I also come from a big family and in this small town, had many cousins around my age. One of my early memories is playing baseball in my grandparents' backyard. Home plate was in the general vicinity the batter would hit, first base was the cement door step to the garage, second base was the pole to the swing set, and third base was this manhole (I think?) on the ground in the grass.
Also one of my earlier memories is my dad teaching me how to play. I think I might have had a big plastic red bat. and so at an early age I learned how to swing at least a plastic bat and the strategy of the game - basic when I was a child but I grew to learn. My cousins and sister and I would play and play in the backyard. It's one of my favorite memories of the summer. Might not have been "The Sandlot" status, but it was my own "sandlot"
I always remembered these summer days of my grandfather watching the Cubs game on t.v. or if he was in the basement in his shop, listening to it on the radio. My grandma is a die hard Cubs fan and always had these figurines with Cubs jerseys on out in the front lawn. We always joked that you weren't allowed in the house if you weren't a Cubs fan (I think my cousin April became a fan of the Phillies or something random just to be random and bug her at one point). The days of Harry Carey and when people could take a chair up to their rooftop and watch the game for free! The years of Ryan Sandberg, Greg Maddux, Andre Dawson, Shawon Dunston.. I was drawn to the game and loved watching it with my dad and grandpa and playing in the backyard with my sister and cousins.
I didn't live in California during the '89 earthquake that the Bay Area is so famous for. But 1990 was also memorable for me for the Oakland A's. Just won the World Series and my first baseball game. I think it was with my church youth group. Early 90's represented those games with Dennis Eckersley, Jose Canseco, and my favorite Rickey Henderson. It was in that time I became a baseball fan - it was local, I loved the team and it was the baseball games I was able to go to.
But I was always a Cubs fan in my blood.
Years went by and I always looking forward to the baseball season. Kept my faith during the baseball strike, the chase for homeruns by Sosa and McGwire, the Bartman mishap (to which I cried for days) and the last season which I'm not yet ready to talk about.
I got into the habit during the summer of calling my dad who still lived in Illinois to talk about the games - what are the Cubs thinking, did you see that game, and most important are they going to do it this year
Think about it for a minute.. generations and generations of people who have loved the Cubs and have come and gone hoping, waiting and believing in a World Series title - or even appearance!
The reason I write this is because baseball season is about to start. Pre-season has started but opening day is around the corner. My dad passed away last month. I'm feeling pretty numb at the moment, but it did it when I put on WGN one afternoon and saw my first Cubs game of the season (preseason against the White Sox). I didn't even think of it and reached for the phone to call my dad - to then realize... to of course my reaction was to shed some tears.
I have a lot of friends who don't understand how I can be an A's fan and a Cubs fan. Here's the newsflash... I don't have to worry about it until the Richard Marx video "Take This Heart" comes true (yeah, YouTube it). And you better believe in that moment I'm rooting the blue and white.
I have other friends who don't understand how I can be a baseball fan. Ok, if you don't like sports, then there is no hope in understanding. But if you do - well the English and Spanish/Mexicans have soccer (football) and the Canadians and all those iced over countries in Europe have hockey - we have baseball. It's not just about the sport. It's about the history, the passion, the culture, and most importantly the traditions and MEMORIES.
I'm not going to deny this baseball season is probably going to be hard. But before you question WHY I love the sport or WHY or WHO I root for, try to step into someone's shoes and see what has got them to where they are now. And think that it actually might be something they hold very dear to the heart.
Go Cubs. I hope this is the year. And that my dad and grandpa (mom's dad) have a big HD flat screen bigger than life up there in heaven. I'm sure it would be better than any seat in the park.
Here's to all those who have passed with a passion, and specifically those loyal Cubs fans that left before their time was up.
(p.s.: Eddie Vedder - ironically my favorite musician since I was 11 - did an awesome Cubs song last year called "Go All the Way". YouTube that - lyrics below)
Don't let anyone say that it's just a game For I've seen other teams and it's never the same When you're born in Chicago you're blessed and you're healed The first time you walk into Wrigley Field Our heroes wear pinstrips Heroes in blue Give us the chance to feel like heroes too Whether we'll win and if we should lose Someday we'll go all the way Yeah Someday we'll go all the way We are one with the cubs With the cubs we're in love Yeah, hold our head high as the underdogs We are not fairweather by farweather fans We are like brothers in arms in the streets and the stands There's magic in the ivy and the old scoreboard The same one I stared at as a kid keeping score A world full of greed, I could never want more Someday well go all the way Yeah Someday we'll go all the way Someday we'll go all the way Yeah Someday we'll go all the way Someday we'll go all the way And here's to the men and legends we've known Teaching us faith and giving us hope United we stand and united we'll fall Down to our knees the day we win it all Ernie Banks said "Oh, let's play two" Or did he mean 200 years In the same ball park Our diamond, our jewel The home of our joy and our tears Keeping traditions and wishes made new Place where our grandfathers, fathers they grew Spiritual feeling if I ever knew And if you aint been I am sorry for you When the day comes with that last winning run And I'm crying and covered in beer I'll look to the sky and know I was right That Someday we'll go all the way Yeah Someday we'll go all the way Someday we'll go all the way Yeah Someday we'll go all the way Someday we'll go all the way |
