Go #Cubs go #flythew #postseason

I was in elementary school in 1989 when the Cubs clinched their spot in the National League Championship Series against the San Francisco Giants. In fact, I saw the game where they celebrated after the last strikeout and they were on the road at the time. Back then I had just discovered sports and particularly baseball. It was exciting for me and sadly they didn't get past the Giants then.

At that point I was never aware of the various aspects of Cubs lore and had little idea of the crosstown rivalry between the Cubs and the Chicago White Sox. There was awareness of two Major League Baseball teams in Chicago, but very little about the rivalry. At that point I could've supported both of them. That year it was the Cubs as the White Sox was no where near the playoffs then.

A few years after that and seeing the Cubs have floundering seasons I did indeed become a White Sox fan and even started sporting a Sox cap at least a year before they made a playoff appearance in 1993. Then quickly got disappointed by their floundering after the 1994 strike that cancelled the baseball postseason.

Somewhere along the way I became a full-on Cubs fan again and yes I did celebrate the White Sox 2005 World Series victory. It was cool to see a World Series title come to Chicago for the first time since 1917 - the last time the Sox won it all until '05.

So I never thought that in my lifetime the Cubs would actually win the pennant and advance to the World Series for the first time since 1945. There were points in time that the Cubs were very close I could count 2015, I definitely would count 2003 - an amazing season but after some good games fell flat. This year it finally happened the NL pennant and the Cubs face the Cleveland Indians in the World Series.

Sometimes I wish I was that little boy again who had just discovered baseball again. How excited would I be about a Cubs world series or better yet a White Sox world series? Cubs fans are excited this year and have reason to be.