ST. LOUIS _ The rainout against the Cardinals on Wednesday pushed back the series finale one day, wiping out the Cubs' plans to spend Thursday settling into their homes and the Wrigley Field clubhouse.
But at least their meteoric rise the last two seasons has helped wiped out some bad memories of past visits to Busch Stadium, where the hosts dominated their National League Central rivals. The Cubs vowed not to regress to their rebuilding depths.
Winning the NL Division Series against the Cardinals in 2015 "kind of got us over that St. Louis fever we used to have," said reliever Justin Grimm, who joined the Cubs in the middle of a 96-loss season in 2013.
"It's not that (the Cardinals) were that much better or more talented. It was just they ... would find a way to win the ballgame, and that's what we've learned with this club. I don't like to look back at how it all played out, but we're here in the present with a really good club. We still have to show up and play ball."
The raising of the 2016 World Series pennant Monday night and the ring ceremony two nights later at Wrigley Field will serve as a reminder of how far the Cubs have advanced in the last five seasons.
"You get to that point, you never want to go back," said reliever Hector Rondon, who joined the Cubs in December 2012 as a Rule 5 pick. The Cubs lost 185 games over the next two seasons.
"You come to the field, you try to win that day," he said. "But at the same time you probably know you'll lose. Mentally, I don't like to come in with that on my mind."
First baseman Anthony Rizzo, one of the building blocks of the renaissance, recalled when the Cubs looked up at the rest of the division.
"It wasn't fun, but we move on as athletes and competitors," Rizzo said. "I don't like to look at all that kind of stuff. The Brewers have collected a lot of talent, and the Reds are rebuilding with some talent too. You can't take anything for granted."
So when the ring ceremony ends Wednesday, Rizzo vows the Cubs will be all business.
"We have a game that night, Rizzo said. "So it's not like we can sit and have some beers and talk about it."
