Fear, Worry, and Overthinking

Since the Cubs actually cliched, and even well before that when it was inevitable, I found it easy to push a bunch of minor concerns out of my mind.  Usually a quick “Yeah, but that won’t matter until October” was enough to mentally move on.  Now that the playoffs are just a (long, long) week away, the doubts have started creeping back in.  So, in the remaining 8 days until the Cubs play their next meaningful game, here are the things that worry me.

1. This:

We interrupt your regularly scheduled coverage of The Plan and that wacky, fun-loving Cubs team to bring you a snapshot of clubhouse frustration.

Jake Arrieta sounded defensive while talking to reporters after Wednesday night’s 8-4 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park, standing in front of his locker and second-guessing manager Joe Maddon. On the other side of the room, veteran catcher Miguel Montero questioned the way the Cubs are preparing for the playoffs with Cactus League scripts.

Montero went with a similar passive-aggressive tone, riffing on how the Cubs will maintain their edge almost two weeks after clinching the National League Central title and nine days before their first playoff game at Wrigley Field.

Unprompted, Montero brought up the Pirates scoring three runs in the ninth inning on Tuesday night before the Cubs hung on for a 6-4 victory — without using Aroldis Chapman — as Maddon tries to keep the bullpen fresh for the playoffs.

“We didn’t have our closer warming up,” Montero said. “That’s something I take personally because I’m catching and I want to win.

Everything has been so hunky-dory all season, it’s almost shocking to hear guys publicly question Maddon, especially in an instance where Joe seems to be solidly in the right.  I understand players have their routines, are creatures of habit, etc, but don’t they realize these games really don’t matter?  We’re already worrying about Arrieta enough as is, do we need to start working about his mental fortitude too?  All we heard last season was how unflappable he was; he was clearly rattled with the terrible strike zone, and if changing catchers that easily knocked him completely off his game, WTF?  I also have a problem with Montero also second guessing Maddon’s bullpen usage. 

2. Health.  Soler was back in Chicago getting an MRI this week.  Coghlan hurt his ankle yesterday.  Rondon doesn’t look right.  Who knows who else is dealing with something, but there’s plenty of guys struggling offensively this month.  Maybe this isn’t as much a concern as a worry about what happens if something goes wrong.  The Cubs depth has been one of their biggest assets all season, and outside of Schwarber, the Cubs have had another season where they’ve been on the good side of the injury coin; they’re likely to be significant healthier than any of their possible NL playoff opponents (that Ramos injury for the Nats could be a real killer). 

3. Edge.  This is more of a me problem than a Cubs problem, but with so much having gone right, I’ve found myself becoming too confident in their chances.  What I say or do doesn’t have any affect on the team - jinxes do not exist, or if they do, there’s too many cancelling each other out for me saying the Cardinals suck to have any bearing on them matching up in the NLDS - but I can’t help but project my feelings onto the players.  Reading Montero’s quotes doesn’t help. 

4. Lastly, the stupid virtual waiting room not letting me buy tickets.  Life’s not fair.