I remember last year when the Cubs locked up a playoff spot, there was a whole buncha talk about how it was the first time the Cubs had done X, Y, and Z type things three years in a row since 1900 or 1600 or whatever. It was fun to have that context for just how good the three-year stretch had been.
Sometimes we take for granted that this team – this 2018 Chicago Cubs team – was always going to be good. Sure, they had their struggles, but this era Cubs team is just really good, so of course they’re going to win a lot of games again this year. Postseason conversations have long been a “when” not an “if.”
But, just like last year, it’s nice to step back for a moment and remember that what we’re experiencing is NOT common or preordained or required in any kind of cosmic way. This stretch of Cubs baseball is deeply special, and quite rare:
From Cubs notes: Cubs’ 82nd win guarantees a winning record for 4th consecutive season, also marks 1st time Cubs will post a winning record in four consecutive years since a six-year run from 1967-72.
— Mark Gonzales (@MDGonzales) September 6, 2018
That the Cubs haven’t had four straight winning seasons in like 50 years is both a testament to how good this current Cubs team is, and also to how feckless the organization was for decades. It is thrilling and embarrassing.
Hopefully the Cubs can extend this window at least another couple years to match that 1967-72 team, which featured a few guys you might know. Among them, Hall of Famers Ernie Banks, Billy Williams, Fergie Jenkins, and Ron Santo. And maybe 50 years from now, fans will be celebrating the MANY six-year streaks of winning the Cubs put together since 2015, and will be fondly remembering a new crop of Cubs Hall of Famers.