Since the MLB trade deadline has come and gone and four members of the Chicago Cubs have been shipped off to the Texas Rangers and Atlanta Braves, I can imagine that there is a lot of identity questions circulating around the minds of the Cubs and their fans. In light of that, I will attempt to sort that identity crisis out a bit in one of the only ways I know how to: through music.
Anthony Rizzo - "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" by Bachman Turner Overdrive
While the topic matter of the song --a rendezvous with a woman of questionable demeanor-- doesn't (as far as I know) have much to do with Anthony Rizzo, but the concept of still having much to reveal is spot-on for Rizzo. Since his call-up on June 26th, Rizzo has brought an undeniable spark to this team. I think the trades that occurred will set the team back in terms of putting together wins this season, seeing as they shipped off two of their best pitchers, but overall, especially with Rizzo, we ain't seen nothing yet.
Tony Campana - "Given to Fly" by Pearl Jam
If you haven't noticed yet, Tony Campana is really fast. Not sort of fast, not pretty fast, he's really fast. And again, while conceptually Pearl Jam's masterpiece has little to do with blazing around the basepaths, Campana is indeed "a human being that was given to fly."
Darwin Barney - "Steady, As She Goes" by The Raconteurs
Barney has been a quiet leader on this Cubs team in terms of production. He's batting .269, has five home runs, and 31 RBIs. Those numbers aren't electrifying, but he's been hitting in the seventh or eighth hole most of the season. He's also played gold glove-caliber defense at second base. He's been a quiet stabilizer on a team that has struggled for consistency.
Carlos Marmol - "Getting Better" by The Beatles
Carlos Marmol has been some kind of horrifying pitcher to watch this season. He got so horrifying that he even lost his closer job for a few weeks. However, over the course of the last month or so, Marmol has been considerably better. He's not as dominating as he was a few years ago, but "I have to admit, it's getting better, getting better all the time."
Starlin Castro - "The Sound of Settling" by Death Cab for Cutie
Castro has had his share of growing pains throughout his young career --defensive lapses, mental mistakes, etc. However, when the dust settles and the chips are down, the Cubs have a heck of baseball player developing in Castro. It might not always be pretty along the way, but it's just the sound of settling.
2012 Chicago Cubs - "All the Way" by Eddie Vedder
When I saw Mr. Vedder perform in Chicago a few years back, he debuted this song to the Cubs faithful in the audience and it's the most perfect song for any Cubs fan as we patiently wait for the day.
Brian is an active musician with the band Something with Trees and is also a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan, having lived in Illinois his entire life and having followed Major League Baseball throughout.
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