On not believing....when I was losing faith.

Maybe one should never give up, folks. I more or less gave up on the Chicago Cubs' 2007 season on June 3. But since then, the Cubs have posted the best record in major league baseball. They've turned things around. Doesn't mean they'll become world champs. But hey, being in first place in August -- well, that's a new feeling of elation for Cubs fans. Here's what I had to say about the Cubs on June 3 -- when I was losing faith.

Well, I’ve reached the stage of the baseball season where I’ve given up on the Cubs. It’s a team that doesn’t believe in itself. Doesn’t believe in destiny. The fascinating thing about the game of baseball, is the role chance has something to do with the outcome. It’s partly a psychological game. A head game. One needs confidence. Self-confidence. That especially goes for a pitcher. But a hitter, too. You’ve got to believe. And that’s the primary problem with the Cubs. Always has been. The lack of belief. A tradition of losing. The loveable losers syndrome. To me, life is a reflection of baseball. And baseball is a reflection of life. Belief can tip the scale, one way or the other. For instance, the Cubs are 2-12 in one run decisions this season. In the close games, they become uptight. Instead of believing that they’ll win, they think something will go wrong. That fate is against ‘em. That they’ll lose. The players have turned into head cases. Just the other day, the pitcher and the catcher got into a fight. It started with a shoving match in the dugout. Right during the game. And ended in fisticuffs in the clubhouse. Yes, they keep finding new ways to lose. Such as fighting each other. Fighting themselves. Not playing as a team. Not believing. --Jim Broede