President Barack Obama was asked who he's rooting for with his White Sox out of the playoffs and he's rooting for the Chicago Cubs to win the World Series.
It seems like quite a few people have jumped on the Cubs' bandwagon following their 4-0 shutout of the Pittsburgh Pirates in their NL Wild Card matchup. There is no question that they have the talent to make a run at the World Series, but there are quite a few talented teams standing in their way. Despite that fact, having the President of the United States on your side is something special.
"With the Sox Out, I'll be rooting for the Cubs to win the Series," Obama said. "They're due. They've got great young players, and I'm a Maddon fan. That's an official statement."
There is no question that they are due a World Series victory, as they haven't won one since the 1908 season. It has been a rough history for the Cubs since then, but things are finally looking up with the talented, young roster that Theo Epstein has put together this season.
Joe Maddon was the perfect hire for the Cubs' manager position last offseason. He is exactly the man that could take the talent that Chicago had put together and put things together to take them into the postseason. Maddon knows how to motivate his players and how to put them in the best position for them to succeed, which is exactly what young players need.
Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo have been the power behind the Cubs' lethal offense, while Kyle Schwarber has come into the lineup and made a big difference as well.
Jake Arrieta is the ace pitcher that the Cubs needed to get them into the NLDS against the St. Louis Cardinals and there is a good chance that he will be the NL Cy Young award winner. He has to beat out Zack Greinke, but with his play down the stretch of the season his chances seem to be good at this point in time.
It will be very intriguing to see how the Cubs fare against their bitter division rival Cardinals this coming series. They had some success beating the Cardinals in their last two series' of the season, but the Cardinals have much more experience than the Cubs. Perhaps that won't matter, but it will be an excellent test for the Cubs either way.
Whether the Cubs end up making it farther in the playoffs or not, they have to feel good about their season. Obama has decided to root for his rival Chicago team and it will be interesting to see if they can continue their miracle season moving forward in the postseason.
