This is Our Year

On Monday, October 5th, we sat down with Chicago Cubs experts Danny Andrews, Mike Mahany, and David Cerda to discuss this past baseball season. Through reflecting on the past, looking ahead to the playoffs, and discussing the future of the newly revamped Cubs, our panel hit a homerun.

JS: Unlike in years past, the Cubs finished with a (97-65) record this year. What do you think has been the main factor of their success?

DA: The addition of Joe Maddon is by far one of the biggest reasons. The second reason is their roster being young. They don’t really understand what they’re doing, and through overachieving, all they know is to keep doing what they’re doing.

MM: I’d say that grooming the talent within the farm system and having these young kids come up and play well has been a huge factor. The players have bought into Maddon’s vision and has excited the fans; I don’t remember feeling this way about the team ever before.

DC: I think the biggest impact on the team has been the players that they use on the bench. Most teams in the league are not as in depth as the Cubs are, and I feel like the additions of Kyle Schwarber in June and Austin Jackson in August have been huge for them.

JS: Obviously, some of the players on the Cubs have contributed a bit more than others. Notably, rookie of the year candidate third baseman Kris Bryant came up and has been a huge presence with 99 RBI’s. first baseman Anthony Rizzo has been an offensive leader, hitting 31 HR’s with 101 RBI’s. What do you guys think about the leadership roles that these players have stepped into?

DA: I think you’re going to see a bit of a change in the direction of who is going to lead the Cubs. Players are going to differ and it’s not like no one wants to lead the Cubs, but pitchers are going to lead rather than hitters.

MM: I feel like Jake Arrieta has become a leader by example. I don’t know anything about him in the locker room, but I know that he’s so intense from the moment he steps on the mound. But I agree that leadership changes within the roster. It’s not just one person who can carry a team.

DC: I don’t think they have one leader who acts like the captain of the team. The one man who is at the helm of the Cubs is Joe Maddon, along with the older veterans on the roster.

JS: As the wildcard game comes up, and as we reflect on the Cubs season, the only names that come up when thinking about who the NL Manager of the Year winner will be are Joe Maddon and New York Mets manager Terry Collins. How do you think Maddon and Collins stack up against each other, and who do you believe will win the MOY award?

MM: I definitely think he has a shot. In my gut, I think it’s going to be Collins, based on what he has got his team to do. People debate a lot in terms of what impact the manager has on a team winning games. I believe that Maddon has been a huge presence and a great leader for the team and has a legitimate shot against Collins for the award.

DA: The interesting thing is that both of these guys have relied on young talent and have developed young talent. But with the Mets having a young pitching staff and with the Cubs having a young infield, each team has won games differently based on their strengths. It’s fair to say that both managers had similar rosters, similar situations, and got the best of what they were handed. It’s a toss up in my mind.

MM: Out of the three Cubs who are in competitions for awards; Kris Bryant with the NL Rookie of the Year Award, Jake Arrieta going for the NL Cy Young Award, and Joe Maddon with the Manager of the Year Award, who of the three do you think is most likely to win anything?

DA: I think Kris Bryant. Even though he didn’t reach 100 RBI’s, he is still the best Rookie in the National League and will win the award.

JS: Going into individual awards, the talk of the league is the battle between Dodgers Aces Zack Greinke, Clayton Kershaw and Jake Arrieta for the NL Cy Young Award. All three pitchers have had outstanding seasons, with Arrieta having one of the most shutdown second-half performances anyone could ever ask for (16 Wins, 0.75ERA). On the other hand, newly signed ace Jon Lester finished with a record of (11-12) and a 3.34 ERA. Where do think the Cubs pitching staff is headed in the coming seasons?

MM: Well, to some degree, Arrieta’s success might take some pressure off of Lester. I want to see how Lester faces the spotlight as a #2 rather than as the #1 pitcher. It might help him in the long run.

DA: Moving forward, I believe that the Cubs are going to sign David Price to their staff, so that will help them tremendously. Price used to play for the Tampa Bay Rays under Maddon, so there’s one thing that might help. He said he didn’t want to play in Toronto, where he was traded, so it only makes sense for him to come here and play for a manager who he loves.

JS: Let’s move to talk about the elephant in the room. The wildcard game is on Wednesday, October 7th, and the Cubs play the Pittsburgh Pirates in Pittsburgh to fight for a playoff spot. Even if they do win, how do you think the Cubs look against the St. Louis Cardinals, who they would play thereafter, along with all of the other playoff teams in the league? Do they really have a legitimate chance at winning the World Series?

DC: I don’t know about going as far as the World Series, but I feel like the series against the Cardinals is going to be up in the air. The Cubs could be ready for this chance to win and win and win but need to prove themselves first.

DA: Just to throw it out there, the Cardinals don’t have their Ace pitcher Adam Wainwright as well as their longtime leader, catcher Yadier Molina due to injuries. They’re going to be strapped for pitching. But they have one of the best bullpens in baseball. In postseason games, it doesn’t matter how you start a game, but what matters is how you finish a game. Based on that, I think the Cubs don’t understand where they’re really ranked against any other team. They’re just as powerful as any other team in the playoffs.

JS: Even if the Pirates do in fact squeak out the wildcard game and if the Cubs postseason hopes are ended, they have the opportunity to make huge moves for the 2016 season and beyond. Rookies like Kris Bryant, Addison Russell, Kyle Schwarber, Javy Baez, etc. have gotten experience playing with each other. How do you think the Cubs look in terms of the next few years?

EI: As they mature and learn to play more as a team, they can figure more things out, overcome adversity, and win more games.

MM: I always worry about pitching. I think they need to get someone like David Price or improve their bullpen.

DC: I would completely agree. It was very frustrating watching close games this year that their closer, Hector Rondon, would come in and blow. We definitely need some improvement from a pitching standpoint.

JS:  I feel like one of the biggest influences behind the Cubs success this year has been their new and improved fanbase. The hype about the new stadium and the new management has been a huge factor as well. Do you guys have any one thing that you are excited to see in the coming years?

MM: I’m kind of excited about Lester. What if he has an outstanding year. Imagine if Arrieta does what he is supposed to do and Lester comes back nexter stronger and better than ever before. That would be a scary combination, and I’m really looking forward to seeing what they can do. What if they even added David Price? They would be unstoppable.

DA: Because they have all of these new streams of revenue, they are making more money than they have seen in awhile. They’re going to have a hotel at Wrigley. They have new scoreboards, new advertisement, new everything. I’m hoping that they spend that money on their team, on their development, and improve for the better. I just want to see that improvement continue.

DC: I’m excited for the renovations to be completed. Having a full season without any construction means that fans are going to be able to enjoy the full season without interruption.

JS: I’m looking forward to the playoffs, to next season and to seeing what our team can really do. Thanks again, and this concludes our discussion. Catch us next time on ‘This Is Our Year’!