On Controlling Your Destiny, By Ignoring It

[Rice Cube]

The (rest of the) season starts on Thursday, and the Cubs need to take care of everything in their control to minimize the silly randomness that is baseball and life.

Image courtesy of © Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

As I watched the final Cubs spring training exhibition of 2025—with very little stress and plenty of fun moments—I pondered the philosophies behind being a baseball fan in the first place. Against the backdrop of the NCAA basketball tournaments and its single-elimination chaos, the inherent randomness of individual baseball games (even stretches of games!) is an appropriate analogy. Sometimes, the better team just won't pull out the victory. Looking back at the spring preparations, the Cactus League games, and the contests in Japan, there were plenty of positives to be excited for, along with issues that could be cleaned up. 

I really liked the title Thomas Domol chose for his recent article, stating that only the Cubs can keep the Cubs out of the postseason. While that is true to a large extent, there is a reason why the mantra goes "You Can't Predict Baseball". There's no telling which amazing and stupid things can happen on a baseball field on any given play. I recalled some sayings, which I will paraphrase, about what you can control. First, consider the wisdom of the Buddhists, who believe that suffering stems from a focus beyond one's self, and therefore, beyond one's circle of control. Then, remember Viktor Frankl.

"Everything can be taken from a man but one thing," Frankl famously said, "the last of the human freedoms—to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way." In other words: what is within your control is your reaction to external circumstances, rather than the circumstances themselves.

Going back to Japan, we saw a few strike calls and (even a home run call) not go the Cubs' way. Even in this final exhibition game against Atlanta, the sun prevented what should have been an easy flyout and Ben Brown got tagged for a two-run shot, instead of just a solo home run. In Japan, Justin Steele could have shaken off the bad call by the umpire to get the out on the next pitch, but instead, he served up a home run to increase the Cubs' deficit. In Mesa, Brown gave up the bomb, but still had a fantastic final tune-up before he goes into the season as the fifth starter. This isn't a perfect metaphor, but what I expect will happen is that, while the Cubs won't always be able to make the perfect pitch or play to get themselves out of a jam, they will not sulk about a bad play or pitch. If they're as mature and well-managed as they advertise themselves to be, they'll just move on to the next pitch to give themselves a chance to win. Despite the poor results in the standings in Japan, the Cubs did put themselves in many positions to score and mount a comeback, which is something I hope happens consistently throughout the season. 

That is just on the field, though! In the grand scheme of things, I've seen plenty of complaints that the Cubs only got Kyle Tucker for this one season; that Cam Smith is already making the Astros roster; and that the Rickettses are cheap, among many of the other usual Cubs fan tropes. As fans, we simply cannot control how Cubs ownership spends, or how the front office conducts transactions. What we do know is that Tucker is a Cub for 2025—part of a team that is projected to win the division—and that is something we can build on to promote a positive attitude. 

So I say we forget those two losses in Japan. They happened, they count, and there's nothing anyone can do about it now. We forget about any Tucker or Pete Crow-Armstrong extension talk, because they are already on the team for 2025. The singular focus is how many wins they can rack up between now and October, so if they take care of business and stay healthy and prepared, this can be a magical season that we will look back on fondly. What I have heard from the sound bites and postgames suggests that the players and coaching staff have the right attitudes to succeed. Now, they just have to prove their mettle on the field.

In conclusion, may the Cubs players remember to stretch and condition well between games, with plenty of video study and the appropriate drills. May the training and medical staff keep our favorite (and most productive) players on the field as long as possible. And here's to positive vibes at and outside of Wrigley Field, as the Cubs work their way back to the postseason and beyond.

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I did have to talk my friend off the ledge a bit in the latest Dreamcast, if you wish to take a listen below. Now we just wait for actual baseball to begin anew, with our spirits high, knowing that chaos lurks. Here's to a great 2025!

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