CHICAGO _ In this age of extremism, temptation tilts Chicago toward either desperation or denial when it comes to the Cubs, leaving the middle ground as empty as so many ballparks this month.
Find it.
The Cubs have won only seven of their first 15 games against a soft spot in the schedule. They have postponed four because of crummy weather. This young season has had more interruptions than a political roundtable discussion, a reality offered as context more than an excuse. The Cubs will deserve criticism if they continue to flirt with .500 around, say, Memorial Day. But it's worth noting the 2017 Cubs opened 8-7, one game better at the same stage, and finished a slog of a season in the National League Championship Series.
So avoid declaring the 2018 Cubs incapable of playing deep into October too. And for anyone on the opposite end of the spectrum already reserving a Wrigley Field rooftop for Game 1 of the NLCS, resist guaranteeing the Cubs will be back again. We haven't seen enough baseball in the first three weeks to feel good about what to expect in six months, making the rush for a pass-fail interpretation of the season a little silly.
We have, however, seen enough to form opinions on ways the Cubs can start looking like the team everyone anticipated. Here are seven _ one for every victory.
