I don’t blog much anymore, but today felt like a day worth documenting in my blog. After 108 years, the cubs have won the World Series again.
I’ve had an interesting relationship with the cubs over the years. They are my favorite National League team, and I would say for the most part have been my favorite baseball team (with the twins in close second, or perhaps, at times, being my favorite). It’s a fandom that can be traced back to my Cousin Darin’s love of the team… and has been one I’ve never quite fully understood how it came to be.
Growing up – I wore lots of cub shirts. I remember Darin looking at the newspaper Grandpa’s house to look at the box score. There would be conversations about Ryan Sandberg and whether or not the Cubs could actually win. Darin was far more of a fan than I was, but somehow I got attached.
I remember taking a trip to Wrigley with my family. We had standing room only tickets for a game that really wasn’t all that important. It happen to be Cabbage patch kids day, and we got 2 Jonathan Bradley dolls… Of which we still have today (at least I have mind… not sure about Amy’s).
I remember buying tickets to all 3 Twins Vs. Cubs games in July of 2000. Darin and his dad were going to come to visit and go to the game with us. Sadly, a family relative died. My parents went down to Nebraska for the funeral, and Darin didn’t come up… But, thanks to Richard and his family, I did manage to make it to 1 of the 3 games. The claim to fame for that game: We were sitting right on third base, Mark Grace hit a wicked foul ball and it flew up to our row, bounced (ricocheted?) Â off some woman’s head, Â and flew BETWEEN Mike (Richard’s Cousin) and me. Mike had just come back from the concessions so we were both standing up when it happened and saw the white blur go right between us. It’s the closest I’ve ever come to getting a baseball at a game (and I still blame Mike for not getting it :-)).
I remember watching the 2003 playoffs when Bartman caught the foul ball:
And every moment after that wondering why the Cubs just couldn’t seem to get it together.
I remember that year also being the year that the Twins could have played the Cubs in the world series (But Twins lost in round 1… but I had hope going into it).
I remember the home run races with Sammy Sosa and Mark Mcgwire.
And now, forever etched into my brain will be the night the Cubs finally won the world series.
Congrats Cubs! The Curse has been passed (Sorry Indians)!