How the Chicago Cubs Shed the Lovable Loser Nickname

  • Posted on November 8, 2018

While baseball is one of the most popular sports in the country,and 30 teams are spread out across all of the United States,there are a handful of teams that are more popular than the others,mostly due to the history of their franchises.

The New York Yankees have won more World Series titles,and have more Hall of Famers than any other team in the league. The Los Angeles Dodgers have been a major rival of the Yankees,dating way back to when the Dodgers were in Brooklyn,and would often meet the Yankees in the World Series. The Chicago Cubs are equally as well known,but unfortunately they are more known for losing. For 108 years the Cubs did not win a World Series,but that all changed in 2016.- here

One Man’s Plan

However,you don’t go from perennial loser to World Series champion overnight. It is a long,hard process,and any Cubs fan will tell you,that process started on October 12,2011. That was the day that baseball genius Theo Epstein became the President of the Cubs,and began implementing a plan that would put them over the top.

Epstein was no stranger to getting a team over the hump. Years earlier he helped the Boston Red Sox end their World Series drought of over 80 years. He knew that to build a champion,you needed to do it through the draft with young dynamic talent. In order to do that though,the Cubs would have to start in a familiar spot,by losing. They needed to get better draft picks,which meant they had to be in the bottom of the league standings.- to see what we mean.

Showing Patience

So fans waited patiently,believing in Epstein’s plan. They watched him acquire the likes of Anthony Rizzo,Javier Baez,Kyle Schwarber,and future MVP Kris Bryant. Then he signed big named free agents like Jon Lester and Jason Heyward. Last he got player friendly and proven manager Joe Maddon to put it all together. On November 2nd 2016,his plan,and the hopes and dreams of Cubs fans everywhere,become a reality when the Cubs beat the Cleveland Indians in Game 7 of the World Series. Since that day,their memorabilia is some of the most sought after items for any fan or collector.-