For so long, the Cubs had worn the title of lovable losers. The brief exception was 2007 and 2008, when Lou Piniella came in and led the team to playoff runs. But even then, the lasting memory of those runs was the ensuing sweep out of the playoffs.
When Theo Epstein came in, he cleaned house and made no qualms about the fact that the rebuild would be a slow, arduous process. It would be meticulous, not utilizing shortcuts that would seem fruitful in the immediate but lead to even more futility down the road. But in the end, it would work, he said.