Monday, May 19, 2014

Cub Agonistes




"I'm back in the saddle cellar again"

That's what they're singing in Wrigleyville these days as my Cubbies have the worst record in baseball. This year they are celebrating the 100th anniversary of Wrigley Field and the 106th anniversary of their last World Series championship. That's right. The last time the Cubs won a world series, venerable old Wrigley Field hadn't even been built!

"Ah wunnerful ah wunnerful ah!"

In fact, the last time they even played in a world series was 1945 when our troops were all coming home from World War II.



To make matters worse, their ace, Jeff Samardziya, is pitching lights out with an ERA of about 1.50, and he hasn't won a game yet.


"Ah wunnerful ah wunnerful ah."

So they're probably going to trade him away for some prospects.



"Ah wunnerful ah wunnerful ah.

But there is good news on the horizon. The best players in the Cubs system are all in the minor leagues. Take their number one prospect, Javier Baez, for example. He's at Triple A Iowa and is hitting .150.




"Ah wunner..........."

"Good news, mein Fuehrer. Javier Baez got a hit yesterday."

(Make that Andy Pafko got a hit yesterday.)

But the emphasis is on youth as the Cubs tell us that in a few years all the kids on the farm will be playing for the Cubs. Surely they will take us back to the playoffs, where we can all relive the glories of 1969, 1984 and 2003 when the Cubs did their legendary el foldos to break our hearts again.

Someday it will happen. The question is when and where will I be?




"Good news, great-great-great Grandpa. The Cubs have won the World Series."

3 comments:

  1. I wasn't paying attention in 2003, but I remember 1984. They were 2-0 in the playoffs after two games at Wrigley, went to San Diego, and for the first time in history, lost three straight. That was a heartbreaker.

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  2. In 1984, I was listening to the games in Italy on my short wave radio which kept going in and out. When the games moved to Sandiego, I had to stay up until 4 am to listen to them. I was in Genoa for game 3 and games 4 and five in Rome in bed with my wife who I kept awake with the radio on.

    And if you were not paying attention in 2003, you are not a true Cub fan.

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  3. At least I have cousins who grew up on the south side of Chicago... and were still Cubs fans.

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