Loveable winners.

I'm addicted to the Chicago Cubs. More so than to baseball. Of course, it's alleged that the Cubs play baseball. To be more accurate, losing baseball. But that doesn't stop me from being a Chicago Cubs fanatic. Especially this season. Which starts on Thursday. I sense something new about the 2012 Cubs. They have a good mental attitude. No longer defeatist. Doesn't necessarily mean they'll have a winning season. But they'll be more fun to watch. Because for a change, their minds will be in the game. Individual players actually think the team can win. That's half of the battle in baseball. Confidence. If players don't believe they can win, they won't. Despite the talent. Baseball is very much a mental game. And the Cubs new management recognizes this. They have recruited a new cast of players. With the right mental make-up. And for players that fall short, the Cubs have a team psychiatrist/psychologist. He'll work with individual players. Getting them to think positively. I spent 18 days in Arizona in March. Attending Cubs exhibition games. Taking in spring training. And I sensed the new attitude. The new mentality. Yes, the Cubs are about to shed their reputation as loveable losers. They're about to become loveable winners. --Jim Broede