Levine: Cubs Feel They're On Brink Of Turning Their Play Around

By Bruce Levine--

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Don't look now, but the Cubs believe they're on the brink of turning their .500-level play around and regaining their elite form.

The Cubs having won 200 regular-season games and a World Series in the past two years has reconfigured expectations, and it's because of that that some fans and even players have had a difficult time understanding their uneven play in a 22-21 start. The fact is this isn't 2016 but rather a new group with new challenges.

Keeping that aura and pursuit of excellence going is a plausible-but-not-simple task for the Cubs, who are using this long homestand to chart some growth. Thus far, they're 4-2 at Wrigley Field in this recent stretch, and they believe they're learning along the way.

While many outsiders will compare these Cubs to the 2016 version, the players use another perspective in the here and now.

"This is a younger group than the last one," outfielder Jason Heyward said. "We have some guys with slightly less experience. We are building a different set of team patterns. Joe (Maddon) and the coaches can only do so much. We must go out and play. We must go out and feel it."

As the Cubs have tread water, the National League has featured some twists. A former also-ran, the Brewers are leading the NL Central. In the NL West, the Rockies are in first and the Diamondbacks are in second.

Despite a 6-4 loss to the Giants on Monday night, the Cubs felt good with their performance that included a four-run rally in the eighth inning.

"Last night was the way it is supposed to look," Maddon said. "That is the way it is supposed to sound in the dugout. Even though we did not win, that is what the whole thing is supposed to look like. That is more of what we are anticipating, and that is when the wins start to pile up. This is more about the process for me. Most of the guys got off to lukewarm starts, very tepid. Nobody is sizzling out there. (Ben Zobrist) is getting there. It will happen where guys start to ascend. It will. Then you will see this new method of leadership within the group. In the meantime, their interaction is spectacular. The work is great. I really enjoy working with this group. It will be fun watching us get better."

From a player perspective, Heyward has his own theory about this team's coming of age.

"My take is that this first part of the season has nothing to do with a hangover from last year," he said. "We have seen some difference on this homestand. That is what we said after we came into the locker room after last night's game -- 'Hey, we are going to start out tomorrow like we finished this game tonight.' I like it. This is fun. This is a new year. This is a new challenge for us. I feel like we are stepping up and answering it."

Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score and CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.