Against My Better Judgment
I suspect all of us in life carry a soft spot in our hearts for something, a cause or a belief that if you think about it is rationally insane. If you don’t have such a cause or belief you cannot be a Cubs fan. I mean to root for a team that hasn’t won a World Series since 1908 and hasn’t been to the World Series since World War II. What could possess otherwise intelligent people to invest their time and money on such a team? Some teams have great players that attract a multitude of fans, some teams have location such as the Rockies or the Florida Marlins want to watch Baseball? That’s where you go. But the Cubs have a place! Not since God evicted Adam & Eve has their been such a place of pastoral beauty, no Hollywood movie set could duplicate this backdrop, and when Hollywood comes to Wrigley They are told stay off the grass! Maybe they realize maybe they don’t, but this is holy ground. Only the Vatican or the wailing wall has heard more prayers. Many feared that the addition of lights would destroy that ambiance. On opening night God answered with rain, but it would take more than that! The bleachers were full the beer cups were emptied as the fans sang and cheered while the players used the infield cover as a slip & slide The event was joyous raucous and fun, and then the game started. That’s part of the secret it’s not just about baseball. Billions of dollars have been spent to imitate, all the shiny new retro stadiums. Cubs fans can spot immediately the lay of the grandstands or the outfield wall or red brick, go on try your best you can’t have what we’ve got! Ours is the Sistine chapel of baseball you can imitate but you can’t replicate. The Yankees want to leave the Bronx and build a new Yankee stadium, are you insane! If someone in Chicago were to suggest such lunacy I would lead the charge myself pitchfork in one hand torch in the other! I have Wrigley field on Google earth, when the day goes wrong and my head aches I hit the preset and in just a minute or two I feel better Some understand, some don’t but being a Cubs fan is a fraternity. Once you don that blue cap with its red C you cease to be white or black or rich or poor, blue collar or white collar young or old. For an old Cubs fan is merely young fan with much experience, there are no old Cubs fans. It is a prerequisite to be young at heart, for common sense and rationality would ask you, why do you want to go there? They don’t win! That’s the way and old person would think. The Fraternity has is own lore and language. Banks, Brickhouse, Santo, Leo, Harry, Zimmer immortals of the fraternity not just because of their performance but because of who they are. One name is all that is required like Elvis or Madonna, I can say Fergy or Ernie and all know would know who I mean to add Jenkins or Banks would be superfluous. Being a member you know, but for those who don’t when you walk away from Wrigley Field if you don’t want to be asked the score and details of the game you put your hat in a bag. For your fraternity brothers and sisters will insist you stand and deliver, and you must it is your debt you owe to the fraternity, they would tell you if you asked, wouldn’t they? Likewise you are required to throw the visitors homerun ball back and you will sing take me out to the ball game in the seventh inning. It’s not just a song it’s our anthem, I really don’t care if I ever get back! And if they don’t win it’s a shame not unexpected but still a shame I once saw Billy Coregan of the rock band Smashing Pumpkins sing the National Anthem then when interviewed by Harry later in the game became emotional about his grandmother taking him as a child to the ladies day games. Touring the world, millions of dollars and the adulation of thousands of fans but his heart was moved by the memory of sitting in the Wrigley summer sun. Who can say they had a great career in music that hasn’t sang at Wrigley it’s an honor akin to and audience with the Pope. Forget the words? You would be better off interfering with a ball in during a play off game, we don’t expect perfection from the Cubs but we do expect reverence in our temple. The greats can be made greater or they can be humbled, when the mighty Babe called his shot he was in the left hand batters box at Wrigley pointing to our center field scoreboard. I watched Hank Aaron hit a ball that cleared the left field fence by thirty feet destined for the pavement on Waveland Ave. when it was caught by a twenty five mile and hour gale and the left fielder took two steps in on the warning track and caught it for an out. But when Hank hit 715 I smiled because I knew that was really 716 I had seen the one that came back. I watched them pound San Diego 19 to 0 with Ted Ulander on the mound a side arm pitcher who threw everything with topspin, just made for Wrigley for a day the wind was blowing out. But they don’t win my rational side keeps telling me, but I have learned you see, we learn more when we lose than when we win. We learn nothing when we win but when you’re a Cubs fan you know this all ready. You will not win all the time in life, You will not win most of the time in life, maybe you will win once and a while and being a Cubs fan I can savor that. I can get up in the morning and try again because the Cubs have taught me it’s not just winning, winning is great but it’s how you win. If you can’t have a good time and try your best and lose, you don’t love the game or life you love winning. Go root for the Yankees! I was twelve years old in 1969 my dad took me to a game, he didn’t care for baseball or the Cubs but he took me anyway. We were down 6 to 4 in the bottom of the ninth to the Expos My Dad asked, “You want to go?” I answered no lets watch it to the end. They came back and tied the game, two on two out Ernie Banks at the plate. He fouls five consecutive pitches off to the same place in the stands, this was a masterpiece of hitting. This man with over five hundred career home runs what does he do on the sixth pitch? He puts the barrel of the bat out and dunks a single over the shortstops head. The lesson, you don’t have to do something spectacular to win just keep trying and do what’s needed. I have wondered or dreamed would success ruin it all? Back to back world championships could the Cub’s mystic survive? The larger question could Chicago survive? I could only imagine the pandemonium it would be apocalyptic but I would wager no one would die or have their cars set on fire. The riot squad might be called out but to no avail as they would already be in the streets celebrating That’s not our style ours is a fraternity not a street gang but it would be New Years Eve, fourth of July and VE day all rolled into one. Maybe it could happen! Really it could, I’m a Cubs Fan I believe. But you know what? If it doesn’t happen next year so what, they'res always the year after that and the year after that or even the year after that. I’m hooked I admit it, even though I don’t live in Chicago anymore I still check the Cubs score. In my minds eye I can see that white flag with its blue W blowing in the breeze over the scoreboard. On the last day of the regular season to see the blue and red pennant on top of all the others for only my wife and children have given me more joy than the Cubs. My kids probably won’t be elected President or win the Nobel Prize and that won’t change the way I feel about them. I want them to do well in life but if you are a Cubs fan you understand that all ready.
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