Remember: October Is a Whole New Season

Three days ago, the Cubs had a five-game lead in the National League Central on both the Cardinals and the Brewers.  And with the Brewers coming to town, we had the chance to put them away and then just worry about the Cardinals.  Obviously, things did not work out that way.  The Brewers swept the Cubs; the Cardinals swept the Pirates.  Now both the Brewers and Cardinals are just two games behind.

Last year at this time the Cubs were cruising.  We had the best record in baseball, and we were going to postseason.  The enthusiasm was getting to be so much that I wrote a couple of posts, warning that in baseball today, with all the teams that make the playoffs, what you do in the regular season isn’t that important.  It’s all about October.  October is a whole new season.¹

While that comment was a cautionary one last year, maybe it’s a hopeful one this year.  The Cubs haven’t played all that well this year (see, for example, the last three days), and if they make the postseason in 2017, it will be by the skin of their teeth, with the worst record of any division winner in the National League. 

So, I will say the same thing I said in 2016.  But while I said it last year to keep my hopes scaled down a little, this year I am saying it to get them up:  October is a whole new season.  It’s all about getting there and then getting hot.  Let’s Go!
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¹ A comment on one of those posts from last year, this one.  In the process of writing this post, I read that one.  I think I know what I was trying to say, but it is almost incomprehensible.  Embarrassing.