Washington Nationals: Learning From The Chicago Cubs

The Washington Nationals watched with awe as the Chicago Cubs won their first World Series in 108 years. What can they learn from Chicago?

As with the rest of the country, the Washington Nationals watched this week as the Chicago Cubs won their first championship in 108 years.

For all their years of frustration, the Cubs brought in Theo Epstein to run the front office from the Boston Red Sox. Now, as with Boston back in 2004, Epstein’s blueprint earned his team a long-awaited World Series title. If there was any doubt before, his first stop after retirement is a ceremony in his honor in Cooperstown.

With the Cubs putting their second-best reputation to bed, focus shifts to the Cleveland Indians and the Nationals as the teams with the longest championship drought. Starting their 49th season in 2017, the Washington Nationals franchise, including all those years as the Montreal Expos, have never been to the World Series, let alone win one.

What can we as fans learn from the success of the Cubs? How close are the Nationals to breaking through on their first pennant? Is the case hopeless after three failed trips to the playoffs in five years?

Of course not is the answer to the last one. Yet, the Cubs achieved in the short time with Epstein things the Nationals have never done. As vibrant and hungry as Chicago remains, the challenge now is stopping a dynasty in the Windy City before it starts.

So, what can the Nationals learn from the Cubs and how does Washington put it all together? The endgame might be closer than you think. Could we have a parade in DC soon?