"This city has waited a long, long time" - No it hasn't; the White Sox won the Series in 2005. Chicago has its title. The NYT isn't telling the whole story: everyone knows the Cubs are the white man's team, specifically the team of white, upper middle class, suburbanites. Not everyone loves what they represent.
1
I am perfectly happy to see the cubs choke again and go another 108 years without a World Series win.
1
The real everyday Cubs fan(like me) have been priced out of the ballpark at the face value of a ticket. The Cubs everyday fans who helped give Wrigley Field, the nickname as the"Friendly Confines" does not hold true anymore and priced out of the park. The bleachers where known as the cheap seats, do not exist anymore. Bill Veeck said after roaming the ballpark for over 20 years, he found by inverse proportions what a fan paid for his ticket, was their knowledge of the game. I boycotted Wrigley in 1991 when they raised the price of the Bleachers from $4. to $6 bucks. Many Cubs fans became fanatics by watching the Cubs on WGN-TV who used to televise every Cubs game over a public station... Now, many of their games are only on cable and pay to see systems. My dad used to tell me that during the depression, at least a fan could still afford go to a game (or movie)!
I became one of those fable fans of the Bleachers, and was tabbed by Harry Caray as the Cubs #1 fan, and was a guest on his 10th inning show, and he introduced me as John Q. Public-the fan! Even the N.Y. Times wrote about me for reminding people not to wear ties in the bleachers and my most important of my 10 Cub-Mandments is # 8, Thou shall not start of participate in the Wave at Wrigley or you will be Ex-Cubmunicated. I sold naming rights to my back for $1,000 on8/8/88(noted by NYT) and that bought me 3 years worth of bleacher seats,now that would be a weekend with the Brewers. However,I am still a Cubs fan!
I became one of those fable fans of the Bleachers, and was tabbed by Harry Caray as the Cubs #1 fan, and was a guest on his 10th inning show, and he introduced me as John Q. Public-the fan! Even the N.Y. Times wrote about me for reminding people not to wear ties in the bleachers and my most important of my 10 Cub-Mandments is # 8, Thou shall not start of participate in the Wave at Wrigley or you will be Ex-Cubmunicated. I sold naming rights to my back for $1,000 on8/8/88(noted by NYT) and that bought me 3 years worth of bleacher seats,now that would be a weekend with the Brewers. However,I am still a Cubs fan!
Wrigley was a dump with pieces of the grandstand falling into the seats until the Ricketts sunk a bundle into the park,
What a great story!
After I finished, I went back to check who had written it. It's the brother of the former high school principal in my old island home in Ketchikan, Alaska -- well, hey. A good omen for the Cubbies, no?
As has been said often on Revillagigedo Island: Great job, Mr. Pennington.
After I finished, I went back to check who had written it. It's the brother of the former high school principal in my old island home in Ketchikan, Alaska -- well, hey. A good omen for the Cubbies, no?
As has been said often on Revillagigedo Island: Great job, Mr. Pennington.
Dear Cubs Fans: we are with you. Red Sox Nation (unless we meet in the Series).
2
Uh, there is another team playing that might have something to say about all this Cubs hoo-hah.
The San Francisco Giants are a championship calibre team with three World Series championships and a hall of fame-bound manager. The Cubs and their manager have won nothing.
it may be that the Cubs win this series, but the game I watched that night featured two evenly matched teams who went at it head-to-head, the only difference being that the little bit of luck in that game went to the Cubs. this was only one game.
Do you know what a team gets for winning one National League Division Series game? Nothing. the Cubs need to win 2 more games after which they will advance to the National League Championship Series, which they will also have to win, before they get to a World Series. too many people are getting way ahead of themselves. If you don't believe that, take a look at how many times the best team in baseball has actually won a World Series in the last 20 years.
This is by no means a done deal, and the San Francisco Giants will have something to say about it, as will the Los Angeles Dodgers or Washington Nationals and whichever team when's the American League Championship.
The San Francisco Giants are a championship calibre team with three World Series championships and a hall of fame-bound manager. The Cubs and their manager have won nothing.
it may be that the Cubs win this series, but the game I watched that night featured two evenly matched teams who went at it head-to-head, the only difference being that the little bit of luck in that game went to the Cubs. this was only one game.
Do you know what a team gets for winning one National League Division Series game? Nothing. the Cubs need to win 2 more games after which they will advance to the National League Championship Series, which they will also have to win, before they get to a World Series. too many people are getting way ahead of themselves. If you don't believe that, take a look at how many times the best team in baseball has actually won a World Series in the last 20 years.
This is by no means a done deal, and the San Francisco Giants will have something to say about it, as will the Los Angeles Dodgers or Washington Nationals and whichever team when's the American League Championship.
As a life long Cubs fan, I sometimes think, "OMG what if we actually win the World Series!!? What will we do then? It would be like the end of history." But I guess we could go in the other direction and become a dynasty. Why not?
As a lifelong Cubs fan, I'm conflicted about this post season: I've written a screenplay featuring a goat's curse, a fortune teller who can remove curses, and a drunken Cubs beat writer who just might witness a miracle. But if the Cubs win it all, the screenplay will be worthless!
1
Thank you for a great look into the different vantage points that make up all things Cubs. I have found no equal to the joy of watching a game at Wrigley, despite the joy and disappointment of 1984. As a Chicago transplant to Dallas, my husband and I will have to have a split flag outside: the blue of the Rangers and the blue of the Cubs. But if the Cubs get to the series, you can bet, he'll be rootin' for the Cubbies. I only wish Mike Royko were still here to see it.
The Curse is a card in the file of print , tv and radio reporters who drag it out when they have run out of ideas. Over the 108 years of Cub folly the only constant has been bad ownership and management. That is the Curse.
1
The first rule of winning -- for this Cub fan anyway -- is we do not talk about winning.
My father's generation of cubs fans never saw them win a world series. He was still in the pacific in 1945 when they were last in one. He took me to my first cubs game in 1961 when I was 6. Sat behind a post, and cheered whenever my hero, Ernie Banks, came to the plate. Cubs swept the eventual NL pennant winners in a Sunday doubleheader. My brothers and I with friends would ride the El to Wrigley a dozen times per season whenever we could scrounge up a few dollars.
1
I was in a pickup game once when I was a kid and stuck out my bat for a pitch and the ball hit it just right and flew over the fence for the first and only home run I ever hit in my life. That's how life is. Once in a great while you stick out your bat and things go exactly right. You are present when it happens, but fate is in the saddle and you are simply going along for the
ride.
ride.
1
My mother was four years old and living within blocks of the West Side Grounds in Chicago when the Cubs won their last World Series. You can forget the Billy Goat Curse all other supposed "curses". The real curse occurred when new owners moved the Cubs from their West Side home to what became Wrigley Field on the North Side. It is unlikely the Cubs will ever win a World Series until they return to their true home on the West Side of the city.
Since 1995 only 2 with teams with over 100 wins have won the World Series. Cleveland in 1995 had a .700 winning percentage and lost. In 2001 Seattle won 116 games. There is a strange anomaly in sports that the best teams during the regular season often do not win the championship. The Golden State Warriors were a truly great team this year and lost in terrific 7 game series to the Cleveland Cavaliers. All that being said I like the Cubs this year.
I became a Cubs Fannie in the womb. My mother became pregnant with me in July and continued to attend games throughout the season. I was really indoctrinated! My father worked at the Chicago Sun and got the tickets from the paper.
3
I want you to know I don't hold this against you, April.
Your mother, however...
Your mother, however...
1
I'm a lifelong Cubs fan. I went to my first game in 1966 and saw them lose to the Pittsburgh Pirates. I think the grandstand ticket I bought was about $1.25 -- certainly not much more. Over the last 50 years I've seen them blow leads, choke in big games, sign disastrous free agents (remember Milton Bradley), fail to re-sign their stars (Greg Maddux!!!), raise our expectations, and dash our hopes. But, I honestly believe this year is different.
We're gong to win it all. I'm certain of it. Maybe.
We're gong to win it all. I'm certain of it. Maybe.
7
Whatever happens, we'll always have "Tinkers, Evers to Chance".
3
"Tinker to Evers to Chance", April.
Don't worry, I hold your mother responsible for this one, too.
Don't worry, I hold your mother responsible for this one, too.
1
Although I've lost much of my formerly fanatical interest in baseball over the years, I'll be watching and pulling for the Cubs in this postseason. But I'd just as soon not have to watch the Giants series. It's absurd that the Cubs should have to defeat in a short series (in which anything can happen) a team that they so throughly outplayed (to the tune of 16 more wins) during the long, 162 game regular season.
There are 15 teams in the National League, a perfect size to have two divisions, each with about as many teams as made up the whole league prior to expansion. The wild-card system, no doubt designed to give MLB more games to sell to television, cheapens the championship and takes the thrill out of a down-to-the-wire pennant race. Who can get too excited about finishing first when all that accords a division winner is home field advantage against a wild-card opponent with a record that may be not much above 500?
Baseball is clearly no longer the national pastime, and I don't think that's unrelated to the "innovations" in the game adopted by the suits: wild-card games, the designated hitter, regular-season inter-league play, and scheduling World Series games so late that school kids can't stay up to watch. No doubt the owners are serving their short-term financial interests, but it may be at the cost of developing the fan base on which their future depends.
There are 15 teams in the National League, a perfect size to have two divisions, each with about as many teams as made up the whole league prior to expansion. The wild-card system, no doubt designed to give MLB more games to sell to television, cheapens the championship and takes the thrill out of a down-to-the-wire pennant race. Who can get too excited about finishing first when all that accords a division winner is home field advantage against a wild-card opponent with a record that may be not much above 500?
Baseball is clearly no longer the national pastime, and I don't think that's unrelated to the "innovations" in the game adopted by the suits: wild-card games, the designated hitter, regular-season inter-league play, and scheduling World Series games so late that school kids can't stay up to watch. No doubt the owners are serving their short-term financial interests, but it may be at the cost of developing the fan base on which their future depends.
2
More than 24 hours before the start of Game 1, and my stomach was already a mess.
Such is the fate of millions of Cubs fans, the best fans on earth but also the most tortured.
Theo has put this team in a position to contend for many years to come. Hopefully this will result in the wildest party known to humankind later this fall. And if not this year, then "wait 'til next year"--except, in the Cubs' case, that's all we might actually need to wait.
My grandfather came to Chicago in 1912. He never saw the Cubs win the WS. He took me on the rickety 'L' to my first Cubs game, and I've been hooked ever since. Here's thinking of all of the grandparents, parents, and Cub greats who will be watching from above and smiling.
Such is the fate of millions of Cubs fans, the best fans on earth but also the most tortured.
Theo has put this team in a position to contend for many years to come. Hopefully this will result in the wildest party known to humankind later this fall. And if not this year, then "wait 'til next year"--except, in the Cubs' case, that's all we might actually need to wait.
My grandfather came to Chicago in 1912. He never saw the Cubs win the WS. He took me on the rickety 'L' to my first Cubs game, and I've been hooked ever since. Here's thinking of all of the grandparents, parents, and Cub greats who will be watching from above and smiling.
3
They'll have an uphill battle against our Giants. We faltered in the second half of the season...but it's October now.
3
Maddon will show once again he is not a great manager , he was over rated in Tampa . He is more of a event promoter . Ask Dave Johnson his opinion
1
Huge Giants fan, we have Cueto and MadBum, plus several awesome starters, AND it is an EVEN year. Go Giants! #BeliEVEN
3
I can see the headline in the Sun-Times (or is it the Trib?): "Hell Freezes Over."
3
Just a fact check... Rizzo had 32 homers and 109 RBI this season.
2
These aren't the same "lovable" Cubs in their crumbling, dirty ballpark but a sleek colorless bunch bought and paid for by the Ricketts family and its ugly new scoreboards that have taken the charm out of Wrigley. But I'm sure it surprised them to find that it had to pay a lot more to buy Ben Zobrist than it did Illinois politicians.
1
I'll chalk up the animus to the fact that you're writing from Pittsburgh and therefore had to suffer with the Pirates this year.
This is anything but a colorless bunch. Most of these Cubs are very likeable and enjoyable, led by their manager who exudes hipness, savvy and intelligence. There is such joy in watching these players root for each other.
I'm with you regarding the Ricketts, although thankfully the sister is a very active Democrat (was a delegate to the Convention) who has heavily contributed to anti-Trump organization. Plus, at least this Cub ownership has hired a very progressive CEO/GM team (Epstein/Hoyer) and an incredibly open minded manager in Maddon. That's a big improvement from the previous staid Republican owners (Wrigley or Tribune company...take your pick).
This is anything but a colorless bunch. Most of these Cubs are very likeable and enjoyable, led by their manager who exudes hipness, savvy and intelligence. There is such joy in watching these players root for each other.
I'm with you regarding the Ricketts, although thankfully the sister is a very active Democrat (was a delegate to the Convention) who has heavily contributed to anti-Trump organization. Plus, at least this Cub ownership has hired a very progressive CEO/GM team (Epstein/Hoyer) and an incredibly open minded manager in Maddon. That's a big improvement from the previous staid Republican owners (Wrigley or Tribune company...take your pick).
2
Wrigley Field is neither crumbling nor dirty.
4
My, my! The grapes sure are sour today!
4
I am a die hard St.Louis Cardinal fan, the long standing rival for the Cubs. I will be rooting for the Cubs this post season. Cub fans are the passionate backbone for the team, they have more than earned to hoist the trophy. Every fan of baseball should feel the excitement and pride of their team winning it all. I have been so fortunate to know that feeling well. I certainly would not mind sharing that with my baseball cubs brethren.
15
Good for you. You are a true sportsman! A rare thing these days.
2
I was born and bred on the almighty South Side of Chicago as a fan of the Chicago White Sox and any team playing the Chicago Cubs. But I am a fan of MLB sports excellence and have spent many more days this season on the North Side in Wrigley Field disguised as a Cubs fan than with my blundering bumbling White Sox.
Grudging admiration and respect has become honored fanaticism for my beloved home town entertaining inspiring sports heroes. So far in 2016 3200+ Chicagoans have been shot and nearly 600 killed by gun shot. We need hope and fun.
"Go Cubs go! Go Cubs go! Hey Chicago what do you say the Cubs are going to win today!"
Grudging admiration and respect has become honored fanaticism for my beloved home town entertaining inspiring sports heroes. So far in 2016 3200+ Chicagoans have been shot and nearly 600 killed by gun shot. We need hope and fun.
"Go Cubs go! Go Cubs go! Hey Chicago what do you say the Cubs are going to win today!"
4
In 1984, after the Cubs had won the first two of a best-of-five NLCS at Wrigley over the Padres, we all shared this same euphoria.
Then they traveled to San Diego and promptly lost three in a row, the last one a night game.
I walked over to Wrigley in the dark after stopping to buy a bottle of Jack. Figured I'd need it. There were hundreds of fans at Clark & Addison, drinking in total silence.
Just standing around drinking. Nary a spoken word. It was the strangest thing I'd ever seen. No tears, no anger, no nothing. Just glassy eyes and long faces. I fit right in.
I think that was when PTSD first found its name.
And it was also the moment I freed myself at last from the insanity of being a Cubs fan. Years later, even the Bartman incident failed to move me. That was the final confirmation of my independence.
Will they win it all this year? Yes, if goats learn to fly in the next few days.
Then they traveled to San Diego and promptly lost three in a row, the last one a night game.
I walked over to Wrigley in the dark after stopping to buy a bottle of Jack. Figured I'd need it. There were hundreds of fans at Clark & Addison, drinking in total silence.
Just standing around drinking. Nary a spoken word. It was the strangest thing I'd ever seen. No tears, no anger, no nothing. Just glassy eyes and long faces. I fit right in.
I think that was when PTSD first found its name.
And it was also the moment I freed myself at last from the insanity of being a Cubs fan. Years later, even the Bartman incident failed to move me. That was the final confirmation of my independence.
Will they win it all this year? Yes, if goats learn to fly in the next few days.
3
I've done that many times starting in '84 and afterwards. Cubs will drive you to drink. This year will be no different, just the people and circumstances change. They are cursed. it is real.
2
Fee Fi Fo Bum
I smell the blood of a Chicagoan.
I smell the blood of a Chicagoan.
1
This has aught to do with curses or other superstitions and everything to do with a team that hasn't been quite good enough. I'm with those who hope they don't fold under pressure yet again.
The Cubs may be cursed and if so it's for one reason... they have the most insufferable fan base in all of baseball.
3
The only curse that matters in baseball is the curse of an owner who cares more about money than about the game. For decades the Cubs owners traded on the charm of the ballpark and the "lovable losers" image to lure millions of yuppies to the games. The didn't need to win, so they didn't win. I'm glad to see the new owners at least making an effort. I know whereof I speak--I am a White Sox fan by birth.
7
" We’re the best team in baseball.”
The SF Giants, the best team of the decade, might disagree.
The SF Giants, the best team of the decade, might disagree.
5
We shall see who is best after the last game of the World Series. Until then, it is all guesswork.
Cubs 1, Giants 0 as of last night!
Cubs 2 Giants 0
The World Series is won on the field, in games played in real time. It isn't about statistics or historical events. If they win enough games to even get to the Series, and then they win 5 games in the Series itself, then they have earned their title. Their fans are just asking for trouble by prematurely envisioning what the title might feel like. By the way, my two favorite fantasies have already been demolished this year: the Mets take down the Cubs for the NL pennant, or the White Sox take down the Cubs for the World Series.
1
It's 4 games to win the Series, John.
2
Honestly I would much rather see the Tigers take down the cubs in a World Series. A sweet repeat of 1945
Now that the Orioles bungled their way out of the post season, I wish the Cubs well. Sure, I'd like to see the Sox win one more for Big Papi, but they won 3 World Series with him and their "curse" is barely a memory now. Who wouldn't love to see the Cubs win it all?
5
Here come the GIANTS! Luck has nothing to do with it. Bruce Bochy is the best manager in Baseball and come money time, the best starting pitchers. Johnny Cueto tonight. It will be fun!
3
Maybe, if their pedigree and roots were shaped in Brooklyn, success would have not been so hard to come by! In fact , that would be a no brainer! Actually, in retrospect, and ironically, O'Malley, was like fifty five years or so, ahead of his time! Just look at the area of the intersections of Atlantic and Flatbush, today, Cubbies...
1
Sorry Cubs fans, but your team is facing the one National League opponent that can beat your boys. The Cubs would have probably beaten the Mets in the Division Series, and would have probably beaten D.C. or L.A. in the NLCS. But the Giants, no matter their record, are simply too proven and battle-tested. Wait till next year (again).
Two questions for all you Cubs fans out there. For long stretches of their championship drought, the Cubs were a very bad team and ownership was accused of not trying to win. Why did you all keep coming anyway? Weren't you angry that the people who ran the team didn't seem to care nearly as much as you all did?
Two questions for all you Cubs fans out there. For long stretches of their championship drought, the Cubs were a very bad team and ownership was accused of not trying to win. Why did you all keep coming anyway? Weren't you angry that the people who ran the team didn't seem to care nearly as much as you all did?
2
Actually, the Cubs rotation is more proven and battle tested. 11 postseason wins for the Giants rotation. 17 for the Cubs.
3
If you have to ask the question you'd never understand the answer.
2
I'm from the Ron Santo/Ernie Banks/Billy Williams era and it would be a dream come true to see our beloved Cubbies go all the way.
...that and another Chicagoan elected president. Wow, what a year!
...that and another Chicagoan elected president. Wow, what a year!
2
The Cubs and the World Series? A junior High girls team could clean their clock in six games.
Sorry Sara, the Mets are already out.
3
This is the best Cubs team in the past 35 years. Yes, much better than the 1984 and 1989 teams. Hands down.
2
The defense is eons better than any other MLB club--has to best the best defensive Cubs team in the modern era.
The starting pitching is also easily among the top ten in Cubs history, if not top five.
The starting pitching is also easily among the top ten in Cubs history, if not top five.
1
The baseball gods are quite loyal. The sun of late has been growing brighter over the Pacific; it is two years on and October. I wouldn't bet against the Giants.
6
First some background: my father had season tickets in a box behind the visiting team's dugout (that's first base for those of you who don't know one of the unusual features of Wrigley) from 1949-1974, and I went to my first game in 1956. The next seats were behind home plate (until around 1984), when my rather retired (these were all company sales attractions).
The joy of Wrigley kept me going to games when I lived in Chicago, then when I would visit my family. I attended a game this summer with my sister, reliving old family traditions. The ball park exudes an aura of baseball as it once was, intimate, personal, relaxed, familial, friendly. I once asked my father why he kept going when the Cubs lost so often. He said he enjoyed the ball park and the crowds (Take me out, indeed).
The Cubs are playing well because somebody decided to invest some money in the team. And they're a happy crew (you can see they like each other). Maddon exudes a calm enjoyment of their playing that finds its roots in the ball park. Even when they make a mistake, he gives them encouragement and support. But they don't make many mistakes.
Do I hope they win first the pennant, then the series? You bet! (And I'm lighting a lot of candles and praying to obscure saints.) But if they don't, I will still have the joy of seeing Rizzo react to Bryant, react to Russell, and the crowd react to all of them. We're loyal fans because we love the game, especially as it's played in Chicago at Wrigley.
The joy of Wrigley kept me going to games when I lived in Chicago, then when I would visit my family. I attended a game this summer with my sister, reliving old family traditions. The ball park exudes an aura of baseball as it once was, intimate, personal, relaxed, familial, friendly. I once asked my father why he kept going when the Cubs lost so often. He said he enjoyed the ball park and the crowds (Take me out, indeed).
The Cubs are playing well because somebody decided to invest some money in the team. And they're a happy crew (you can see they like each other). Maddon exudes a calm enjoyment of their playing that finds its roots in the ball park. Even when they make a mistake, he gives them encouragement and support. But they don't make many mistakes.
Do I hope they win first the pennant, then the series? You bet! (And I'm lighting a lot of candles and praying to obscure saints.) But if they don't, I will still have the joy of seeing Rizzo react to Bryant, react to Russell, and the crowd react to all of them. We're loyal fans because we love the game, especially as it's played in Chicago at Wrigley.
7
In my previous job one of my responsibilities was hiring. I have seen "Cub fan" on people's resumes. I guess it was supposed to say something about their character.
2
If the Cubs win the World Series, even I will believe that there is a chance to reverse climate change.
3
How difficult is it to cite accurate statistics? Rizzo finished the regular season with 109 RBI and Bryant 102. (According to MLB.com stats.)
3
The SF Giants starting rotation will make this a challenging series for the little bears.
1
Cubs are owned by the Ricketts, extremely avid and generous supporters of Trump (which you didn't report). Cubs no longer reflect Chicago's values of openness, generosity and fairness. But of a .01% family. No thanks!
2
The article didn't get into the Rickets' campaign contributions because it's about baseball, not politics.
Of course, to the left everything is about politics; no space is allowed for the personal, the frivolous or things that are just plain fun. This mindset will be familiar to anyone who has lived in a society in which every word one utters must be carefully weighed lest it be taken as indicative of less than full commitment to the prevailing ideology.
I'm sure Cub fans will be grateful for your attemp to disabuse them of their false consciousness, and lift them to the realization that their beloved Cubbies would better be named "The Rickets' Running Dogs of Capitalism." And I'm just as confident that, despite your attempt at enlightenment, they will continue to cheer raucously for the Cubs. Which leads to the question: "What's the Matter with Cubs' Fans?"
Of course, to the left everything is about politics; no space is allowed for the personal, the frivolous or things that are just plain fun. This mindset will be familiar to anyone who has lived in a society in which every word one utters must be carefully weighed lest it be taken as indicative of less than full commitment to the prevailing ideology.
I'm sure Cub fans will be grateful for your attemp to disabuse them of their false consciousness, and lift them to the realization that their beloved Cubbies would better be named "The Rickets' Running Dogs of Capitalism." And I'm just as confident that, despite your attempt at enlightenment, they will continue to cheer raucously for the Cubs. Which leads to the question: "What's the Matter with Cubs' Fans?"
I'm keeping my old wallet just in case I have one with a Cubs logo now on it. Please let them win. My old wallet is too big. Yeah I know I suppost to be routing for the Red Sox but I grew up 35 miles from Chicago and have been a Cubs fan all my life. The National League plays real baseball where the Pitcher hits in rotation.
3
The Cubs are for real this year. Their young, enthusiastic and talented team can win it all. The only thing standing in their way is being psyched out of victory by amateur psychologists like this article's author. Go Cubs!
1
This is the best piece of sports writing I've read in years.
Thank you for making all of us at least second hand Cubs fans.
Go Cubs!
Thank you for making all of us at least second hand Cubs fans.
Go Cubs!
3
I am a Red Sox fan. It was pure bliss to experience the 2004 season. The World Series wins since then have certainly not made me complacent, but perhaps, at least, safe; that this is what happens normally - in the rest of the world - teams have up years and down years. That said, I still feel the buzz even now, of having seen and known the team that "won it all".
Theo Epstein was monumental in getting the Sox to that point. I was furious when the Red Sox let Jon Lester get away. But I am happy to see him bringing such joy and hope to the Cubs fans.
What I hope for every year, no matter who is playing, is for seven really good games. The two champion teams are supposed to be the best and so this is what it should take. It is possible the World Series this year could be the Sox vs the Cubs. My hope is the same, but in the end I would like to see the Cubs take it, and then let the Cubs fans experience the unyielding elation I felt in 2004, because it carries on.
Theo Epstein was monumental in getting the Sox to that point. I was furious when the Red Sox let Jon Lester get away. But I am happy to see him bringing such joy and hope to the Cubs fans.
What I hope for every year, no matter who is playing, is for seven really good games. The two champion teams are supposed to be the best and so this is what it should take. It is possible the World Series this year could be the Sox vs the Cubs. My hope is the same, but in the end I would like to see the Cubs take it, and then let the Cubs fans experience the unyielding elation I felt in 2004, because it carries on.
5
As a lifelong dyed in the wool Red Sox fan I am pulling for the Cubs. You are due and clearly this year you are earning it!
GO CUBS!!!!
GO CUBS!!!!
4
GO CUBS! (Most of) The country is rooting for you.
3
My great and good friend Red K., died this summer. He was 89. He had been a Cub fan since he was taken to his first game at Wrigley at age 8.
If there is a heaven, this is it for him. The Cubs winning more than a 100 games. Best record in the majors. Headed to the playoffs.
Red, you just gotta be watching! :)
If there is a heaven, this is it for him. The Cubs winning more than a 100 games. Best record in the majors. Headed to the playoffs.
Red, you just gotta be watching! :)
5
My story began in the summer of '69. The Cubs were 13 games +/- ahead of the Mets in August. I was in Vietnam, but, I didn't care...the Cubs were going to win the NL pennant. When I returned to base camp in September, the Cubs were behind the Mets. That was, indeed, a bad summer.
3
It was great summer for Met fans. A miracle summer, in fact.
3
The difference is the Mets usually win in the playoffs when given the chance ('00 and '15 excluded). The Cubs haven't. Maybe '16 will be a new tradition.
I go back to Bob Rush and Roy Smalley, Andy Pafko, Harry Chiti, Hank Sauer and i have weathered more seasons of eighth and seventh places than I care to remember. Not to mention Durham's error, fan interfering with the catch that put an end to bright possibility. As the Renaissance cardinal said when he was elected pope: "Now we are Pope, let us live". The day of deliverance is here.
3
I am a follically-impaired native New Yorker who relocated to the Saint Louis Missouri area, but who works full-time in Connecticut.... I wear a lot of baseball hats during the season, but stop wearing the hats of eliminated teams.
Yankees gone.
Cardinals gone.
Mets gone.
I left my Red Sox hot in Missouri....
Thank God I brought back to Connecticut my Cubs hat otherwise I'd have a cold scalp this fall. Let's hope I can wear it this winter or, at worst, I have to go get another Red Sox hat. Maybe I'll drive home through Cleveland and pick up an Indians hat....
Yankees gone.
Cardinals gone.
Mets gone.
I left my Red Sox hot in Missouri....
Thank God I brought back to Connecticut my Cubs hat otherwise I'd have a cold scalp this fall. Let's hope I can wear it this winter or, at worst, I have to go get another Red Sox hat. Maybe I'll drive home through Cleveland and pick up an Indians hat....
2
You could also pick up one of those "Make America Hate Again" hats and wear it up until November 8th.
Sorry, there's some kind of curse with a goat or something, and we all know that such things can never be broken. The Cubs will lose because they must, but everyone is accustomed to it. They shouldn't have angered that goat, or whatever.
2
We've faced this before. I won't believe it until it happens. Period. Best of luck Cubbies.
3
I'm so tired of the media (and whoever else) always hyping this apparent need for the Cubs to win a World Series. NO TEAM needs to win a World Series. And no team deserves to win a World Series unless they actually DO win it.
It seems the Cubs have become the only team in professional sports that "deserves" to win a championship. And why? Because they never do?
I'm a fan of a team that has won the World Series 11 times since the Cubs last won it. And virtually NO ONE hypes this fact. Could this be because teams in small media markets who actually win championships don't really count because they can't move enough merchandise or get high enough TV ratings?
Maybe the Cubs are good enough to win it this time, and maybe not. But if they do win it, THEN let's all say they deserve it. Or will we have to bear another year of "when will it finally be our turn?"
Well, ts not about whose turn it is, because there aren't any turns. Its about who's the best. They seemed to have moved heaven and earth to get the best possible team there. So play the games, knock off the hype, and we'll see if they are.
It seems the Cubs have become the only team in professional sports that "deserves" to win a championship. And why? Because they never do?
I'm a fan of a team that has won the World Series 11 times since the Cubs last won it. And virtually NO ONE hypes this fact. Could this be because teams in small media markets who actually win championships don't really count because they can't move enough merchandise or get high enough TV ratings?
Maybe the Cubs are good enough to win it this time, and maybe not. But if they do win it, THEN let's all say they deserve it. Or will we have to bear another year of "when will it finally be our turn?"
Well, ts not about whose turn it is, because there aren't any turns. Its about who's the best. They seemed to have moved heaven and earth to get the best possible team there. So play the games, knock off the hype, and we'll see if they are.
1
so, don't read the stories then.
5
There's no question the Cubs are the best team in MLB this year. However, the playoffs are a reset. The Cubs have shown they are the best through 162 games, but the game changes when there are 3 short series to play. Any team can win.
I say watch the games, have fun and pray for the Cubs to win!
I say watch the games, have fun and pray for the Cubs to win!
1
Bah-humbug to you, too!
1
Parks and Rec has the Cubs winning the Series in 2017. Sorry, you'll have to wait one more year.
3
In reading so much about the Cubs 100 win season, may I point out that the 1993 Giants won 103 games and didn't even make the playoffs? Baseball is a unique sport -- uniquely cruel -- and upsets happen all the time. Also, the post season is nothing like the regular season. It can tear down heroes or elevate nobodies to the status of kings with a single catch, pitch, or swing of the bat (if only until next April). I love this game. Go Giants.
4
I’m an avid, diehard Chicago Cubs fan. Liking nothing better than to have the Cubs win the World Series. Yet I have vowed not to watch a single Cubs game during the play-offs. Why will I abstain? For good reason. I am too emotionally involved. As a Cubs fan. I’d become a nervous wreck. Begging. The baseball gods. To let the Cubs win. So that I could be happy and joyous. Instead, I have chosen to wait patiently. Until the games are safely over. To check the scores. And only then, get the details. To be savored. Only if the Cubs win. I’ll not bother myself with the gory details. If the Cubs happen to lose. And then I will still find a way to be happy. By brainwashing myself. Into believing. With all my heart. That it really wasn’t a bad season. Because the Cubs won over 100 games during the regular season. Before the playoffs. Really, that ain’t bad.
9
I am 67 years old. I have been a Cubs fan since I was 5 courtesy of my Dad and my 3 brothers. I have seen a lot of heartache. But come on - win or lose it is so much fun watching these Cubs play! I want them to win so badly, but I would not miss watching these games for the world.
I'm from Chisago City, neighbor. I understand your pain. I bet you're a Vikings fan also.
Jim from Minnesota, I understand the non-watching completely. As a transplant from San Francisco, I chose to not watch a single Giants game in their recent world series appearances. I also think (know) that I am a jinx against the Giants when I watch, perhaps I will watch this year to increase the likelihood that the Cubs will triumph.
1
In the 2007 MLB draft the Giants selected Bumgarner in the first round. We could have selected him 7 picks earlier, but instead we took Josh Vitters. You know Vitters, right? Plays for the Bridgeport Bluefish? Great guy.
4
National League World Series history is against the Cubs winning the World Series this year. Since 1903 National League teams have never won 5 of the first 7 World Series played in a calendar decade. From 2010 through 2015 the Giants won the World Series in 2010, 2012, and 2014, and St Louis won in 2011. A Cub win this year would make it an unprecedented 5th World Series win in this decade through the year ending in "6"for a National League team. And the AL team has the home-field advantage in this WS by virtue of their All-Star game win. I can see them winning the NL pennant for the first time since 1945 this year but the World Series is a different matter, especially since the Cubs lost 7 world Series after 1908, in 1910, 1918, 1929, 1932, 1935, 1938, and 1945.
2
Why would past World Series losses matter. This is a completely different team than those. Your theory does not compute.
1
The Cubs first broke my heart in 1984, when Steve Garvey hit the home run that effectively ended their chances at a Wold Series Title against the Tigers.
I have since moved on, and hopefully taken a more mature approach to baseball and the world.
But this is 2016, the year of Trump. If the Cubs win this year, it must mean that the impossible is true. And that must necessarily mean that if the Cubs win, Trump must win. Please. Wait til next year.
I have since moved on, and hopefully taken a more mature approach to baseball and the world.
But this is 2016, the year of Trump. If the Cubs win this year, it must mean that the impossible is true. And that must necessarily mean that if the Cubs win, Trump must win. Please. Wait til next year.
4
A man goes for a walk and finds a bottle on a beach.
When he pops the cork a genie appears and says "I shall grant you one wish".
The man says "I want to see peace in the Middle East". He then hands the genie a map of the Middle East.
The genie studies the map for awhile and finally says "What you wish for is impossible. So I shall grant you another wish".
The man says "I've always wanted to see the Cubs in a World Series".
The genie replies "Let me see that map again".
When he pops the cork a genie appears and says "I shall grant you one wish".
The man says "I want to see peace in the Middle East". He then hands the genie a map of the Middle East.
The genie studies the map for awhile and finally says "What you wish for is impossible. So I shall grant you another wish".
The man says "I've always wanted to see the Cubs in a World Series".
The genie replies "Let me see that map again".
40
Shouldn't have picked an even number year to play against the Giants. Especially with Madbum still pitching for them.
3
Cubs fans show up day or night, hot or cold, win or lose. They have thrown back visitors' home run balls since they invented the home run. Their loyalty is unmatched. Giants fans have an even number tradition. They read summer reading lists so they can bring interesting books to the games. And they fight over baseballs in boats. This is a matchup between many of the best and many of the worst fans in baseball. Give the Series to the Cubs. Give the Giants better fans. Then, everyone gets what they deserve.
5
This is an insult to all the Giant fans who endured the games at Candlestick Park.
The night games at the "Stick were so bad that fans that stayed for extra inning night games were eventually given medal pins.
Teams don't win because the fans deserve it. They win because one team has an advantage in the individual matchup. In the Johnny Cueto vs Jon Lester matchup I like the Giants' chances. Ask the Oakland A's fans about Jon Lester's fatal flaw.
The night games at the "Stick were so bad that fans that stayed for extra inning night games were eventually given medal pins.
Teams don't win because the fans deserve it. They win because one team has an advantage in the individual matchup. In the Johnny Cueto vs Jon Lester matchup I like the Giants' chances. Ask the Oakland A's fans about Jon Lester's fatal flaw.
3
Cubs deserve to win. CUBS!
"Is this the year?"
No.
No.
4
I'm totally happy for the Cubs fans. I'm not so excited by the Ricketts family supporting Trump.
28
They don't all support DT. Some have given big money to HRC's campaign.
2
Thank you for putting the Cubs on the front page and not you know who. Fly the W! This is very exciting!
3
When I was living in Boston and the Red Socks broke their curse, I was surprised to see there was almost a let down. Few people smiled the next day. Maybe without knowing it, they had become used to the curse, it made life more exciting when they had a curse to brag about.
2
Best in baseball half-season followed by the worst in second half, the fog lifts and we see the post season Giants! Such splendor. Bum is just a part of it. Watch them roll!
4
There's absolutely nothing sympathetic about the Ricketts family, and the Curse of Bartman is still strong and deserved.
Let's Go Giants.
Let's Go Giants.
7
the problem with '84 wasn't Durham's error it was the light politics. The Cubs had earned home field advantage for the San Diego series but they took it away because we didn't have lights so we could not honor the TV contract. The owners never fought that decision to my knowledge they wanted the lights. They knew this series would get them past the LAW. The league signed a deal that directly controverted a city ordinance of one of their NL teams.
I haven't been to a Cubs game since 8/8/88 the night the lights did not go on. Higher powers rained out the game. I haven't watched a night game live ever, okay replays and highlights.
I remember 1969 the year I got every Cubs' players autograph. I remember my 12 yr old heart being broken. I remember 1984 as betrayal, crushing betrayal. I don't remember how long it was before I threw out my Cubs champagne, probably 1988 or maybe 2003.
I don't remember Wrigley quiet. I remember ladies day $2 grandstand seats on Tuesdays. I remember 50 cent bleacher seats sold only the day of the game. And I know the nation of Cub fans was built around day baseball. Grandparents taking the kids and building a long term fan base.
I haven't been to a Cubs game since 8/8/88 the night the lights did not go on. Higher powers rained out the game. I haven't watched a night game live ever, okay replays and highlights.
I remember 1969 the year I got every Cubs' players autograph. I remember my 12 yr old heart being broken. I remember 1984 as betrayal, crushing betrayal. I don't remember how long it was before I threw out my Cubs champagne, probably 1988 or maybe 2003.
I don't remember Wrigley quiet. I remember ladies day $2 grandstand seats on Tuesdays. I remember 50 cent bleacher seats sold only the day of the game. And I know the nation of Cub fans was built around day baseball. Grandparents taking the kids and building a long term fan base.
15
You must be an old guy. I remember the same things. Got a season grandstand pass for being on my HS all-conference team.
“We had a lot of bad teams, and when we had good teams, we had a lot of bad luck,” he said. “And we just have to accept that. That’s the truth. But there is no curse.” Tom Ricketts
“Things worthwhile generally don’t just happen. Luck is a fact, but should not be a factor. Good luck is what is left over after intelligence and effort have combined at their best. Negligence or indifference are usually reviewed from an unlucky seat. The law of cause and effect and causality both work the same with inexorable exactitudes. Luck is the residue of design.” Branch Rickey
“Things worthwhile generally don’t just happen. Luck is a fact, but should not be a factor. Good luck is what is left over after intelligence and effort have combined at their best. Negligence or indifference are usually reviewed from an unlucky seat. The law of cause and effect and causality both work the same with inexorable exactitudes. Luck is the residue of design.” Branch Rickey
2
To me, sports is that avenue away from religion and politics, kinda like listening to Click and Clack, The Tappet Bros from the venerable Dewey, Cheetham, and Howe. And even though the Cubs are playing my hometown faves, SF, I'd feel a sense of sympathy for the Cubs, BUT.
Being owned by a shameless outwardly brazen supporter of Trump, Cruz, you name it, I hope my Giants crush the Cubs!
Being owned by a shameless outwardly brazen supporter of Trump, Cruz, you name it, I hope my Giants crush the Cubs!
10
Laura Ricketts is a Hillary Clinton supporter.
1
I would like to see the Cubs in the World Series, because they play in a historic ball park named for a great, tangible American product that has been part of the culture a good, long time. The other team I'd like to see in the Series also plays in a historic park, named for a marsh.
3
As a Cub fan for 68 years, for a long time I have been a cynic. When yuppies now milenials would go crazy thinking the Cubs win in past years, I knew better. Not this year. Since spring, I have been predicting the Cubs would win the World Series. My most famous prediction before it happened. The Iraq war would be a disaster. My Chicago days are long gone, living on Maui for 14 years. But this year I am back in my old home town for the fun--not to pay $2400 a ticket00but to go to Wrigley Field soak up the atmosphere, and then head to a big TV screen in a local bar--if I can get in. Aloha Cubs.
11
Cub's fan. Uh no, not S.F. this year. IMO, the Cubs are still a bit too young to even make the series, as their plate discipline and clutch hitting has been a bit wanting in the 2nd half. The do have nice pitching and good D, so I guess they have a shot but I'm guessing it will either the Dodgers or Nats representing the NL. The Cubs though, are going to have a great lineup for years.
To add - I go back to the early 60's with the Cubs, when a typical attendance for the games was about 4,500 (all day games) at Wrigley. And that was when they fielded a lineup that included Banks, Santo and Williams but had such bad pitching that they weren't going anywhere. No National fan base, pre-SuperStation/cable but always a pleasure to pour myself an ice-cold Pepsi and enjoy a great game on TV during summer vacation! Saw Koufax strike out 18 Cubs in 1962 and when I checked the date -- April24th, 1962 -- , I saw that it was a Tuesday, which means that my dad must have taken me out of school to go see Sandy pitch. Fun times.
As far as winning it all this year, which I assume they won't since the odds are against any one team doing that in a given year, it doesn't matter that much to me as their future is very bright, with that lineup.
As far as winning it all this year, which I assume they won't since the odds are against any one team doing that in a given year, it doesn't matter that much to me as their future is very bright, with that lineup.
Anxiety doesn't even begin to describe it. As exciting as this years team has been, it being October and all, I am becoming a nervous wreck. I have been fortunate enough to see some Cubs playoff runs. I have been fortunate enough to experience the elation of getting to the dance and the heartbreak of finding ways to lose when they got there. But something about this year feels different, in a good way...and for a Cubs fan, that is absolutely TERRIFYING!
(I am only in my mid-30's, I can't imagine what the feeling is like if you are approaching your golden years). Maybe this IS the year? Lets go Cubs!
(I am only in my mid-30's, I can't imagine what the feeling is like if you are approaching your golden years). Maybe this IS the year? Lets go Cubs!
7
This year:
The Cubs have won 16 more games than the Giants;
The Cubs have scored 93 more runs than the Giants;
The Giants best pitcher (Mad-bum) will only be available for one game in the playoff series with the Cubs; and
The first two playoff games are at Wrigley Field Home of the Chicago Cubs.
All that to say, "Giants win! Giants win!"
The Cubs have won 16 more games than the Giants;
The Cubs have scored 93 more runs than the Giants;
The Giants best pitcher (Mad-bum) will only be available for one game in the playoff series with the Cubs; and
The first two playoff games are at Wrigley Field Home of the Chicago Cubs.
All that to say, "Giants win! Giants win!"
27
I'm pretty sure they'll find any way they can to pitch Bumgarner. I'm no Giants fan, but NOBODY is better than that guy.
6
Some how some way the will blow it.
1
Cats and dogs living together in harmony? Donald Trump in a landslide? The Cubs winning the World Series??
1
Mass hysteria!
Go Giants!
But I do like Madden quite a bit.
But I do like Madden quite a bit.
9
This is as boring as endlessly reliving Branca-Thomson.
Romanticizing futility is a trait of baseball.
Waxing tirelessly and sentimentally about Wrigley Field is also a bore.
Next we can rehash Pete Rose being admitted to the Hall of Fame.
Romanticizing futility is a trait of baseball.
Waxing tirelessly and sentimentally about Wrigley Field is also a bore.
Next we can rehash Pete Rose being admitted to the Hall of Fame.
1
Go Giants There is "magic" in the SF Bay Area!
16
I'd forsake my teachers to sit in the bleachers, in flagrant truancy.
They stole my youth from me.
(Steve Goodman) and me!
They stole my youth from me.
(Steve Goodman) and me!
6
Well, after many years in baseball, Joe got his break in Tampa. Manager of the year twice is a pretty good credential. I don't follow baseball much anymore since the Giants left N.Y., but I understand the Cubs are loaded with talent and Joe Maddon is a top manager who knows what to do. BTW, he is a college graduate.
Sorry, but this is an even-numbered year, and you're facing the SF Giants.
Ain't gonna happen.
Better luck next year.
Ain't gonna happen.
Better luck next year.
11
Talk about myths. Even years? It's just a coincidence. Cubs in 3.
5
We shall see. 2010, 2012, and 2014 are definitely not myths.
4
The odds are always against any particular team any particular year. But best to them. They obviously have a real shot. It would be great for baseball and great for the great City of Chicago if they do it this year.
1
There is no curse.
Red Sox sold babe Ruth - that's the root of the curse. For the cubs nothing comparable- therefore no curse. Now that the mets are out (& before them the yankees)- hope the cubs win it all. Maddons the best mgr in the game. I didn't know the inspiring stories in this article. Really hope they win.
1
The Curse of Bartman has a strong foundation and it's far to soon to presume it has gone away....and now the franchise suffers from the Ricketts malady. The Cubs are in trouble.
1
If it comes down to the Nats vs. Cubs for the NL title, my allegiances will be sorely tested.
1
Raised from childhood to be a CUBS fan. What a curse. I stopped following them after Alou dropped that ball. I just couldn't take it anymore. But for my 92 year old father and 88 year old mother, still rooting for the CUBS in front of the TV in Chicago, I hope it happens. As for me, I just can't allow myself to get my hopes up.
8
I can't root for the cubs since their owner, rickett, announced $1 million donation for drumpf. Untll then I was really excited.
47
The whole family are notorious right wingers.
3
Ouch. Didn't know that.
Still rooting for the club house though.
Still rooting for the club house though.
Except daughter Laura who raised money for Obama and is a gay rights activist...
1
That's right, there is no curse other than believing in a curse.
My grandmother was an ardent Cub fan, listening to or watching nearly every game, and making occasional trips to Wrigley field. She never lost hope during her 98 years that they would win, but sadly she died in 2010.
I hope they make it to the Series and win this year. I'll be watching for her.
My grandmother was an ardent Cub fan, listening to or watching nearly every game, and making occasional trips to Wrigley field. She never lost hope during her 98 years that they would win, but sadly she died in 2010.
I hope they make it to the Series and win this year. I'll be watching for her.
5
Yeah, I'm watching for my mom who was born in Chicago in 1908, last time they won the World Series. She was an avid Cubs fan, she died at age 95.
2
Hmm, Lester and Lackey...
Should opponents send a couple of cases of cold beer and a couple of buckets of fried chicken to the Cubbies' clubhouse before each game?
Should opponents send a couple of cases of cold beer and a couple of buckets of fried chicken to the Cubbies' clubhouse before each game?
3
Cardinal Nation refers to the inevitable demise of any Cub season as a Goat Roast! Already planning a KC Style WS BBQ in their honor.
2
Like Rocco I started vending at Wrigley and Comiskey in 1983 as a 17 year old. Those were heady days for Chicago baseball fans - the LaRussa/Pudge/Hoyt White Sox made the playoffs in '83 and those magical Cubs followed with their 1st playoff appearance in 39 years In '84. Wild to think that Rocco and I might have hustled pop in the same aisle all those years ago. Let's go Cubs!
1
"Hey, Chicago, what do you say...
The Cubs are gonna win today.
They got the power, they got the speed
To be the best in the National League"
NOW.....nobody lets Steve Bartman in the park, OK?
The Cubs are gonna win today.
They got the power, they got the speed
To be the best in the National League"
NOW.....nobody lets Steve Bartman in the park, OK?
2
I recall watching the movie City Slickers when Billy Crystal waxed nostalgic about attending his first baseball game. He talked about how green the grass field was compared to watching on the black and white TV. That is exactly what I experienced at Wrigley Field in the early sixties with my Dad. What a wonderful memory. He was a lifelong fan, inheriting the addiction from his father. My dad was at Wrigley in 1945 (wearing his Army Air Corps uniform) the day the Cubs clinched the pennant, only to lose the series in 7 games to Detroit. Win or lose, the Cubs are a great team and the curse just adds to the folklore. By the way, Bartman reached out for a foul ball (not a fly ball as stated in the article). Anyone else in his seat would have done the same.
25
Please fact check better: the Cubs very rarely have Saturday (or Friday) night games. There were no Saturday night games this season.
4
If the Blackhawks could break their own 49-year championship drought and the Curse of Muldoon to win three Stanley Cups in six seasons, then the Cubs can break theirs. The Curses of Muldoon and the Bambino have disappeared from the public eye, and the Curse of the Billy Goat is sure to follow.
6
Cubs fans: bunch of drunken yuppies. Go SOX!
2
Hope springs eternal .
All of the tools\players\leadership is in place. The team is fairly healthy and momentum is on their side ( all curses aside )
It is an even year, date wise and San Fran is in the playoffs, so I don't give them any hope in H*** .
Hope springs eternal though , so there is that. Sorry Chicago fans.
I offer to buy you a pint to drown yer sorrows :)
All of the tools\players\leadership is in place. The team is fairly healthy and momentum is on their side ( all curses aside )
It is an even year, date wise and San Fran is in the playoffs, so I don't give them any hope in H*** .
Hope springs eternal though , so there is that. Sorry Chicago fans.
I offer to buy you a pint to drown yer sorrows :)
8
They sell Old Style in cans, not pints.
@MB
What kind of heathen practice is that ? For the love of Mike ...
What kind of heathen practice is that ? For the love of Mike ...
My mother was born in Chicago in 1908, the last year the Cubs won The World Series. As a little girl I spent many afternoons with her at Wrigley Field watching Pat Piper bring out his chair, a bag of baseballs and his microphone along the third base line to call the games. Back then, if he felt even a drop of rain, he'd call the game. The only player's name I remember from back then is Phil Caverreta, who played first base.
Loved my popcorn and CrackerJack.
Loved my popcorn and CrackerJack.
12
Don't forget the announcers from back then...Jack Brickhouse, Vince Lloyd, Lou Boudreau, jack Quinlan, and harry Carey.
There was also a guy with Brickhouse who did the Hamm's beer commercials, named Harry Creighton. By the 7th inning, he'd be so sloshed, he could barely speak...Once, he poured a Hamm's all over his desk, completely missing the glass.
There was also a guy with Brickhouse who did the Hamm's beer commercials, named Harry Creighton. By the 7th inning, he'd be so sloshed, he could barely speak...Once, he poured a Hamm's all over his desk, completely missing the glass.
Patrick, sorry, Pat Piper was the announcer back before WW II - long before Jack Brickhouse. Jack didn't come along till 1948.
1
April...I didn't know that , thanks. Then he became the stadium announcer?
this is the year. its going to be the Cubs and they are going to make it look easy.
1
Let's hope the cubs lose again, they deserve to always be known as the lovable losers
4
Jon Lester needs to get out more often if he thinks Chicago is more of a Cubs town than a Bears or Bulls town.
1
No, it's next year, of course.
5
Any fans and team that turns on one of their own the way the Cubs Nation turned on Bartman doesn't deserve the pennant. Go curse!
5
Most real Cub fans actually feel bad for Bartman. Sure, there was a little blame going around when it first went down, but hey, we needed to blame something or someone. But as soon as the stories of him just being a die hard Cubs fan who happened to be in the wrong place at the right time, we collectively let that one go. He wasn't the one that gave up the lead. He wasn't the one that gave up a bunch of runs after that play. Hopefully that weight is lifted off his shoulders this year as well. Poor schlub.
5
I'm a White Sox fan who wants the Cubs to win the WS. Two reasons (1) my many long-suffering Cubs-fan friends deserve the sweet release I experienced in 2005; (2) my White Sox finally give in and convert to the Cubs/Royals method of rebuilding the team from the farm system up.
3
I'm still gonna sing 'Take Me Out To The Ball Game' in Harry's honor... http://www.espn.com/chalk/story/_/id/14516801/mlb-latest-2016-world-seri...
1
Hey-Hey! Holy Cow! Broadcast icon Jack Brickhouse missed the Cubs last pennant year due to his Marine Corps service in WWII. Harry Carey worked the Cubs broadcast as they won the National League East division title in 1984….but nothing more beyond that. Ardent life-long Cubs fan Grandpa Z left this world never having seen his Cubs win a World Series.
But this year... this year, the Cubs are division champs and headed for more. As they proclaim so enthusiastically in Chicago, “This is the Year!”
Curse, you say? What curse?
But this year... this year, the Cubs are division champs and headed for more. As they proclaim so enthusiastically in Chicago, “This is the Year!”
Curse, you say? What curse?
3
The Cubs have had fabulous season and now face an array of really good ball clubs between them and a World Series victory. Let's not set up a "losers" mentality. A good year is a good year in major league baseball.
1
Actually, the Giants are the only really good NL team still in the playoffs. Perhaps someone in the AL could give them trouble if they get that far, but if they beat the Giants, count them in the Series--seriously!
1
I'm a Bay Area native. One of my best memories watching Giants games was watching Game 5 of the 1989 playoffs between the Cubs and Giants in a truck stop in Arkansas. Mitch "Wild Thing" Williams against Will Clark, lefty v. lefty, and Clark wins. Ohhh, everyone but me was soooo maaaad.
If they weren't facing the Giants, I wouldn't mind seeing the Cubs win this time. But I want MadBum in the fifth, mowing them down.
If they weren't facing the Giants, I wouldn't mind seeing the Cubs win this time. But I want MadBum in the fifth, mowing them down.
8
I can't think of a better way to say thank you to President Obama for 8 steady and progressive years of leadership than a World Series championship for the Cubs.
50
The South Side is not Cubs territory.
2
President Obama does deserve our thanks, but he's a White Sox fan.
31
A vote on his SCOTUS nominee would have been more important.
1
Go Giants!!
18
Its not a curse. Its an even year and they have to play the San Francisco Giants whose motto is "the pennant belongs to us" Go Giants!
15
THEY COULD GO ALL THE WAY!
13
After seeing how Cubs fans treated Steve Bartman for his innocent involvement in a playoff game back in 2003, I hope the team never wins another title.
The scapegoating of a perfectly fine individual by Cubs fans was absolutely shameful.
The scapegoating of a perfectly fine individual by Cubs fans was absolutely shameful.
37
I agree with the observation that the fans' treatment of Steve Bartman was disgraceful, and such bad Karma, that the Cubs may never win a title until the entire fan base offers appropriate apologies.
7
Yes, true. I saw a replay of that today, and the guy sitting next to Bartman tried to catch the ball too. Why isn't he in hiding today also?
Crush it Cubs!
5
I have been told that someone (a bar owner?) has the direct great, great, great, great grandson of the goat that was barred from the game. To the cubs ownership: find that goat and get him a prime seat at all games in Chicago. Do not tempt fate again. If you can't find the grand-billy, substitute another one. I have also been told that all goats are related.
Ignore this advice and we will know who to blame.
Ignore this advice and we will know who to blame.
16
That goat is long dead. It was the owner of The Billy Goat Tavern who took the goat to the game and was not allowed in and put on the curse. A few years ago, the owner at that time was invited to take a goat to a game, which he did but it didn't help.
4
So, a man goes to hell and meets the devil, who immediately turns up the heat. The man dances with joy. OK, thinks the devil, must be some kind of nut case and turns up the heat some more. The man dances and sings with joy.
Recognizing a truly lost cause, the devil turns hell into a frozen wasteland. And the man rejoices ecstatically: "The Cubs won the Series, the Cubs won the Series!"
Loved the Cubs when I lived in the Second City and would love for them to win it all -- and before hell freezes over!
Recognizing a truly lost cause, the devil turns hell into a frozen wasteland. And the man rejoices ecstatically: "The Cubs won the Series, the Cubs won the Series!"
Loved the Cubs when I lived in the Second City and would love for them to win it all -- and before hell freezes over!
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This fall I am wishing for a lot of things...most of them in the political realm. The idea of our Cubbies winning the World Series title would be such a positive, uplifting event that all sorts of people (no matter their political persuasion) could celebrate. Go Cubbies!
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Or is it a sign of the Apocalypse? Then what happens in the presidential election?
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Dear Cubbies and Cubbies fans,
As a life long Giant fan, I offer my condolences for your having to meet the Giant in the initial best of five.
Signed,
A life long Giants fan.
As a life long Giant fan, I offer my condolences for your having to meet the Giant in the initial best of five.
Signed,
A life long Giants fan.
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"An error by the Cubs star first baseman Leon Durham — the ball trickled under his glove and through his legs — led to San Diego’s surprising comeback in the final game."
As a Red Sox fan, may I say--what!? How cruel are the gods, how fickle their favor!
As a Red Sox fan, may I say--what!? How cruel are the gods, how fickle their favor!
3
Glad you brought this up. Buckner doesn't deserve to be blamed for Game 6. Calvin Schirraldi had already given the tying run, thus blowing the chance to clinch the series in that inning, and the Mets were virtually unbeatable that year. All they needed was that first mistake. I submit that that game (and series) was already over when Schirraldi allowed the tying run to score. Apologies to Yogi Berra, but still!
1
Sure there was the '69 swoon, but what about the trade of Lou Brock to the Cardinals in '64, and Kenny Hubbs's plane crash in '63? I'm still recovering from all that! Go Cubbies?!?
8
It's an axiom that true fans never call their team the "Cubbies"- just the Cubs
Mike Royko once said he wanted his children to be Cubs fans so that they'd understand the inevitability of death. Here's hoping his grandchildren get to see you can cheat fate once in a while.
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This is hilarious. Where did Royko say this? I'd love to read the entire column.
1
Hmmm. It was a long time ago. When I was a teen I think ( and read Royko religiously) so I'd say 40 plus years ago. It really struck me because I hadn't gotten over 1969 and realized that I might never have a chance to.
2
Royko also said that if the Cubs ever win the WS, they'd become just another crummy team.
A cult of losers who will exult in their loss to the Giants. Pity as I'd like to see the Sox sweep them in four resulting in an additional 100 years of misery.
3
White Sox or Red Sox, Southsider?
5
You're a verified commenter for quality comments and your write this? It's still tacky, as I wrote 14 hours ago (but it didn't get posted because apparently not quality).
Terrified to get excited for fear of jinxing our Cubbies. Have hoped they would win in my lifetime. GO CUBS!
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