Spring training is back

By Scott Cernek
Harvest Hills Church
Here we are in February already, and in just one week pitchers and catchers will report to spring training to begin another year of professional baseball. As a lifelong die hard Chicago Cubs fan, there is one phrase that I didn’t have to utter at the end of last season for the first time ever. We Cub fans all over the country have spent our lifetimes saying these words; “just wait ‘till next year.” Well, we finally didn’t have to say that awful phrase because that fact is that the Cubs won it all last season. In fact whenever I found myself having a bad day this winter all I had to do was say out loud, “the Cubs won the World Series,” and everything immediately got better, a smile broke out over my face, and I immediately began to feel my mood lift. Yes indeed, my friends, the Chicago Cubs did truly win the World Series in 2016. I have to take a moment and pinch myself once again. Yes, it isn’t a dream!
My question now is in 2017 what could possibly top 2016 for us Cub fans. Well, back to back championships would be nice. Is that too much to ask or do we need to wait another one hundred eight years for the next championship season? Most baseball experts expect the Cubbies to make a good strong run at a couple more World Series titles before this group of young talented players split up. The Cubs did lose their dynamic leadoff man, Dexter Fowler via free agency to the hated Cardinals of all teams. They also lost their closer, Aroldis Chapman, who they borrowed from the Yankees last year, as he has returned to the despised Bronx Bombers for big money. Other than losing those two players, the team is pretty much the same as the one who won it all, so we Cub fans are expecting big things once again.
Hopefully, by spring

For full story, pick up this week’s print edition.