Imrem: Chicago Cubs have enjoyed perks of 'clinching' early

Rumor has it that after Wednesday's 7-0 victory at St. Louis, the Chicago Cubs can clinch the National League Central title as soon as Thursday night against the Brewers at Wrigley Field.

That isn't possible.

A team can clinch a division only once in any given season, and the Cubs already clinched theirs when they beat the Pirates on June 19.

That day's victory stretched the Cubs' record to 47-20 and lead to 12½ games.

Race over.

Oh, sure, the official magic number still was about 1,000 compared to the 1 it is today.

But the Cubs never were challenged again, not even when they slumped shortly before the all-star break.

Under the June 19 premise, Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo shouldn't be vying for the league's MVP award.

Dexter Fowler and Ben Zobrist should be because they were as responsible as anyone for the Cubs' early surge.

More interesting than any of this is that the Cubs might also have clinched the NL pennant and dare we say the World Series championship on that June day.

Consider all the subsequent moves and mindsets that can be attributed to the Cubs' explosive burst into the season.

• When the Cubs sagged before the all-star break, players still had a big enough cushion to keep their cool even as fans and media began to sweat.

• Cubs manager Joe Maddon has been able to preserve starting pitchers by spot-starting lessers who don't belong in the rotation.

• Position players never had to be overworked, either, as Maddon was free to sit all-stars and give at-bats to reserves.

• Maddon could exercise his natural tendency to experiment with players in unnatural positions, like Bryant all over the field and pitchers in the outfield.

• Maddon could keep Jason Heyward in the lineup for defense despite his season-long slump.

• Willson Contreras could be promoted from the minors, eased into working with the big-league pitching staff and tried as a left fielder.

• Maddon could use David Ross, Jon Lester's personal catcher, to catch Jake Arrieta this week just in case he had to during the postseason.

• Most important, Maddon has the luxury three weeks before the first playoff series to plot his starting rotation.

All of this because of the Cubs' hot start.

Meanwhile, other contenders are doing everything possible just to survive into the postseason.

They're benching players who are slumping like Heyward has been, no matter how much defense they can contribute.

If they aren't already, they'll use pitchers on short rest and wear out position players just to make the playoffs or avoid the wild-card round.

The Cubs? The only downside for this cruisin' crew is that very little, if anything, has been at stake since June 19 and maybe since January.

As has been pointed out often recently, the Cubs haven't played a pressurized game for as long as anyone can remember.

Maddon prepares the Cubs to win every day, but what will their response be if they lose the first game or two of their first playoff series?

Will all those loosey-goosey Cubs, youngsters and veterans, be too loosey-goosey for postseason baseball?

Considering the perks of clinching in June, the Cubs will take their chances with that concern and any others that might surface.

mimrem@dailyherald.com