The Chicago Cubs - On the Brink of History
It seems like seeing the Chicago Cubs celebrate on the infield, pouring out of the dug-out, is a familiar sight. Why? They love to celebrate. Even small victories. We love to celebrate them so much, any small accomplishment they can achieve becomes newsworthy. The team thus celebrates for our record's sake.
If the Chicago Cubs ever do win a World Series, they will know how to celebrate.
And yet, I don't think any one member of the team knows just how, in the moment, they will react. What template do we have, after all? The radio recordings of us winning the Pennant in 1945? Archival pictures from 1907 and 1908? I think the city of Chicago will be in a state of euphoric shock.
The Chicago Cubs are currently in the National League Championship Series. Previous times they've made it this far in my lifetime include 1984, 1989, 2003, and 2015. This is the fifth.
Manager Joe Maddon has managed to assemble a crack team of athletes. He has his lead-off men. He schedules his best hitters for 2nd and 3rd in the rotation, in the event they could pull an RBI, maybe even a one or two run homer.
And the team. The team! Kris Bryant. Last year's Rookie of the Year. Jake Arrietta was the Cy Young Award winner. Joe Maddon was the Manager of the Year. And they only won the NLDS!
I don't remember 1984. As for 2003, I was too busy with Augustana responsibilities. I presume that game fell right around the time I was attending the President Bahls innaugeration. And writing papers for my Early Modern English class, taking Stage Combat and Design 1.
I watched us win the NLDS in 2015. We had just lost K.C. Ervin-Griesenbeck, though. Also, I had stomach flu. Also, one of my former students was pitching for the Cardinals in the NLDS. Seeing him not advance to the pennant was harsh. Though it was sweet to see the Cubs break out their #TakeOctober and #WeWantItMore t-shirts.
They made the playoffs in 2007. That year, I finally bought a new Chicago Cubs shirt, at the K-mart in Macomb. You can see me wearing it in the picture below.
In 2008, I took in a Cubs game with Mike Scimeca. August 22nd, to be specific. He had tickets he acquired from a friend to a Cubs Nationals game. We won, something like 9-2. There's a livejournal post about it somewhere deep in the archives. I had it by then. I had actually written it by hand on the back of a Children International flyer while I was on the MetraRail train back to Waukegan with Mike. There is definitely the possibilitity I had some of the Old Style still in my system from that game. It was my first Wrigley Old Style. I had just read Wrigleyworld by Kevin Kaduk, and he explained that it was not so much Budweiser, which may advertise the most in the vicinity of the ballpark; as it was Old Style, the official beer of the Friendly Confines. I ordered up a $6.75 cup (I know, it was really affordable in those days!) along with a long skinny brat with mustard. It was fun to watch Kerry Wood, Ryan Dempster, Ryan Theroiot, Ted Lilly, Kosuke Fukudome, Aramis Ramirez, Derrick Lee, and Geovanny Soto field balls, run bases and in general whip the fans behind the green ivy up into a frenzy.
We lost to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NLDS. But we had a good solid season of hope and expectation at least leading up to it.
In 2015, to my great surprise, we did it. We beat the Pittsburgh Pirates in the play-in Wild Card game (Sean Hernandez let the Gatorade jug have a piece of his mind), and we managed to take 3 of 4 games against the St. Louis Cardinals to win the NLDS. I was sick to my stomach the night we beat the Cards though. We had to beat Carlos Martinez, one of my students; and mind you, this was him bravely returning to the post season one year after losing friend and fellow Cardinal, Oscar Taveras, also one of my students.
Also, K.C. Griesenbeck passed away on the Wednesday of Game 4. I looked up and smiled at the game at the end when the champagne containers came pouring out. But I was emotionally, physically, mentally exhausted. I went out, got a Wendy's salad in Galesburg, and returned to my apartment. I got sick shortly thereafter, not even having touched the salad.
We lost to the Mets in the NLCS.
In 2016, replete with high expectations, I have watched Bryant, Arrietta, Anthony Rizzo, Ben Zobrist, Dexter Fowler, Kyle Hendricks, Jon Lester, Jon Lackey, Javier Baez, and Aroldis Chapman dominate through the regular season, handily clenching the National League Central Division, and the subsequent National League Divisional Series.
And this year, my health has been better, and I don't have to worry about the Cardinals having it rained on their parade for the Cubs to advance to the NLCS.
Also, I had the distinct privilege of notifying my dad that we had beaten the Giants in Game 4 of that series. I was watching it in Lewistown at the Rocket. We were down 5-2 when my dad switched off the TV. Then Willson Contreras stepped up. Then Javier Baez stepped up. Then Aroldis Chapman relief pitched a stellar bottom of the 9th on a brisk and breezy Tuesday night in San Francisco in October.
Well, I told my dad, on the phone, I think that we will see history be made this week. We have won three of the five games against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
I hope that I am at my parents' house tomorrow if it happens. Or Sunday. Either way. This will be up there with getting to see Chicago the band live at the Coronado Theatre in Rockford and then the Genesee Theatre in Waukegan. And then again at the i Wireless center in Moline. This will be up there with seeing Steve Winwood live at the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis, and again at the Chicago Theatre in Chicago, Illinois.
Seeing them win the NLDS was like seeing Jennifer Lawrence win the Golden Globe Award for Silver Linings Playbook. She playfully said "I beat Merryl." A feat, no doubt. But it was Hope Springs against Silver Linings Playbook. Something like the Giants against the Cubs in 2016. We almost took it for granted. Or at least we did until Game 3. Anyhow, it was a great win.
If we win the Pennant, it will be like Jennifer Lawrence winning the SAG Award for Silver Linings Playbook. She was up against Jessica Chastain, Emanuelle Riva, and Quvenshane Wallis.
If we win the World Series, it will be like when Jennifer Lawrence won the Oscar for playing Tiffany Maxwell in 2012.
Although I was in the Chicago area when I watched that win. I don't think I should be anywhere near Chicago if the Cubs win the Pennant, much less the World Series. It will be pandemonium. It will be people celebrating in the streets. Literally, pouring out into the streets, the police to busy celebrating with the people to properly block them off.
Go Cubbies!
If the Chicago Cubs ever do win a World Series, they will know how to celebrate.
And yet, I don't think any one member of the team knows just how, in the moment, they will react. What template do we have, after all? The radio recordings of us winning the Pennant in 1945? Archival pictures from 1907 and 1908? I think the city of Chicago will be in a state of euphoric shock.
The Chicago Cubs are currently in the National League Championship Series. Previous times they've made it this far in my lifetime include 1984, 1989, 2003, and 2015. This is the fifth.
Manager Joe Maddon has managed to assemble a crack team of athletes. He has his lead-off men. He schedules his best hitters for 2nd and 3rd in the rotation, in the event they could pull an RBI, maybe even a one or two run homer.
And the team. The team! Kris Bryant. Last year's Rookie of the Year. Jake Arrietta was the Cy Young Award winner. Joe Maddon was the Manager of the Year. And they only won the NLDS!
I don't remember 1984. As for 2003, I was too busy with Augustana responsibilities. I presume that game fell right around the time I was attending the President Bahls innaugeration. And writing papers for my Early Modern English class, taking Stage Combat and Design 1.
I watched us win the NLDS in 2015. We had just lost K.C. Ervin-Griesenbeck, though. Also, I had stomach flu. Also, one of my former students was pitching for the Cardinals in the NLDS. Seeing him not advance to the pennant was harsh. Though it was sweet to see the Cubs break out their #TakeOctober and #WeWantItMore t-shirts.
They made the playoffs in 2007. That year, I finally bought a new Chicago Cubs shirt, at the K-mart in Macomb. You can see me wearing it in the picture below.
In 2008, I took in a Cubs game with Mike Scimeca. August 22nd, to be specific. He had tickets he acquired from a friend to a Cubs Nationals game. We won, something like 9-2. There's a livejournal post about it somewhere deep in the archives. I had it by then. I had actually written it by hand on the back of a Children International flyer while I was on the MetraRail train back to Waukegan with Mike. There is definitely the possibilitity I had some of the Old Style still in my system from that game. It was my first Wrigley Old Style. I had just read Wrigleyworld by Kevin Kaduk, and he explained that it was not so much Budweiser, which may advertise the most in the vicinity of the ballpark; as it was Old Style, the official beer of the Friendly Confines. I ordered up a $6.75 cup (I know, it was really affordable in those days!) along with a long skinny brat with mustard. It was fun to watch Kerry Wood, Ryan Dempster, Ryan Theroiot, Ted Lilly, Kosuke Fukudome, Aramis Ramirez, Derrick Lee, and Geovanny Soto field balls, run bases and in general whip the fans behind the green ivy up into a frenzy.
We lost to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NLDS. But we had a good solid season of hope and expectation at least leading up to it.
In 2015, to my great surprise, we did it. We beat the Pittsburgh Pirates in the play-in Wild Card game (Sean Hernandez let the Gatorade jug have a piece of his mind), and we managed to take 3 of 4 games against the St. Louis Cardinals to win the NLDS. I was sick to my stomach the night we beat the Cards though. We had to beat Carlos Martinez, one of my students; and mind you, this was him bravely returning to the post season one year after losing friend and fellow Cardinal, Oscar Taveras, also one of my students.
Also, K.C. Griesenbeck passed away on the Wednesday of Game 4. I looked up and smiled at the game at the end when the champagne containers came pouring out. But I was emotionally, physically, mentally exhausted. I went out, got a Wendy's salad in Galesburg, and returned to my apartment. I got sick shortly thereafter, not even having touched the salad.
We lost to the Mets in the NLCS.
In 2016, replete with high expectations, I have watched Bryant, Arrietta, Anthony Rizzo, Ben Zobrist, Dexter Fowler, Kyle Hendricks, Jon Lester, Jon Lackey, Javier Baez, and Aroldis Chapman dominate through the regular season, handily clenching the National League Central Division, and the subsequent National League Divisional Series.
And this year, my health has been better, and I don't have to worry about the Cardinals having it rained on their parade for the Cubs to advance to the NLCS.
Also, I had the distinct privilege of notifying my dad that we had beaten the Giants in Game 4 of that series. I was watching it in Lewistown at the Rocket. We were down 5-2 when my dad switched off the TV. Then Willson Contreras stepped up. Then Javier Baez stepped up. Then Aroldis Chapman relief pitched a stellar bottom of the 9th on a brisk and breezy Tuesday night in San Francisco in October.
Well, I told my dad, on the phone, I think that we will see history be made this week. We have won three of the five games against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
I hope that I am at my parents' house tomorrow if it happens. Or Sunday. Either way. This will be up there with getting to see Chicago the band live at the Coronado Theatre in Rockford and then the Genesee Theatre in Waukegan. And then again at the i Wireless center in Moline. This will be up there with seeing Steve Winwood live at the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis, and again at the Chicago Theatre in Chicago, Illinois.
Seeing them win the NLDS was like seeing Jennifer Lawrence win the Golden Globe Award for Silver Linings Playbook. She playfully said "I beat Merryl." A feat, no doubt. But it was Hope Springs against Silver Linings Playbook. Something like the Giants against the Cubs in 2016. We almost took it for granted. Or at least we did until Game 3. Anyhow, it was a great win.
If we win the Pennant, it will be like Jennifer Lawrence winning the SAG Award for Silver Linings Playbook. She was up against Jessica Chastain, Emanuelle Riva, and Quvenshane Wallis.
If we win the World Series, it will be like when Jennifer Lawrence won the Oscar for playing Tiffany Maxwell in 2012.
Although I was in the Chicago area when I watched that win. I don't think I should be anywhere near Chicago if the Cubs win the Pennant, much less the World Series. It will be pandemonium. It will be people celebrating in the streets. Literally, pouring out into the streets, the police to busy celebrating with the people to properly block them off.
Go Cubbies!