Why Dansby Swanson is confident that the first Cubs will be a team in the second half

The Chicago Cubs opened the spring training at Super Bowl Sunday, whereby Pitchers and Catchers reported to Arizona early on to prepare for the Tokyo series. After his return from Japan, the travel route included two Wed Coast trips and two visits to New York. After the All-Star break, you still have 66 games and expect to play until October. This is a lot of time, in a close quarter with a considerable group of employees and all their mood swings and quirks.

“This group is very involved,” said Cubs Shortstop Dansby Swanson last weekend and sits in his locker at the attended clubhouse of the Yankee Stadium. “Here, in the hotel, when this group works together in Chicago, this group is happy to be together.”

Team chemistry is important in such a long season – as long as the players are good enough. The Cubs have accumulated enough talent in their entire organization to put together the second best record of the National League so far and to position themselves as an aggressive buyer on July 31 on July 31. Wrigleyville should rock against the Boston Red Sox this weekend, an event that is framed as a potential preview of the World Series.

Swanson understands expectations and knows what it takes after winning the World Series 2021 with the Atlanta Braves and later signed a seven-year contract over $ 177 million to lead the “next big Cubs team”.

Pete Crow-Armstrong, Kyle Tucker and Matthew Boyd signal that the CUBs represented the Cubs in the all-star game. In the meantime, Seiya Suzuki, Michael Busch, Nico Hoerner and Carson Kelly earned serious considerations for the showcase event in Atlanta. When Shota Imanaga is healthy, it has set up at the all-star level. The bullpen with a small budget came together so nicely – Daniel Palencia, Drew Pomeranz, Brad Keller, Chris Flexen, Caleb Thielbar – that it is difficult to choose only one helper.

The smaller additions to the roster underline the synergy between Jed Hoyers Front Office and Craig Counsell's coaching staff and create more optimism that the Cubs will give creatively impact talents this summer. Every step that gradually improves the club does not have to bring a big name.

“Just think of the reconstruction of some pitching employees,” said Swanson. “You did a really good job to identify people who still have a lot in the tank. The players themselves for shopping and the trainer were really good (setup for everyone). They did really incredible things for us.”

The Cubs have the Star -Power, complementary players and pleasant surprises that include every playoff contender. The intangible values are impossible to measure, but it is meaningful when young players like Crow-Armstrong and Palencia encourage teammates and grow from their individual fights. The work environment is such that the Cubs contained their longest defeat in three games this season, a significant improvement compared to the spirals that sabotaged the last two seasons.

“No matter whether things are on the upwards or on the down, you have to keep the marathon right now,” said Swanson. “This group definitely has these personality traits. We really only bend into each other, which is another really important thing. This personality of this group is always together, is difficult to pick up each other and only treat each other like family.

“It is the ability to talk to each other, to choose each other. Everyone always says:” There are very nice ways to do it: 'Man, what did you think about this bat?' It is able to give an honest opinion: 'Well, I think that would be the right way to do it.' “

While the Cubs had some ugly losses in June and July – a time when the Milwaukee Brewers won the ground in the NL Central and led the division to a game – they found paths consistently to save a series, stay on the right track and to avoid panic.

“If a team is as good as ours.” It just happens. If we could go 20-6 every month, we would be the best team ever. “

In the clubhouse, the players believe that they have not yet played their best baseball. They weathered injuries to start jugs of interior, Justin Steele, Jameson Taillon and Javier Assad, while they remained remarkably healthy. They play an extraordinary defense, carry out the bases aggressively and follow the details in every game plan. They look forward to reaching another equipment.

“One season can be up and down,” said Swanson. “At the beginning of the year, if everything seemed to click on all cylinders as a group, this can be the perception of everyone that this group should be around the clock. The reality is that we would like to be, but this is a challenge from the same property.

“With Deadline trains and everything that is approaching, it is always a fun time for reinforcements and things of this kind to keep the mood going.”

(Dansby Swanson: David Berding / Getty Images)