advertisement

Imrem: Time for Cubs to get their swagger back

For months now, the Cubs have been eager to show off how good they are.

Now they're up against a Mets team that has as many young stars - albeit mostly pitchers instead of hitters - and is posing a huge challenge.

For two games the Mets' young pitchers have outpitched the Cubs' veterans and the Mets' veteran hitters have outhit the Cubs' young hitters.

That was a perfect formula for the Cubs to lose 4-1 Sunday night and go down 2-0 in the best-of-7 National League Championship Series.

Even worse, the Mets beat Jake Arrieta, the Cubs' nuclear option on the mound, so it would be easy for the Cubs to lose a bit of their self-esteem.

Instead, both Arrieta and Cubs' manager Joe Maddon uttered the same defiant refrain: "We'll be fine."

The Cubs' only hope now is to maintain their swagger as the series shifts from Citi Field to Wrigley Field for Game 3 Tuesday night.

The Cubs can shrivel up now or keep believing in the T-shirt message they have worn for most of this season: "We are good."

This team has had a subtle arrogance and a cute cockiness that will have to carry them back into contention.

"We're still confident," slugger Kyle Schwarber said. "We can't go away from what we're doing because we lost two games."

Where does this attitude come from? Apparently from the top down judging by what veteran pitcher Jon Lester recalls about his free-agency interview a year ago with Cubs' president of baseball operations Theo Epstein:

"I think the biggest thing that sold me ... was just how arrogant (Epstein) was about it, and I mean that in a good way."

No wonder that after a recent relief appearance, veteran reliever Fernando Rodney assumed a Usain Bolt pose on the way to the dugout. No wonder Cubs' sluggers don't mind staring at their mammoth home runs from the batter's box and emerging from the dugout for curtain calls. No wonder this team celebrates like another T-shirt message, "Party like it's 1908."

These guys really do like to show off.

No, the Cubs didn't gather in August or September to tape a "World Series Shuffle" video. Maybe they just weren't asked.

The Bears backed up the "Super Bowl Shuffle" by winning a championship, of course, and maybe the Cubs didn't want that pressure.

Regardless, the Cubs do seem to have a different vibe about them than past Cubs' teams had.

Maddon has instilled a fearless ferocity in them. Ever since taking the job last November, he has preached to not let the pressure exceed the pleasure.

Much of the Cubs' success has been attributed to their young players, who play like they're back playing sandlot ball.

Back in April, veteran catcher Miguel Montero hatched the Twitter hashtag "wearegood," which led to the boast on T-shirts, which evolved into a state of mind.

Previous Cubs' teams sometimes seemed embarrassed to be good, as if it's what other teams are supposed to be.

These Cubs' players first convinced themselves that they are good and then went about the business of convincing others.

Now the Cubs are trying to prove it all over again against the formidable Mets.

"I really belive strongly in our players," Maddon said, "and that we'll be able to rebound from this."

If the Cubs do so, maybe they'll tape the "World Series Shuffle" before facing the American League champions.

mimrem@dailyherald.com

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.