Levine: Sights On Championship, Cubs Will Embrace The Journey

By Bruce Levine--

ANAHEIM, Calif. (CBS) -- As their 2016 opens Monday night, the Cubs are the Vegas choice to win the World Series. Recently updated odds have them listed at 5-1 if you want to put a scheckel or two on the final outcome of the championship season. Already, 12 percent of all the action on baseball bets are on the Cubs.

A true, long-suffering Cubs fan may find this prediction of a World Series title to be the ultimate jinx. That's not the case for the organization. Cubs players, coaches and management seem oblivious to any type of bad karma that's produced by bold predictions.

"I played for St Louis, and they expect to win every year," former Cardinal, former Brave and current Cub outfielder Jason Heyward said of the championship expectations. "This feels no different. The only thing is it hasn't been done in a while. In Atlanta, the team only won in 1995, but they expected to be in the playoffs every time in that decade. Here in Chicago, the only difference is everybody is hungry. (The fans) are excited. They have a good team on the field. We all understand as players that we look good on paper, but you have to go and play the games and put the work in."

Heyward, Ben Zobrist and John Lackey were added to a team that won 97 games and reached the NLCS in 2015. With a young, powerful and talented core alongside them, the belief is only enhanced that the Cubs have unlimited upside.

"I don't think (the pressure) can be too much," first baseman Anthony Rizzo said. "If you want it to be, it can be too much, but our group doesn't let it. Right now we are a hungry team. We are a really hungry team ready to get going. We are excited to get going. Anyone who is thinking about the World Series right now would be in the wrong spot. We will be thinking about dominating April and every day in April, keeping it in small steps."

This team appears capable of handling the pressure, largely because of the guiding hand of manager Joe Maddon. Behind the tone he sets, players enjoy the fun around the work, helping low points be avoided.

Having made many adjustments himself in his first few MLB seasons, Rizzo has a sense of how sophomores Addison Russell, Kris Bryant, Kyle Schwarber and Jorge Soler may be attacked by the opposition.

"The quote on quote nerds have done their research and advance stuff to have a whole offseason to break down everyone," Rizzo said. "They will all make adjustments. This will be about our guys making the adjustment back. This will be a cat-and-mouse game from here on out. The good thing is there are so many of us young guys, we can go through it together."

Because of the young core, the Cubs fan base can embrace much more than just a one-and-done type team of years past. The Cubs fan base seems to like the idea that this is not a one and done type of team they have to root for in 2016."

"Everyone agrees in here that the Cubs fan base is one of the strongest in the game," outfielder Dexter Fowler said. "We have fans everywhere. The more fans, the better. No matter where we play, it's like a home game every time."

Having gone the last 107 seasons without a championship, should the Cubs feel this is their year?

"They are realistic every year," Fowler said. "I guess that is why you continue to be a Cubs fan."

Amen to that.

Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score and CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.