Cubs prepared to make it “their year”

In 1908, the first Ford Model T was built, William Howard Taft succeeded Teddy Roosevelt as President, Orville Wright flew the first hour-long flight and the Chicago Cubs won the World Series, defeating the Detroit Tigers in five games for the second consecutive season. A lot has happened since then. There are Ferraris and Teslas, there have been 17 presidents, over one million people now fly across the globe in planes every day and the Tigers have won four World Series titles. However, of the innumerable events of the past 108 years, there has not been another Cubs World Series championship.

For over a century, Chicagoans have vowed in April, “this is the year.” But year after year, the Cubs have failed to live up to the hype. There have been plenty of close calls, missed opportunities and unbelievable misfortunes. Amidst all of their shortcomings, not once has there been a gratifying conclusion — just the recurrent October vow, “next year.” Going into 2016, though, it was a popular opinion, not only among Chicagoans but among baseball enthusiasts around the country as well, that 2016 would finally be the year when the Cubs ended the drought. So, is this the year? That’s what we’re going to explore.

Let’s go back five years to 2011 when the Cubs had just finished yet another disappointing season, this one with only 71 wins. The team looked like it would only get worse. The roster was mainly comprised of aging stars and players not performing up to their enormous contracts.

Following that season, the Cubs made a monumental signing, not of a player but of former Red Sox General Manager, Theo Epstein. Signed on as the President of Baseball Operations for the Cubs, Epstein was instrumental in putting together the 2004 Red Sox team, which ended Boston’s 86-year World Series drought, and its 2007 championship team.

Epstein looked to send the Cubs on the same trajectory that he had put Boston. However, he was not inheriting a team with a very promising future, and it was clear that he had a lot of work ahead of him in order to turn the Cubs into the contender that he guaranteed they could be. And he sure got busy. To put it into perspective, there is not a single player currently on Chicago’s roster that was on its roster when Epstein took over just five years ago. Not one.

Over the past several years, Epstein ingeniously put together an exceptional Cubs team by trading away players of value for promising prospects. He had an eye for exceptional talent in drafts and making shrewd investments in the free agent market. Last season, the Cubs finished with 97 wins and made it to the National League Championship Series (NLCS) and made some key transactions over the winter to plug the small holes in their roster.

Consequently, they entered the 2016 season with monumental expectations. So far, they have lived up to all of the hype. They look like they they’ve had the National League (NL) Central locked up for months already, and are poised to comfortably surpass the 100 wins mark and clinch home field advantage throughout the NL playoffs.

There are various explanations for Chicago’s success, including its deep pitching staff and bullpen, its young and invigorated lineup and its strong team chemistry but the most fundamental part of this team could very well be its manager, Joe Maddon.

Maddon, who led the underdog Tampa Bay Rays to the World Series in 2008, has had a major impact on the Cubs after less than two seasons in Chicago. He was voted Manager of the Year in his inaugural season as Chicago’s coach last year and has instilled previously lacking belief and confidence into this Cubs team. Furthermore, his extremely high baseball IQ has dramatically impacted all of the little things that pay big dividends throughout the season. His influence on the development of all of Chicago’s flourishing stars has also been immense.

On the mound, the Cubs boast the starting rotation with the best earned run average (ERA) in baseball. The rotation isn’t five deep, it’s six deep, and every single one of these guys gives the Cubs a legitimate chance to win ballgames.

Jon Lester, Jake Arrieta and Kyle Hendricks are all deserving of Cy Young honors, with John Lackey and Jason Hammel not far behind. Mike Montgomery has been the sixth starter since he joined the rotation in mid-August. His contributions both in the rotation and in the bullpen after being traded to the Cubs mid-season have been exactly what the team was looking for when it acquired him.

Fellow mid-season acquisition — and more notably the fastest pitcher in history — Aroldis Chapman has been solid down the stretch as well. He has essentially turned Chicago’s victories into eight inning affairs. Former closer Héctor Rondón recently spent some time on the down low, but now seems to be thriving in his new role as Chapman’s set-up man. In recent years, dominant bullpens have tended to carry their teams in the postseason by effectively shortening games; Chicago’s bullpen is built to do the same.

As for the position players, the Cubs have had successful call up after successful call up for the past several years. Now, they boast a lineup with an adept player at every position along with several impactful backups. In the infield, MVP candidates Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo lead the way, along with Javier Báez, Addison Russell and veteran Ben Zobrist, who captured a championship last season in Kansas City, Kan. and had previously played under Maddon in Tampa Bay, Fla.

The combination of star power, young talent and veteran leadership in Chicago’s infield is unparalleled in the rest of the sport. This was reflected when Bryant, Rizzo, Russell and Zobrist nabbed all the starting infield spots in this year’s All-Star Game. In the outfield, center fielder Dexter Fowler had a very productive year after nearly leaving for Baltimore in the offseason.

He has set himself up to receive plenty of generous offers should he decide to hit the free agent market this winter. Right fielder Jason Heyward has been a bit of a letdown after signing a massive eight-year contract before the season, but his postseason experience should prove valuable come October.

Finally, in left field, Jorge Soler is not playing as well as he did last season, but has still delivered solid production to round out an above-average outfield. Behind the plate, the platoon of rookie Willson Contreras, Miguel Montero and David Ross has provided adequate offense and defense. More importantly, though, the three catchers have done an exceptional job of calling games for the best pitching team in baseball.

The Cubs are ready to make a run. They have all of the pieces in place, with one of the best managers in the game, many elite players who know how to win games in the postseason and a city that is starving for success. Theo Epstein, whose executive genius cannot go overlooked, has given Joe Maddon an extraordinary roster to coach, and Maddon has made the most of it.

The only thing left for the Cubs to do is win the games when they matter most. And if “this is the year,” then all of the curses, letdowns and struggles will finally be behind this storied franchise.