Believe me. You gotta believe.

You gotta believe. As a team. To be a success. In baseball. Seems to me. That the Chicago Cubs. Have lost a belief in themselves. Since they won the World Series in 2016.  I see that some prognosticators have them finishing last in their five-team division this year. Maybe that’ll motivate the Cubs. Hope so. But I’m worried. That the motivation isn’t there. The belief in themselves. They probably need a full-time team psychiatrist. A reminder that baseball. Is, in large part, a mind game. That’s what I like about baseball. More than any other sport. It takes more than raw skill. More than natural talent. To win over a long, 162-game season. You have to come to play.  As a team. With verve and vigor. Every day. Simply for the love of the game.  And not merely go through the motions. Takes real effort. Dedication. From one and all. No let up. That’s what the Cubs had. In 2016. A once-in-a-lifetime experience. All I’m asking for. Is a twice-in-a-lifetime achievement. Yes, anything is possible. But first. You gotta believe. --Jim Broede