The Cubbies

[SteveBailey]

So much hope in April, so much heartache in September. So it goes for our lovable losers. Does this year feel any different?

[midnight Target]

Nope.

1st MLB game I ever saw was in Wrigley. My uncle bought box seats on the 3rd base line. I saw Ron Santo and Ernie Banks that day. Been a Cubbie fan ever since.

[ROX]

I remember as a third grader in Waukegan, IL running home from school to see Ernie Banks hit home run #500.  I was too late, but I did get to see the post-game interview.  After the '69 Cubs got edged out by the "Miracle Mets", I've still been a fan.  "Die Hard Cubs Fans". 

They'll win it all someday.  I hope I live to see it.


ROX

[Rich46yo]

Im a Sox fan who grew up a Cubs fan, "well I was a sox fan then too". I remember 1969 like it was yesterday. That was back when a kid could afford to see almost all the home games in the bleachers just by tossing newspapers at 0400 and cutting lawns. I can still remember their starting lineup in '69, Santo, Kessinger, Beckert, Banks in the IF. Williams, Hickman, Phillips, Young, in the OF. Hundley at catcher, starters were Jenkins, Holtzman, Hands, Selma. Best relievers were Regan, Aguirre, and Ted Abernathy with his submarine pitch. They were up 9 games in the middle Of August, ended up winning 92 games for the year, but lost to a red hot NY Mets teams that came out of nowhere to win 100 games and eventually the 1969 World Series. Beating the Orioles 4 games to 1.

I was crushed from that year.

Then there was 1984 remember? They won the first two at home and have 3 trys to win one on the road at San Diego for the pennant. And they ended up losing all 3. Cursed!

I hated the Tribune company and how they ran the Cubs. I never hated the Cubs. Now that that is changing I'm hoping they go all the way this year.

In 2003 I was working down at Wrigley and right before that Bartman kid pulled his act I said to my partner, 'they might just win this thing", and , "this place is going to go nuts". I predict if the Cubs ever win a WS, most of all if they do it at home, this town will go ape in a way that would make the Bulls championship riots look like a square dance. Wrigley is located in the middle of a large tavern district and that area, this city, would go mad.

[Saxman]

June is just around the corner, and then all will be right with the world.... 

[whiteman]

[SIK1]

I predict if the Cubs ever win a WS, most of all if they do it at home, this town will go ape in a way that would make the Bulls championship riots look like a square dance. Wrigley is located in the middle of a large tavern district and that area, this city, would go mad.

I never understood why people would riot, destroying a portion of the city that they live in, because some sports team won a game.

[Mustaine]

Go Brewers!

[MoeRon]

I was a fan until '84, took me about 10 years to get it back, then the Barski ball......

Go Sox!

[SteveBailey]

I remember as a third grader in Waukegan, IL running home from school to see Ernie Banks hit home run #500.  I was too late, but I did get to see the post-game interview.  After the '69 Cubs got edged out by the "Miracle Mets", I've still been a fan.  "Die Hard Cubs Fans". 

They'll win it all someday.  I hope I live to see it.


ROX

Weird, I think I was in third grade in 1969. I was in Waukegan Il, too.  Seriously. 

[trax1]

1st MLB game I ever saw was in Wrigley. My uncle bought box seats on the 3rd base line. I saw Ron Santo and Ernie Banks that day. Been a Cubbie fan ever since.

I got to meet Santo a few years ago at Wrigley, I'm in a wheelchair so I get to park at the field were the players and ever else who works there parks, this was when he was doing radio broadcast for the games, on our way out he was getting into his SUV which was a few parking spaces from were we were parked, so we went over to him and all got his autograph and talked with him for a couple mins.  This was a few weeks before he had his first leg amputated.

[ROX]

Weird, I think I was in third grade in 1969. I was in Waukegan Il, too.  Seriously. 

I went to Clearview School  for third grade, West of Topps & Bells...none of which exists today

I know!  There are some VERY strange things about it being a small world.  

Aces High Staffers, take note!

Steve and I grew up and lived about 1/2 mile from each other.  Because of where we lived, he went to Waukegan East High School, I went to Waukegan West High School.  I saw the tv special about his kids but never figured it out at the time.

A couple of months ago bignadsy was along with a big bunch of knights taking bases.  I asked him about his squad affiliation, ony to find out he had just been invited to join one of our squads fraternal squads.  About a week later, I am just about to sign into the game I get a phone call from bignadsy.  He asks my real name, I tell him, and we both have a big laugh because we not only went to Junior High together, we went to High School together!  He was a year behind me!

Both Steve & bignadsy and myself had no real interaction with each other until Aces High!

bignadsy is coming to Hot Springs for the annual Biker Rally...I hope to have an adult beverage or two with him when he does.

My athletic director at my old high school is now the Mayor of Waukegan.



And for a Cubs story, my wife got a wild hair about wanting to go see the Cubs.  I asked her about being uncomfortable in those stadium seats since she was 8 months pregnant at the time, but she said it would be ok.  After her first $5 Coke, guess what, she had to go to the bathroom.  When she got there the line was way out the door and she had to go real bad... but about four other women took her by the hands shouting "Pregnant Lady--coming through!!" and got her in right away.  Now those are real Cub fans!


ROX

PS You may be asking yourself how the three of us could live so close but not really know each other until Aces High.  Each class in the Jr. High had 13 full classrooms of 35 kids each for each grade.  The High School had about 500 to 800 kids in each graduating class depending on what year you were born.  You literally could go to school for 4 years with someone and never really "meet" them.

[ROX]

For the "Go Brewers" cheesehead who posted....

The next summer after Ernie hit #500 our Beach Park Little League was supposed to have an after season outing to go see the Cubs, but for some reason went to see the Brewers. No problem.

August 1st, 1970, Milwaukee, WI...

We were behind the dugout on the first base side.  Not bad seats considering.  About the 5th inning New York Yankees catcher Thurmon Munson steps up to the plate.  First pitch he fouls off high to the bleachers behind us.  Second pitch he fouls out almost right at my head...it goes through my hands and hits the kid behind me in the arm--bounces off him and lands right in my lap.  I try and get the ball hunder me as like 5,000 hands start trying to pry it away.  I held on.  I still have that ball.

I also had a hot dog...it had Boetjes' Brown mustard from Rock Island, IL on it.

You can't be 9 years old and have a better day than that.


ROX

PS My case of Boetjes Brown Mustard arrives UPS tomorrow!  Yeah Buddy!

[SuBWaYCH]

Go Mets.

[C(Sea)Bass]

Go Mets.

Mets suck.