"Go Cubs Go"
PG-13 for language
33 years ago today, the Phillies beat the Cubs at Wrigley 23-22. Damn Mike Schmidt. It is a favorite game of mine to watch when it is on ESPN Classic. Last time it was, Mark Stein tried finding me to call and let me know. It was a great game and although the Cubbies lost, it is fun. Its also a metaphor for Cubs. Close but no cigar. Coincidentally, Chicago is playing Philly tonight. I am sure the schedulemakers had no clue of the significance, but I am watching the game. In true fashion the Cubs are down 4-1already.
Yes. I am a Cubs fan. My folks were Chicago Southsiders. My Dad is a huge White Sox fan. As fate would have it though, we lived briefly in South Carolina. the only baseball hat my folks could find me was a Cubs hat. So 2 year old Charley Utech became a Cubs fan. . .for life.
As a kid, my favorite baseball player was a non-Cub. . . Pete Rose-- Charlie Hustle. I wanted to play like him for the Cubs. Over the years, I have had a few favorite Cubs, some strolling through Des Moines on their way to Chicago.
Lets look at the Cubs through the years.
In the mid to late 70s, for me to watch the Cubs in Newton Iowa I had to rely on 3 things. Saturdays on NBC, Sundays when it would be on Channel 5 local or Monday Night Baseball on ABC. Monday Night Baseball during the summer with Howard Cosell was great. Sundays always began with a montage that featured Ivan Dejesus making a great catch at shortstop and Bill Buckner racing to first base to beat Pete Rose on a grounder by an eyelash. (thats always my exhibit A that it didn't matter on the grounder Mookie hit in 86 as Wilson wouldve beat Billy Buck to first.) The theme song for the clips was Disco inferno. Awesome.
The 79 Cubs really werent bad. Dave Kingman, Manny Trillo, Steve Dillard, Bruce Sutter and the gang were feisty. Sad to say they made it to August in a pennant race and that was awesome. In the early 80s excitement came in the form of the Chicago Cubs supplanting the White Sox as the affiliate here in DSM. That got multiplied exponentially when they started paying games here in Des Moines. I got to obtain autographs from young ryne sandberg, Leon Durham and others. Tim Blackwell, too.
early 80s Cubs sucked. Not much hope, but in 83 I was excited that Chuck Rainey was going to get a no hitter and I was going to see it at My Grandparents in Chicago. Then Eddie Milner screwed that up.
Lets talk about 1984. That was awesome. For the most part. I actually just want to talk about The Sandberg game and Rick Sutcliffe coming over for Mel Hall and Joe carter.
Lets also talk about how Major league baseball screwed the Cubs. Chicago was supposed to have 3 home games in the 84 playoffs. One was taken away for the betterment of tv. Thanks Fuckers. no I am not bitter.
Andre Dawson was awesome in 87. steroid free too. How is that for a segue?
88. Lights at Wrigley Field. NOOOOOOO . Suzy and family and friends got to see in person the first cub game with the lights on. I watched it on tv.
89 Cubs-- ahh the Boys of Zimmer. My first time in Wrigley. 1989 against the Phillies. John Kruk lead the Phils to a win. Ive never seen the Cubs win in person. . . Even when they played the I cubs
The other memory of 1989. Damn Will Clark reading Greg maddux's lips. "Fast ball." no world Series.
90s Cubs. . .well outside of having fun with college roomie peter hall naming old cubs at night and George Bell being traded for Sammy Sosa and Randy Myers going ninja on a fan not much to talk about until...
1998. This is probably my favorite Cubs Team. Gritty. feisty. Power, hitting, pitching. Brant Brown tried to lose it, but they Hung on. Yeah Steroid Sosa was cool and if I knew then what I know now. well I wouldn't have cheered so loudly for that cheating mo fo
the Braves dashed 98s hope, but there is always 2003, right?
I do not talk about 2003 much. I do not care if everyone would've gone for that foul ball. I would not have. All the joy as a cubs fan my whole life was dashed. It was ok if they blew and sporadically were good. I rooted for that win any given day to cheer go cubs go. Nothing was expected, but cherished. After 03, it was like winning wouldn't be enough. Every win just makes the weight of the world even greater. Closer to Play-offs and closer to the world series means more pressure. This is just a game.
I do not hate Bartman, but I hate what happened. I hate the anger I had then and still have now.
I think back to when I was a kid in the backyard. Baseball was fun and easy. joyful. That is gone.
I hope it comes back. I love baseball and I love the Cubs. These new Cubs remind me of glimpses of Cubs past Tony Campana as Bob Dernier, Ian Stewart as Lenny Randle. Chris Volstad as about 80 Crappy Cubs pitchers I could name. I will let Pete do that.
GO Cubs Go. Bring back that JOY
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