Battle of the Minds

Week Four

Were there positives? As coaches we think so…

On a weekend where things didn’t go the way we would have liked, the team is at a bit of a crossroads. Coming off an excitingLabor Day weekend, the possibility of a letdown series was at hand and from what I’ve seen in the past, I believe this it what we witnessed Sunday.  

I’m going to skip the details of Sunday and focus on the mental aspect of what happened and what it means to the team going forward.  To the casual observer it may have looked like the Cubs reached a level of competition that is just too much for where the team’s at right now. From a coach’s perspective I believe that’s very untrue. In the first game the Cubs struggled at the plate. The gritty two strike approach was absent and even when the players were able to take the pitcher deep into counts the ability to see the at-bat through was missing. We saw a lot of strike three calls and on a day where the strike zone was wildly unpredictable this wasn’t going to work.  On occasion our batters were able to get bat to ball but luck wasn’t on our side either as most of our well hit balls were straight to the defenders.  

At the conclusion of the first game, it was clear we were in it. And by it, I mean our heads.

Game two told a different story.  The boys could have easily laid the weekend down and wallowed in their inability to get anything going.  And from the onset I thought this might be where we were headed.  But there was fight left in them. It came late and due to time restraints, the game was technically a lossbut the score ended in a tie after the boys strung together some gritty at bats and generated excitement in the dugout.  

I walked away from the weekend knowing the Cubs story is far from told and this team is far from their potential, but I believe we have a team that isn’t comfortable with mediocrity and a coaching staff that will keep finding ways to pull that dog out of each and every one of them.  I believe these are the games that spark champions. It doesn’t feel good. Question is, what are you going to do about it?