A true believer. In the impossible.

My beloved Chicago Cubs have lost 11 straight games. And I've learned to relish the losing streak. I'm hoping for the losing ways to go on and on and on. Maybe to 30 or 40 games. A world record. Because I want to study the nature of losing. How losing becomes contagious. A real team effort. It happens when one begins to feel cursed, hexed, jinxed. Maybe it starts with a single individual. Then it spreads. To a second and third player. Eventually it becomes a collective thing. Overtaking the entire team. Management. Everyone. From top to bottom. The entire team expects to lose. As if it's pre-ordained. But the Cubs have brought in new management. From Boston. To try to rid the Cubs of a longtime losing tradition. To remake the team. Starting at the very bottom. By trading away veteran players. The one's that have been immersed in losing for the longest times. In return, the Cubs would get young prospects. Players with great potential. Destined to play in the minor leagues for several years. Developing their skills. And playing baseball to win. As a team. Yes, at the lowest levels. But as they rise through the minor leagues, they'd be playing for winning teams. They'd get used to winning. Together. Collectively. So that when they finally reach the major leagues over the next three or four or five years, they'd have a winning tradition engrained. Sounds to me like it's worth a try. For Cubs fans, it'll take more patience. Putting up with continued losing streaks for a while yet. But hey, if we live long enough, we Cubs fans will be able to experience an 11-game winning streak. That'll make me a true believer. In the impossible. --Jim Broede