CUBS NOT HIDING FROM HIGH EXPECTATIONS

ANAHEIM, CALIF. It doesn’t take much mental machination to see a target in the Chicago Cubs logo, and with so many preseason forecasts calling for them to reach the World Series, they figured to spend all year in opponents’ cross hairs.

So manager Joe Maddon has espoused the “Embrace the Target” theme since the beginning of spring training, arguing that his youthful Cubs should not shy away from the expectations but rather welcome them.

“We have high expectations for ourselves. I promise you they’ll exceed anybody else’s,” said Maddon, who guided Chicago to a 97win season and a wild-card spot last year. “I think they should be motivational phrases — ‘expectations’ and the word ‘pressure.’ I would not want to be picked to be in last place and have nothing surrounding us this year. I think our guys do embrace the target, and it’s going to be a fun year.”

It began in a most unlikely place, Angel Stadium of Anaheim, as the Cubs opened the season in an American League park for the first time in the 140 years they’ve been in the National League.

Then again, considering they’ve spent the last 107 years pursuing that elusive championship, the starting point doesn’t matter much. What matters is how committed the Cubs are to ending the longest drought.

That’s part of what right fielder Jason Heyward sensed when he turned down a larger contract offer from his former team, the three-time defending NL Central champion St. Louis Cardinals, for an eight-year, $184 million deal.

Chicago landed another key member of the Cardinals in starting pitcher John Lackey and added one of the game’s most versatile players in Ben Zobrist in a $272 million spending spree.

“They’ve taken strides in showing they want to give us the best opportunity to (win the World Series),” Heyward said. “What we would like to have happen is being established as one of the teams that is expected to be in the playoffs every year. Because you have to be in it to win it.”

While the anticipation of the season created excitement all over the clubhouse before Monday’s game vs. the Los Angeles Angels, the occasion was extra special for 2015 NL rookie of the year Kris Bryant, who was experiencing his first opening day.

“I woke up last night in the middle of the night, and I couldn’t fall asleep,” Bryant said. “I was like, ‘This is fun.’ I’ve been waiting for this all offseason and all spring, just to be able to play meaningful baseball again. I’m sure a lot of the guys here couldn’t sleep that well. They were just too excited to get out there and play this kid’s game we have played our whole life.”

And ready to embrace the challenge ahead.