Just Enjoy It

WIth the end of the season fast approaching, there’s going to be plenty of stressful moments and opportunities for second guessing.  Whether the Cubs keep winning in October or not, I’ve found now is really a good time to just sit back and enjoy what we’ve seen over the last few years.  Obviously the title would be the ultimate, but I am at the point where I wouldn’t want to change places with any other fandom. 

Sometimes it’s just fun to step back and consider the numbers.  It’s only September 6th - school just started (today is the first today of school in Chicago), and the Cubs magic number is 10.  They have a 16.5 game lead over the Cardinals, 21 over the Pirates, and 9 over the Nats for home field.  The Cubs are 31 games over .500 at home. 

There’s too many things that I’ve enjoyed the last year or so that I’d surely miss something if I tried to list them all.  So a few things that have really stood out to me this year have been, in somewhat of an order of enjoyment:

1. Baez’s all-around play.  His defense, the quick tags, his baserunning, the fact that he’s cut down on strikeouts, and even those ridiculous swing and misses where you know he’s trying to hit the ball 500 hundred feet.
2. Russell’s development.  He still makes flashy plays, but his demeanor on the field and the box is always calm, and his play reflects that.
3. Bryant’s development and versatility.  I still marvel at his baserunning.
4. Hendricks.  Just everything about him.
5. Watching Arrieta hit. 
6. The fact that Rizzo is the veteran of this group, and seeing how much he enjoys playing with everyone.
7. I’ve even been suckered into the Grandpa Rossy stuff and his retirement go round. 

What other things about this regular season are you going to remember fondly?