we’re likely to enjoy a whole hell of a lot more than we’ve come accustomed to.

luisv-batflip