Pitchers and catchers report to Mesa for Cubs spring training February 14.
That’s just 24 days from today. But it might still feel cold and wintry where you are. That’s why I went through our photo editor and picked out these 15 photos from the 2016 Cubs championship season.
Every one shows a smile. And why wouldn’t these guys smile? It shows they’re enjoying what they’re doing, something every big-league player ought to do when they’re on the field. Of course it’s their work, and no doubt each one of them focuses on their job, what they need to do to win, etc.
But if they’re not having fun they’re not doing it right. That’s a lesson Joe Maddon has tried to instill in his players, and I think every Cubs player has taken that to heart since Joe joined the club before the 2015 season. You’ll see a Maddon smile in the photo gallery above, too.
Hope these photos make you smile. They did for me while I was searching for them. Baseball’s return is not so far away.