Rozner: These days, Chicago Cubs look out for themselves

Not that many years ago, the Chicago Cubs were baseball irrelevant.

They were a project, losing and rebuilding, trading and drafting.

It was a time when the city wouldn't even let them spend their own money to rehab their own ballpark.

Dark days, indeed.

Times have changed just a bit. The world champs have become a smaller version of the Evil Empire, arrogant and smart, rich and successful, doing what's right for them and only what's right for them.

Finally.

For decades the Cubs were lovable, which would be fine - you could argue - if "lovable" wasn't always followed by "losers."

Not only have they buried "losers" for a lifetime, but they are loved these days only by those who celebrated the ball hitting Anthony Rizzo's glove in Cleveland.

Around the game there is some Cubs fatigue, some obvious jealousy and downright disdain.

And now the rebuilding Brewers are mad at them.

As if the Cubs care.

To understand fully, you must go back to the 18-inning game against the Yankees two weeks ago on a Sunday night, a game that ended on Monday morning. The Cubs arrived in Colorado at 6 a.m. Chicago time, followed by a rainout (hailout?) and a doubleheader.

They played poor baseball in Colorado and more of the same in St. Louis, where they didn't hit a lick while dealing with injuries and illnesses.

So a team that had done really nothing well all season in any facet of the game arrived home last Tuesday to finally see temps in the 80s and the wind blowing out.

Winter was gone, summer had appeared, and the Cubs' bats came to life in a sweep of the Reds, scoring 25 runs in three games at Wrigley Field last week.

And then winter returned Friday in a loss to Milwaukee.

The wind chill was 37, gusts were heavy from the north, and a long rain delay was part of another poorly played game that left the Cubs frozen and exhausted again.

Meanwhile, the Brewers had won 10 of 12 to take over the division lead, which brings us to Saturday's events.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel termed it "Weathergate" after the Cubs called a game due to rain.

It was in the Cubs' best interests to scrap the game, get Jake Arrieta more rest, wait for the wind to blow out Sunday and play the postponed game in July when the Cubs should be playing better baseball and maybe the Brewers wouldn't be quite so hot.

Brewers GM David Stearns was none too happy that the Cubs called it off before noon Saturday, especially since the rain stopped soon after and the rest of the day was clear.

"Clearly, the Cubs were looking at a weather forecast that made them think it was going to rain," Stearns told the Journal Sentinel. "Our weather forecast did not indicate that.

"I think there were five or seven other forecasts that also did not indicate that. Ultimately, it's the Cubs' call.

"We were a little surprised the game was called as early as it was. I'm sure they had their reasons to do it."

Well, he's right about that.

"Obviously, it didn't rain, so from our standpoint we would have preferred to play yesterday," Stearns said Sunday. "I talked with some guys with the Cubs. They knew how we felt. That's one of the earliest games I've ever been involved with that was called. That surprised me a little bit.

"By the time most of us left here (Saturday), it was pretty clear that we could have played baseball. But the Cubs felt, and had information that indicated, it was not going to be the case."

Said Brewers manager Craig Counsell to the Milwaukee media, "First time for us that we've had players treated for sunburn after a rainout."

He was smiling when he said it.

"You'd have to ask them what's going on," Counsell said. "I feel bad for their fans. A lot of people came to a game and expected good weather. We saw them walking all around Michigan Avenue yesterday afternoon.

"It was a nice afternoon. It kind of got nicer as the afternoon went."

Some of that is true. It did get nicer as the day went on, but the forecast up until Saturday morning was very bad for the day, so no one expected a nice day. It rained all morning. And it's pretty unlikely that Counsell cares at all about Cubs fans.

But he's right that Saturday afternoon would have been fine for baseball.

Do the Brewers have a legit beef? Absolutely.

Did Cubs fans who stood in the rain waiting for their bobbles get a raw deal? Certainly.

Did the Cubs do what was best for the team at the time? No doubt.

Except for those who got soaked Saturday morning, wasted a day and had their plans ruined, most Cubs fans should be happy that the team has learned to be selfish.

This is the big leagues, and these days the Cubs are acting the part.

brozner@dailyherald.com

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