The Chicago Cubs apparently really like their playoff chances.
The team notified season ticket holders Thursday that they already have a chance to purchase postseason tickets. They have until Sept. 8 to purchase them, and they include an Oct. 7 wild-card game, the National League Division Series, the NL Championship Series and even the World Series.
While teams often sell tickets before clinching a playoff spot, it seems premature at this point, especially because the Cubs aren’t a lock to make it. Chicago holds the second wild card spot in the NL with the San Francisco Giants just three games behind, and it’s unlikely they’ll win the NL Central, as the St. Louis Cardinals have a strong lead.
Plus, the move likely won’t make superstitious Chicago fans too happy, as they’re desperate for their Cubbies to break “The Curse of the Billy Goat” that apparently was put on the team the last time it made the World Series in 1945. The Cubs haven’t won it all since 1908.
Still, the Cubs aren’t the only team that’s gotten a little presumptuous. The New York Mets, who are in an even riskier position than Chicago, made playoff tickets available for season ticket holders on Aug. 11. The Mets are first in the NL East, but the slipping Washington Nationals are just three and a half games back. Their division is a weak one, so if the Nats can turn around their 13-20 second-half record, then the Mets likely will be out of contention altogether.
Thumbnail photo via Caylor Arnold/USA TODAY Sports Images
