Cubs Return To Wrigley
HOT DOG!
The Dream Returns: Cubs Open At Wrigley
OPENING DAY AT WRIGLEY FIELD IS LIKE A DREAM.
I remember when I was in high school in the Chicago suburbs, one of the kids in my class was the Cubs' bat boy, which just couldn't have been any cooler. I mean, he got to miss school and go to Wrigley Field and hang out with the players.
Every once in a while my dad would let me play hookey and he would take us to Wrigley. Now that was cool.
Then all of a sudden it was 1984 and the Cubs actually had a chance to win the pennant. That was such a high energy year.
Then, don't you know, I got introduced to heartbreak. The Cubs lost. They just couldn't keep it together.
It was the beginning of a trend, and fearing hurt, I kept my distance until the 1998, the "homerun" race year.
A friend of a friend beat up the guy who caught Sammy Sosa's 62nd home run. Sammy broke Roger Maris' record and and this guy kinda broke out a little tap dance on the guy's head.
I watched on TV as the guy was taken away by the police. A judge ordered that he couldn't sell the ball so he traded it to Sammy Sosa himself for two complete signed outfits.
Flash forward to the cruel "Bartman" year. I just moved back from New York City and all of a sudden I was getting Cubs tickets. I went to 16 games that season at Wrigley.
I saw the Bartman game from my place in the city and then the next day I had to road trip out of town. I'm holed up in this hotel and I knew the Cubs were going to lose the series.
Well they didn't disappoint because they did disappoint, do you know what I mean? But there's always next year.
Every year since then I've been catching more and more games.
Last year, I hit 43 Cubs' home games, and this year I did a deal for 90 cubs home game tickets -- 45 pairs! Now that's cool.
The thing is that optimism about the Cubs is like a exercise in futility, so I'm gonna go to my 45 home games. I'm gonna have a great time, and if they don't win itis still gonna be fun.
I hope they pull it off. But if not, I know a Greek guy who says he can remove the curse for a million bucks. I get half if I can set it up!
Now that's what I'm talking about! Let's go Cubbies!
Who knows, maybe this will really be "the" year.
Chicago bon vivant and art dealer, David Leonardis cohosts a new talk show with Sarah Cooley debuting Tuesday, April 13th. Chit Chat Show will air at 10pm on Chicago's CAN TV Channel 19.
Tags: Chicago
Comments
Great stadium picture caught my eye. Taken by the blog author?
I have fond memories of going to see the Giants at Candlestick Park and later the A's at their nearly empty Coliseum.
Posted by: SeattleBob | April 12, 2010 11:27 AM