It’s important that we get the words just right. Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo didn’t say that his team’s rousing, come-from-behind victory over the Giants last week was “something to build on.’’ He didn’t say it “hinted at good things to come.’’
To everyone in sight or earshot, he said it was “ a season-defining win.’’
His words were a proclamation, a call to arms, a rallying cry. They led sports broadcasts and game stories. If Rizzo was to be believed, the Cubs were going places, thanks to the emotional shove the 12-11 victory had provided.
And what did the Cubs do after a thriller at Wrigley Field that had so specifically spelled out the rest of the season for them?