Oct. 14--The Cubs had their backs to the future and their eyes on the present Tuesday at Wrigley Field, not knowing what tomorrow might bring.
One thing was for sure: On this today, a tomorrow was promised. After Tuesday's 6-4 victory over the Cardinals, that tomorrow will come Saturday in either New York or Los Angeles in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series.
Second baseman Starlin Castro said he has no preference whether the Cubs play the Mets or Dodgers, who meet in their division series' Game 5 on Thursday.
"Whoever wins, wins," he said.
Starting pitcher Jake Arrieta has done plenty of that this season -- 24 times to be exact. He likely will be the starter for Game 1 of the NLCS.
"I'll be ready every game, it doesn't matter," he said.
First, though, he had a celebration to enjoy.
"When the sun's coming up (Wednesday), we might be winding down," he said. "But that's what we're supposed to do."
One Cub, though, wasn't ready to party too hard.
"I feel like we're getting pretty good at the celebrations," rookie third baseman Kris Bryant said. "I told the guys I'm saving my first drink for when we win the World Series."
A night earlier, on Monday, a man paced an overcrowded walkway in the upper deck in left field wearing a T-shirt and an epiphany many Cubs fans trace back to the future.
"Marty McFly can't be wrong," the shirt read, in reference Michael J. Fox's character in the 1989 sci-fi classic film that predicted a Cubs World Series victory in 2015.
The North Siders, who hadn't clinched a postseason series on their home field in, well, ever, took one more step toward the hunt for a red, white and blue October -- and that fictitious prediction.
Catcher Miguel Montero began spreading the belief this season when he started the popular #wearegood hashtag on Twitter. The slogan since has spawned T-shirts and optimism -- inside the Cubs clubhouse and out.
"I want to make a painting of that," Montero joked. "I need to start coming up with my own jerseys."
Montero said the idea was born during a losing streak.
"You start reading your Twitters from the fans and they're like, 'Oh, here it comes again,'" Montero said. "I just want to send a message to our team. ... If we don't believe that we are good, we're not going to have a chance."
The Cubs will have another chance starting Saturday.
pskrbina@tribpub.com
