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I want to start off by thanking everyone for the warm welcome back.
I'm going to be here every Monday with a mix of opinions and interviews.
For those of you who don't know, I was John's original partner here. When we first started writing together, Tom Ricketts had just begun the painful, yet necessary overhaul of the organization. I vividly remember how badly John wanted to spend big money on Albert Pujols, am I right?
It wasn't always fun to write about this outfit. Going to a game in September of 2010, the scarce attendance smacked of a lunch-time strip club crowd, only true die-hards, people.
Now the energy surrounding the organization has dramatically changed. Cubdom currently oozes optimism. Pay no attention to what's past the outfield wall.
In fact, I believe there is no more enjoyable time in sports as when your team is about to get good.
That is where I think this thing is headed now.
The promise of the kids...fun, offense...fun, home runs...pretty, pretty fun.
Plus, the Cubs are guaranteed all kinds of good times with their new hipster-skipper in Joe Maddon.
Looking back at the first week of Cubs camp, what unmistakably jumps out is the unveiling of a culture. "Cubs University" was what Maddon kinda coined it. In just a week's time, Maddon has put his stamp on things and is quickly becoming the face of the organization.
Maddon also wasted little time in unveiling his first message, complete with visual.
"I do like to win in spring training," Maddon said. "I want us to play the game the same whether it's March 15 or July 15 or October 15.
"When you build that mindset, then in particular when you get to the end of the season, when it's a playoff situation, you don't change your game," Maddon says.
Maddon also spoke to the need for lieutenants to spread his message.
Whether it's Miguel Montero and his impressive usage of adverbs, Jon Lester letting the kids know expectations come with the gig, or David Ross straightening out a player during a drill (a player who many previously viewed as the club leader), Maddon's Men are emerging here on a daily basis.
I've written previously about Maddon's impact that spreads further than his ability to manage games. Maddon is so much bigger than that for this organization.
He will ultimately be responsible for setting the tone for the young players that this organization is so heavily betting upon while getting them to heed his original message of not allowing pressure to get in the way of pleasure.
The Cubs skipper touched on more psychology when he addressed his current hitting mantra, even enlisting the help of a sports psychologist.
"It's all about routine," Maddon said, "and the ability to process and stay in the present tense and the ability to eject negative information or noise. It sounds simple, but that's probably when guys go sideways.
"That's the biggest problem – we all go sideways. We get obsessed with noise and we just can't focus on what's going on right now. So (Dr. Ravizza's) good at presenting thoughts that help guys stay in the present tense. That's what I'm talking about."
If Maddon wasn't already going to be wildly popular among his crew, he likely endeared himself to his players further by admitting the day game thing will take some adjusting to on his part.
One thing is for sure, Professor Maddon has a doctorate in cool. He is quickly showing why the Cubs went unconventional, some would even say down and dirty, to get their man.
Sure, Maddon is known within the game as being able to incorporate advanced stats and batted-ball data into his management. Yet, he maybe even more known for bringing his clubhouses together with a loose atmosphere.
So for now, forget about the bleachers not being ready until Kris Bryant reaches super-two status.
It seems classes are currently in session at "Cubs University".
Something tells me it may just get the rep of a party school.
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