Pace yourself, Cubs fans, it's a long season

Cubs fans are entitled to be excited.

With everything they've been through the past five or so years, they're entitled to think this week's series at St. Louis is a big one, even though we're just one month into the baseball season.

Manager Joe Maddon understands, and he doesn't begrudge anybody a little excitement and anticipation.

"From the fans' perspective, I get it," Maddon said. "And I think that's wonderful that there's this kind of excitement … If I was a fan, I would be excited."

Entering Monday's opener of a four-game series at Busch Stadium, the Cubs were 4½ games behind the division-leading Cardinals.

In addition to excitement, here's something else important to possess: perspective.

The Cubs entered Monday with a 13-10 record. If you could have promised that record in January at the Cubs convention, would you have taken it? Sure, you would have.

Last year after 23 games, the Cubs were 7-16. They were 9-14 in 2013 and 8-15 in 2012.

So 13-10 is pretty darn good, especially considering how far the Cubs have come as an organization since Theo Epstein took over as baseball president in the fall of 2011.

Maybe it's human nature to want more, and Cubs fans over the weekend certainly wanted more in a three-game series, during which the Cubs lost two to the last-place Milwaukee Brewers, who fired manager Ron Roenicke after Sunday's series finale.

During games, I spend a lot of time on Twitter and Facebook, and I really admire how much fans are into the game. They comment on how well (or not) a catcher is framing pitches. They comment on whether a pitcher is getting squeezed by the home-plate umpire. And they'll comment how great (or not) one of the young players looks, depending on an at-bat or two.

Fans weren't happy during and after Sunday's 5-3 loss. Many didn't like Maddon walking Adam Lind to get to ex-Cub Aramis Ramirez, who promptly drove in the difference-making runs. Others tweet me or email me to voice their displeasure with Maddon batting the pitcher eighth.

A common theme Sunday was, "How could we lose two out of three to the worst team in baseball?"

Well, it happens. Even the worst team in baseball wins two out of three here and there. And that worst team in baseball got two of its better players - Ramirez and Carlos Gomez - back this weekend after both had been banged up.

Few people realistically expected the Cubs to be world beaters this season. Just getting to .500 or a few games above by the end of the season would be considered a successful, building season.

The Cubs are going to have their losing streaks. The young kids are going to look overmatched at the plate at times, some for long stretches.

While doing some pregame work in the clubhouse the other day, I was reminded of a quote uttered by former Red Sox manager Grady Little.

" … In Boston, it's not just this one decision, or just one game. It's like this in May. People are talking about devastating losses, and it's the end of April or first of May. That's serious stuff. You don't play 162 games. You play 162 seasons a year. Every game is a season."

It's starting to feel that way around here, and again, that's not necessarily a bad thing. With the Cubs in St. Louis, I'm also reminded of Cardinals announcer Jack Buck's famous call of Ozzie Smith's playoff-winning homer in 1985: "Go crazy, folks, go crazy!"

It's OK for Cubs fans to go a little crazy these days. You've earned the right. But let's remember to keep it a little bit real, too. It's a long season, or a long year of 162 seasons.