Celebrating the Cubs victory!

For those that don't know me, baseball is a passion of mine. Ok, let's be honest, I'm a bit obsessed. I start my day, not on facebook or email, but reading about the Cubs. I don't just do this during the playoffs, but everyday, even during the off season, like January!!! It's cold in January. There is no baseball. Yet, I love this stuff, I can't get enough. I'm constantly writing lineups out in my notebook, reading blogs, forums, message boards, rumors, etc... All baseball really, but especially the Cubs.

I've been following the Cubs for a long time, and was one of those kids who could read a box score before I was 6, recite player stats as a 7yr old, and quickly calculate my own pitching ERA or batting average from little league when I was 8 years old. I knew the obscure rules and players, and everything in between. Whether it was wiffleball, little league, video games, even as an adult! I was thinking about the Cubs.

I've been to more than a dozen ballparks, Cooperstown, and even a game in Japan (blog posted in July). Baseball is my passion, but the Cubs are the driver of this. I've been watching the Cubs since 1984 when I was 4 years old.

I remember going to games in frigid conditions in April, as the wind whipped off Lake Michigan, getting hot chocolate from the stands. I remember going to double headers in the heat of August. I remember Sammy Sosa's homeruns, Grace's doubles, Maddux's changeups, and so much more. What I don't remember? The Cubs winning much, let alone playing the world series.

For those of you who don't know, on October 22nd 2016, the Cubs have made it to their first world series since 1945. Yep, my Dad hasn't even been alive since their last one. To make it worse, it's 71yrs since they won a pennant, but 108 years since they won a world series!!! Many say it's due to being cursed by Sam Sianis and the curse of the billy goat. More details here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curse_of_the_Billy_Goat

The Cubs have been bad for a long time, and when they are good, they suffer massive heartbreak.

A brief history lesson:

1969: This was a loaded team, so much talent, which included 4 hall of famers! Jenkins, Banks, Santo, and Williams. They never made it to the world series, and actually choked in September that year. Why did they collapse?

Some say it was when this black cat came out of nowhere and walked across the path of Ron Santo. The Cubs went on a spiral down, barely able to win, while the Mets came from behind and passed them up to win the title.

The 70s and early 80s were a nightmare for Cubs fans, almost always last place or mediocre, so we can skip those years.

Finally in 1984 there was a great team. They easily won the NL East and made the playoffs, to face the San Diego Padres.

The heartbreak happened when Leon Durham, the first baseman let a ball go underneath his glove to blow the lead and therefore the series and chance for the world series. The culprit? A gatorade cooler spilled on his glove and soaked it, making it useless and unable to catch the ball.

Fast forward to 1989, I was 9 years old and knew exactly what was going on. I basically didn't sleep for weeks I was so excited. The Cubs had a fun team, with Dawson, Ryno, Gracie, Shawon O Meter, Wild Thing, etc... Then Will Clark happened. He was the leader of the SF Giants and was a one man wrecking crew, absolutely destroyed Cubs pitching and made quick work of the Cubs. My first real bout of heartbreak.

The Cubs made a brief run in 1998 and again in 2001 with overachieving teams, but nothing to write home about. In fact, they started 1997 with 14 straight losses! How is that even possible???

Then in 2003 something interesting was happening. The Cubs had Kerry Wood and Mark Prior and were on fire. I had just graduated from SIU and was living in Chicago, and it was special. I couldn't believe it, they won the division, they beat the Braves in the NLDS, and were crushing the Florida Marlins in the NLCS 3 games to 1. All they needed was to win one more. How could they possibly lose? Well, they did, and may blame Steve Bartman for interfering with this foul ball. If the Cubs got this out, it may have made the difference. I was actually at this game and was pissed at Bartman, but years later have long since forgiven him. This poor guy is internet famous 13 years later and his life is ruined. As a Cubs fan, I say we need to let him throw out the first pitch and forgive him.

A few years passed by to some very mediocre teams, and then 2007 the Cubs put together an exciting team, but fell completely flat in the NLDS against the DiamondBacks and lost 3 games to zero.

The next year they played the Dodgers in the playoffs, but this would be different, right? The Cubs were the best team in baseball, they dominated the competition, scored a bunch of runs, had great talented veterans. Well, they looked lifeless and the Dodgers steamrolled them in a 3 game sweep. I went to one of the games in LA and it was pathetic.

Then the Theo Epstein era came. He was the executive in charge of the Red Sox breaking their own curse and he had a plan. The plan was to be horrible for a few years and completely blow up the mediocre organization and rebuild it into a strong foundation with great young players. It worked.

In 2015, ahead of schedule, the Cubs beat their arch rival St. Louis Cardinals in the NLDS, and although they lost the NLCS, the fans were confident.

Then in 2016 it happened. They were not only the best team in baseball, but they owned the playoffs. They beat the Giants in the NLDS during one of the best comebacks I've ever seen, and beat the best pitcher in baseball on the Dodgers during the NLCS. To be the best, you must beat the best. The Cubs are doing it and it's awesome!

Here is a photo of Christie and I in Buenos Aires, randomly meeting a couple from Chicago and cheering on the Cubs! Notice the 4 of us are watching on a tiny phone in the 2nd pic due to the internet outage in Buenos Aires!

Christie and I in Hawaii celebrating! It happened, they won! That smile is 36 years of suffering turned into a moment of happiness.