Dream Season

I have been a Chicago Cubs fan as far back as I can remember.  I had suffered many years, but I believe not riding the bandwagon of the hottest team has built character and taught me a thing or two about loyalty.  Check out this #ThrowbackThursday post for my thoughts on finding the silver lining as a fan of a perennial losing team. Things have changed in the last 10 years as a Chicago Cubs fan.  I have gotten used to listening to more Cubs wins than losses which includes a World Series win in 2016.  

In 2025, Chicago Cubs fans have been enjoying a wild winning ride.  The Cubs have been in first place for almost the entire season.  We have exciting players like Pete Crow-Armstrong, Kyle Tucker, Seiya Suzuki, Michael Busch, Matthew Boyd, Shota Imanaga, Daniel Palencia among others.  Anytime the list of exciting players passes 3 or 4, you must be rooting for a successful team.  As the second half of the season got started, but Cubs quickly achieved the best record in baseball while holding onto a one game division lead over the Milwaukee Brewers.  With the ebb and flow of baseball, hot streaks, cold streaks, injuries, and other superstitions, I never know how or when the season will turn.  

For a Cubs fan, all this makes for a dream season, but all of my friends know that this is a really special dream season for me.  Not only am I a Cubs fan, I am also a Detroit Tigers fan.  People often ask how that happened, and I think I have told the story somewhere in the history of this blog, but I am a Tigers fan because I am a Cubs fan.  

After last season's Cinderella story in the playoffs, the Detroit Tigers are showing that they are real.  The Tigers held the best record in the MLB up to the All-Star Game, before a losing streak set in.  This Tigers team has some pretty special players that have made this a fun season so far.  Those players are Spencer Torkelson, Riley Greene, Javy Baez, Kerry Carpenter, Zach McKinstry, Tarik Skubal, Reese Olson, Casey Mize, and others.  The story for the Tigers starts with their visionary manager A.J. Hinch.  He has sold this team on the TEAM concept.  Players understand that they may have to pocket their egos for the betterment of the team.  This concept got them deep into the playoffs, and that philosophy continues today.  This year they are getting some much needed starting pitching to support Tarik Skubal.  

It has been a dream season for me as a baseball fan.  Every season is a treat, but boy, it is nice to win.  Everyone asks me, what happens if they both get to the World Series?  Who will you root for?  If the World Series is the Chicago Cubs vs. the Detroit Tigers, it won't matter who wins!  That would be icing on the cake for the 2025 baseball season!  

Update 8/11/25

The Dream Season is at risk!!  Since the All-Star Break the Tigers are still in first place, but they are 9-13 since the break.  The Cubs have dropped to second place with the red-hot Milwaukee Brewers sitting atop the division.  The Cubs are 10-11 since the All-Star break.  It isn't the end of the season, but it certainly doesn't fit the language above.