Still Chasing October

I’m fine… really I am.Wrigley wedding

It’s not as if we Cubs fans aren’t used to this sort of thing. One thing we’ve learned is to enjoy the ride as long as it lasts. And this year was quite a ride.

I made it to Wrigley for the one and only playoff game. I was with Peter Gilbert (of “Hoop Dreams” fame) and his son Leo. The atmosphere was jubilant, but tempered by the history of this franchise. The fact that the Cubs had already lost the first 2 games in Arizona had people a bit nervous. But the snippets of conversation I caught outside the park were all optimistic.

It was in the 90’s and as humid as an August afternoon. Somehow that didn’t seem like a good omen for October baseball.

I caught one couple getting married just outside the park. Why didn’t I think of that?

Leo, Peter and Ira at the gamePeter and Leo and I met up outside. I congratulated Peter on “Hoop Dreams” winning the IDA’s poll as the best documtary of all time. Take that Michael Moore!

Our seats were in the very last row of the upper deck, but there are no bad seats in Wrigley. We settled in to enjoy what we knew might be the final game of the season. As the game began, the electricity was palpable, but on the first pitch of the game, the Diamondbacks hit a home run and the air was sucked out of the park. It’s hard to explain, but just like when Bartman knocked that ball away, Cubs fans can smell it coming. And sure enough, the rest of the game was a disaster.

There’s always next year…How many times have I said that?Peter and Leo at the end of the game

“I always believed that being a Cubs fan built strong character. It taught a person that if you try hard enough and long enough, you’ll still lose. And that’s the story of life.”~~ Mike Royko

But my streak is still alive. I’ve been to every post-season game played in Wrigley Field since the day I was born. Sounds impressive, but do the math!

2 thoughts on “Still Chasing October”

  1. I guesss it’s all my fault. I should have never taken you to Wrigley Field in the 60’s to see the Dodgers play the Cubs. Holtzman beat Kolfax 1-0. I wonder what would have happened had the score been reversed?

  2. As I told Matt Liston a couple weeks ago, we need a sequel to “Chasing October” for 2007 and it should be called “Chasing MID-October”

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