Standing amongst the shards of a shattered mirror in the Cubs locker room on Sunday, Cubs manager Joe Maddon remains confident that his young-gun Cubs can bring a championship back to the team it has so fatefully eluded for 107 years. Petting his black cat, Tabitha, while walking under a 15-foot ladder that had been mysteriously erected in the bowels of Wrigley Field, Maddon stated, “Of course we can beat the Mets. We’ve played well all season and there’s no reason not to think we can win.”
The Cubs’ chances will be improved by the fact that Maddon sees signs of a quiet confidence in his team, both in practice and on the field. Opening an umbrella inside the locker room to shield himself from the dust cloud falling from a crumbling ceiling, Maddon was jovial and relaxed in his press conference before Tuesday’s Game 3, which was held outside #13 SS Starlin Castro’s locker. “I don’t believe in superstitions,” said Maddon, carelessly spilling salt on the goat curry he had ordered for lunch, “That’s a load of old hooey.”
Despite the Cubs’ long championship drought, Maddon and the Cubs seem unburdened by the hopes of their city. “Look, it would be incredible to win,” said outfielder Kyle Schwarber, “but we’re taking it one game at a time.” The Cubs will look to win Game 3, hoping for some help from the officiating crew of Bartman, Alou, and Prior.
