I consider myself a casual sports fan, and yet it was great to see the Chicago Cubs win the World Series after 108 years. It was not something that was on the horizon for many Cubs fans and yet it happened. I didn't see this coming especially.
As a casual sports fan, I usually miss the start of any sports season. Hell, most of the season breezes by before I start to pay attention.
This baseball season was no different in spite of the Cubs being the defending champions. It really feels strange typing this. It did feel great to tweet this the night the North Siders won it all!
So between November 2nd to April 10th it's time for a championship banner raising. [VIDEO]
I am however very glad that the Cubs didn't take to this idea of utilizing world champs uniforms for the 2017 MLB season. It would've been very tacky even after 108 years. Even worse it's already difficult to repeat as world series champs, although here's hope it doesn't take another century for the Cubs to do it one more time and then some!
Not only for the first time in 108 years did the Cubs win the World Series they also brought home their first Commissioner's trophy. You might have seen that in the post about the White Sox and their World Series victory in 2005 as their championship emblem contained the commissioner's trophy.
BTW, I should add having won two world series themselves in the early 20th century - like the Cubs - in 2005 the Sox also brought home their first commissioner's trophy. So as of 2016 both Chicago teams have their own trophy to show for their respective victories. Not sure what they have to show for their earlier victories before a trophy was devised.
The trophy has a similar meaning as the Stanley Cup or Vince Lombardi trophy. I did posts where I explained the history of both especially the Stanley Cup as far as the Black Hawks. It was first awarded in 1967 and before that time if you won the world series in previous you didn't get a trophy. Basically one would get rings for winning the world series just as most athletes get rings today.
I unfortunately didn't go the parade and rally in Grant Park for the Cubs but many fans got a glimpse of the trophy on Friday. An estimated five million came to Chicago to celebrate the Cubs first world series victory since the early 20th century.
Now that I've take care of this need to write about this it's time to look for other topics. I still can't believe the Cubs finally won one!!!
Also I found this article that questioned some of Cubs Manager Joe Maddon's moves with his bullpen during the final two games of the series. The article will claim that the manager choked but the team itself didn't. That article had the only good photo I could find of any Cub with the trophy in their arms.
I waited until the end of the Cubs/Indians world series to post this. Before the Cubs won last night, the White Sox brought a world series victory to Chicago. It seemed to have been forgotten during the excitement over the Cubs.
Unfortunately I never worked on such a post when the Sox advanced to the World Series and then ultimately swept the Houston Astros. Over the years I did one for both the Bears and Black Hawks when they advanced to their respective World Championship rounds. So this post is really 11 years in the making.
Now with the success of the Cubs not only winning their first pennant in 71 years, but winning their first world series in 108 years. It's time to revisit the Sox who missed the playoffs this year and changed managers. Ironically the new manager is Rick Renteria who managed the Cubs in 2014 the season before Joe Maddon took the reins at Wrigley.
As a charter member of the American League which started in 1901, the Sox also won their first pennant that year. The world series as we know it began in 1903. Thus the Sox also won World Series titles in 1906, 1917, and of course 2005. In addition to 1901 they also won pennants in 1906, 1917, 1919, 1959, and of course 2005.
As a side note in 1906, the Sox faced off against the Cubs in the World Series. The only year both teams faced off against each other in a crosstown world series. And the White Sox claimed their first world series victory in this series.
Also the 1919 White Sox team was the subject of the film Eight Men Out. That movie was basically a dramatization of the Black Sox Scandal which took place during the 1919 World Series against the Cincinnatti Reds. Needless to say eight Sox players were banned for life from baseball after an investigation.
In 1969, Major League Baseball had been realigned where each league had been broken up into two divisions. Each division winner would play in an League Championship Series to determine who will play in the World Series.
By 1995, the major leagues would also be re-aligned again with three divisions per league and an extra round in the baseball postseason - League Division Series. Three division winners or those who clinched division titles with a wild card team with that round determining who advances to the ALCS (or conversely NLCS). In 2012 MLB created another round a one-game playoff between two wild card teams where one will advance to the ALDS (or NLDS).
Since 1969, the White Sox have won division titles in 1983, 1993, 2000, 2005, and 2008. The Sox as of yet have never clinched a wild card berth in the baseball postseason.
Also since we broached the subject of a crosstown series between Cubs and Sox. In 2003 the Cubs and Sox were close to both securing a berth in the postseason, unfortunately the south siders fell out of contention. The Cubs would enjoy a memorable run in 2003 even if they fell short.
In 2008, however, both teams were in the postseason winning their central division in their respective leagues. Unfortunately both teams were eliminated after their respective league division series.
The period between White Sox world series titles had been 88 years between 1917 and 2005. Between world series appearances had been 46 years between 1959 and 2005. Not nearly as long of a drought as the Cubs, however, the Sox were the first to bring a major league world series title back to Chicago.
71 years of waiting for an NL pennant ended last month. Now 108 years for a World Series championship is over. In 10 innings the Cubs scored the final out in Cleveland against the Indians and clinched a title over a century in waiting. It was a back and forth game between the Indians and Cubs both teams seemed to have wanted it, but in the end it was the Cubs.
2016 as it turns out IS their year!!!
BTW, tomorrow to honor the Chicago White Sox who 11 years ago brought their own world series title back to Chicago I will post a championship history for them. The first Chicago championship history written on this blog was for the Bears. I had the time not sure why it wasn't done in 2005 well they get one now!
For now this blog will "fly the w" for the Cubs. Formally a Cubs world series image will be shown on the blog eventually. Perhaps within the next day or so.
Cleveland vs. Chicago MLB World Series after game 5 at Wrigley Field baseball fans learned one thing. It's not over yet!!! Cubs stave off a Cleveland world series win 3-2 on Sunday night. Series is now at 3-2 Cleveland. Back to the former Jacob's Field (Progressive Field) on Tuesday at 8 PM.
[VIDEO] A nice song by the late Steve Goodman. The response to this song caused him to write the Cubs anthem - Go Cubs Go - you may hear at Wrigley Field after Cubs victories, especially if you're actually there at a game also when you watch a TV broadcast.
Goodman unfortunately would die of cancer in September 1984, that year the Cubs faced the San Diego Padres and would lose the NLCS that year and went the full five games. Up until 1985, the NLCS was best three out of five games.
All the same this silly but somewhat sad song has a new meaning as there have been generations of Cubs fans who have been waiting for a Cubs world series. They got one and now they hope of a long time in coming world series victory.
We shall see as game 1 of the 2016 world series against another long suffering team - Cleveland Indians - will start Tuesday night.
In the meanwhile I can only hope that Mr. Goodman is smiling from the stars especially when the Cubs clinched the National League pennant!
I want to refer you to the last two posts regarding the Cubs. The first is the championship history of the Cubs which dates all the way back to the founding of the National League in 1876. Then there is another post and my history of Cubs fandom.
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.
I've done it for both the Bears and Black Hawks and with the latest success of the Chicago Cubs it's time to do one for them too. I started this post last year when the Cubs lost in the NLCS swept by the NY Mets. This year in the NLCS they face the LA Dodgers and have earned their spot in the 2016 World Series against the Cleveland Indians!
Besides we expect so much from Theo Epstein who also catapulted another so-called cursed team the Boston Red Sox to several three world series titles in this century. The Red Sox before 2004 had last won it all in 1918.
As for the Cubs needless to say they last won it all in 1908, their only other title was the year before in 1907. So it'll be 108 years since the Cubs last won it all as of 2016. That's quite a title drought.
For the Red Sox their curse was as the result of them trading Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees in 1919. The curse of the bambino saw the Yankees begin their rise to success in baseball to the point where today they're a valuable sports franchise.
Now 71 years ago a man wanted to take his goat to Wrigley Field but was denied. While accounts vary how the curse came to be the Cubs still haven't won a world series since 1908 nor have they appeared in one since 1945.
So the Cubs haven't won it all in 108 years and the last world series appearance was 1945. What years have the Cubs also won the National League Championship? Keep in mind the world series as we know it has existed since 1903 and the National League started in 1876 which predates the first world series.
So the Cubs NL pennants according to Wikipedia are 1876, 1880, 1881, 1882, 1885, 1886, 1906, 1907, 1908, 1910, 1918, 1929, 1932, 1935, 1938, & 1945. 1906 is the year of Chicago's only - so far - crosstown world series and the Chicago White Sox won their first world series that year.
In addition the Cubs have also won division titles in 1984, 1989, 2003, 2007, 2008 & 2016. Won wild card berths in 1998 & 2015. It was a big deal in 2003 & 2015 that the Cubs were successful in advancing in the MLB playoffs although they still haven't quite sealed the deal on making the "fall classic".
Now before 1969, the AL and NL pennant winners were largely determined by who won the most games during the course of the season. Thus the two winningest teams in either league get to play in the World Series. Then in 1969 is the creation of the League Championship Series where the two division winners in each league play in a best of five until 1985 after that year best of seven.
In 1993 Major League Baseball approved the League Divison Series which is a best of five to be played before the League Championship Series. Also with the new playoff format each league has a wild card berth for the fourth ranked team. With the new playoff format each league has three division winners and one wild card with the best record who isn't a division winner.
In 2012, MLB started another round of the baseball postseason a one-game wild card playoff. In 2015 the Cubs played in the wild card playoff against the Pittsburgh Pirates which they won. And in 2016, the Cubs played against the San Francisco Giants who won the wild card playoff against NY Mets.
During the 2015 playoff run of the Cubs people kept bringing up the Steve Bartman episode of 2003 and some sports fans haven't allowed the Cubs to live down the 1969 collapse against the NY Mets. As a Cubs fan I look forward to the day when they live down those low points once and for all!
In 2016, the Cubs have decidedly kicked the "curse of the goat". Now best wishes to the Cubs for the MLB world series! Here's the schedule for the world series against the Indians.
I barely paid attention to this baseball season, but have heard how well the Cubs this year winning over 100 games. Never had the opportunity to see most of those wins, but elated to see them edge the San Francisco Giants in the NLDS this year.
Having lost game three in San Francisco in extra innings the Cubs came back to beat the Giants tonight. Having seen the score at 5-2, Giants I decided it wasn't looking too good. Then later learned that the Cubs won game four in San Francisco.
I think about 1989 when the Cubs was blanked by the Giants in the NLCS - back in 1989 there were two divisions per league and whoever won their respective divisions played in the NLCS. Regardless I had that in mind during the recent playoffs. I'm ecstatic to learn that the Cubs didn't repeat that performance.
Now the next question is who will we play for the National League pennant.
Last night I found out the Cubs are facing the NY Mets in their first National League Championship Series since 2003. When the Cubs edged the Pittsburgh Pirates last week to move on the NLDS it was a big deal because this was another notch in winning a playoff series.
The deal is the Cubs haven't had much success in the playoffs although starting in 1984 (with other playoff appearances in 1989, 1998, 2003, 2007, 2008 and of course 2015) the Cubs have been going to the postseason on rare occasions. Before 1984 - when they couldn't get past San Diego Padres in the NLCS - the Cubbies last postseason appearance was in the 1945 world series.
2003 was exciting to see the Cubs advance in their first postseason series since the playoff format began in 1969. At first two division winners in each league played in their respective league's championship series and then in 1995 a wild card team play against division winners in a best 3 out of 5 to play in their respective league's championship series. Now the current format is a one-game wild card playoff with the winner advancing to their respective league's division series and then their respective league's championship series.
And just think prior to 1969 the only way to advance to the world series was to win the pennant in each league. The Cubs had done that as recently as 1945 which was as stated the last time they appeared in a world series.
In spite of this talk of "Doc Brown" wanting to throw the first pitch in a possible Cubs world series or even bringing back former Cubs legend Sammy Sosa who also wants to throw a first pitch for now I'll just settle for a Cubs NL pennant. 2003 was a great season for the Cubs and they have always been a successful team in spite of what happened in Wrigleyville during the NLCS they will always have a place in my memories. But if they're successful in the 2015 NLCS here's hoping 2003 will just be a not more than a memory and we can also put the last 70 years to rest.
I had the great fortune of seeing the Cubs in the 9th inning clinch the NL Wild Card in 2015. Since it is 2015 we're also talking about the "prediction" that this Cubs will win the World Series in 2015. Wow!
Even the screenwriter for Back to the Future 2 is starting to realize how a joke may be taken seriously. But even he owns up to how he thought it was unlikely yet if the Cubs win it all this year he becomes a visionary.
So I hear the Cubs are headed to the playoffs for the first time since 2008. They're going but will they have a wild card spot or could they win the NL center? Time will tell but we're about a week or so away from the end of the baseball season.
On Saturday they lost their game against Pittsburgh but they still had a celebration at their clubhouse at Wrigley Field.
Just think as of this season it will have been 70 years since the Cubs have even won the pennant. I'm hoping for great success in the playoffs this year. Looking forward to following them in the playoffs.
[VIDEO] Baseball season's crept on me this year and we see Chris Rock discuss (NSFW) why Blacks aren't really into baseball anymore. In fact, he notes how many teams in the playoffs last year have no Black players. He took a special dig at St. Louis thanks to the unrest on Ferguson, Missouri.
Personally I'm a baseball fan. Baseball is very easy to follow as other popular sports such as hockey, football and even basketball aren't so easy to follow. It took me years to pick up on some of the strategies on the baseball diamond.
Regardless the crowd of Black males that I know most enjoy talking about football and basketball. Baseball would be an afterthought. Still baseball isn't getting the attention it once did since many of these other American sports are coming to the forefront these days.
So why is baseball and afterthought for Blacks? Rock says it can't be the money if we'd be willing to stand in line for $300 Air Jordan sneakers. He says it's because the game is too old fashioned.
Although he even noted that at times baseball can be agressive especially if you look happy about scoring a home run. Hell I even thought about this fact during the course of the movie 42. The Dodgers stood up for Jackie Robinson after he got beaned by a pitcher - and certainly because he broke the color barrier of MLB.
BTW, he even made a political point Romney probably didn't win many Black votes in 2012 in his race against Obama. It probably didn't matter if we had a different Democrat in office in 2012 he still wouldn't have gotten Black votes. Especially young Black votes.
All the same, can baseball regain many Black fans? And what would have to change?
I want to offer a belated congratulations to the Morgan Park based Jackie Robinson West Little League team. They made it all the way to the Little League World Series and unfortunately lost to a team from South Korea on Sunday for the Little League baseball world title.
Unfortunately I never had the chance to truly watch them play but it's
great to know this group of young men have already tasted success in
their young sports careers. Here's hoping they will continue to have
success not only on the baseball diamond but also in their lives away
from sports.
Every young man or woman either playing youth sports or even playing in
high school, college or professional can always have the ability to
become a champion if they work extremely hard. That also goes for life
whether in school or in a career as well.
Chicago was truly behind this team and this morning there is a parade for them.
BTW, Worlee over at The Sixth Ward
shared his own thoughts on not only JRW, but also the state of Little
League baseball on the south side. We need to provide outlets such as
this for our youth to keep them out of trouble and team them skills that
would help them not only in sports but in life.
On Thursday Wednesday I went to a Chicago White Sox game. I had some connections and found myself in the club level of Comiskey Park (aka US Cellular Field).
Incidentally my first trip to a MLB ballpark was when I was a child. Unfortunately I had no idea what was going on at either Wrigley Field or the old Comiskey Park which was razed in the early 1990s when the Sox moved to their current digs.
So, it was a great experience to watch a live MLB game with the Sox taking on the Texas Rangers. I had cut out after the 8th inning unfortunately and this game proved to be a losing effort with a final score of 3-1 in favor of the Rangers.
Both teams seemed to have been good on defense which often takes fielding as much a pitching. Alas defense is nothing without scoring some runs. The Sox managed one home run but not much offense to get past the Rangers.
The food items were good. A nacho supreme and a bacon cheeseburger - which seemed a bit undercooked but yet I ate it. All the same the food items get a thumbs up especially for one of the few times I was a professional sport live at the arena!
Sooner or later I need to find my way back to Wrigleyville. I also dream and talk about it but somehow unable to make it happen. Perhaps it's all hot air, but it's something that needs to happen in the future.
When it does a pic is going to Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and another blog post here!
I've been doing a good job of following the Cubs this season starting with making a more concerted effort to follow the games on TV. For the past few years I haven't done a very good job and wanted to change that this year. Win or lose if the Cubs are on TV I will watch!
And at that I intended to follow their progress using Twitter or FB. Well worthwhile project, unfortunately there aren't a lot of wins to rack up so far.
Hell, a twitter account covering the Cubs simply tracking whether or not the Cubs won a given game has proven to be ingenious. Should've seen their tweet for the result of yesterday's game in St. Louis against the Cardinals:
How many ways can a twitter account simply say yes or no during the course of a season. HAHA!
Anyway, the Cubs will be going to New York this week to face another storied and most successful team in the New York Yankees. A consistent championship team that I understand is worth $1 billion.
If the Cubs are my team in the National League I consider myself a low-key Yankees fan as far as the American League goes although I don't necessarily follow their games. You know I recognize that I should just stick with Chicago teams in baseball. Perhaps I could just say Cubs for the NL and the White Sox for the AL.
Anyway, I enjoy watching the Yankees in the post-season and they seemed to have made regular trips not just in the post-season but to the world series itself. Although it appears that they only won two World Series titles last decade one in 2000 and the other in 2009.
The Cubs don't frequently face the Yankees. In fact at one point the only way that happens is during Spring Training perhaps or the World Series. And the Cubs have faced them in the World Series 1932 and 1938 as noted to in this NY Times article.
That article - or essay as it's noted at the link - seems to partly cheerlead for the Yankees and at the same time trashes the Cubs. Or does it instead seems to have an honest conversation about the shortcomings of the north siders?
All the same, I want to believe the current state of the Cubbies is only due to the fact that it's early in the season yet. Yeah 4 out of 12 games won so far, perhaps a turnaround is coming. Hopefully it will be sooner than later.
As I stated already if 2015 is to ever be the year - yes I recognize it as wishful thinking - there needs to be some evidence of that this season!
ALSO, I took the accompanying quiz and well I've got a lot of Cubs trivia to brush up on!
I damn near fell out of my chair finding out that the Ricketts family who currently owns the Chicago Cubs are exploring selling shares of this historic franchise in order to fund some renovations to the "Friendly Confines" of Wrigley Field. The renovations have been talked about since the Ricketts purchased the Cubs and are part of the public debate here in Chicago.
Yup, major league baseball owners in my fair city have to go through the Chicago City Council and Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Especially if at one point during this process the Ricketts wanted to procure public financing to fund Wrigley renovations
Now, I read Chicago Argus who discusses this further. Granted, Gregory Tejada is solidly a Chicago White Sox fan and hence this will explain some of the dismissive tone you will read in his write-up. At the same time he like a lot of baseball fans have an opinion about this development.
It would be cool to own a share of the team. In fact years ago I'd have been keen on owning a piece of the World Wrestling Federation. However even in those instances it would be a share and not necessarily a controlling interest in such a business. Plus the different between the Cubs and the now WWE is that one of them is publicly traded. No major sports franchise in this country has shares available for purchase on the NASDAQ or NYSE for example.
[VIDEO] Lately I've been seeing that Cubs fans are hoping that 2015 will finally be the year the "Loveable Losers" finally win their World Series after more than a century of futility. Yeah, believe it or not the the last time the Cubs made it all the way in the major league post season was in the year 1908. It makes you wonder what's been going on 100 years plus where the Cubs just can't go beyond getting a World Series berth.
All the same, I appreciate the optimism and it's always a good trait to have. Unfortunately if 2015 would be the year we'd have to see some evidence of that now. Although I recognize that at times it seems a team could do so well one year and then be terrible the next. Them's the breaks I suppose.
Why 2015, you may ask? Well in Back to the Future II, Marty McFly time travels to the year 2015 where at some point the Cubs won the world series. Alas 2015 is next year and none of us are traveling around in a flying DeLorean vehicle.
And if you believe Steve Rosenbloom - sports columnist for the Chicago Tribune - the Cubs of 2014 aren't looking so promising.
Bummer! I'm not very knowledgeable about sports - perhaps the rules and perhaps the business side - beyond that don't expect me to be an expert player scout. The best way for me to judge a team if they got the right won-loss percentage. Of course on field play is very important but don't ask me to evaluation them unfortunately I got to have enough of an attention span to focus on almost all games the Cubs play.
Here's one bright spot, the longtime home of the Cubs - Wrigley Field - is celebrating one hundred years of service this year. It's still one of the oldest parks in the majors and baseball fans who appreciate history are probably booking their trips to the Wrigleyville neighborhood. Now to the owners - the Ricketts family - how about insuring that the Cubs will be contenders for a World Series before it's time to hit the old "friendly confines" with a wrecking-ball!
[VIDEO] Well, while sports broadcasting on TV may change I may miss the days I can catch a Cubs game on WGN if that is to ever pass. Things change but this shouldn't and besides once upon a time plenty of our local teams have had trouble finding a local outlet.
The Cubs in my memory have always been on WGN. It wasn't until fairly recently that you couldn't watch a Black Hawks home game on TV in Chicago. At that you couldn't even watch a game on WGN and now you can. The White Sox used to be on WFLD-TV or FOX 32 Chicago and now you can watch them on WGN and ditto for the Chicago Bulls!
Cubs games have been broadcast on WGN-TV since 1948, a relationship that
has been beneficial to both under three sets of ownership.
The hiring of Harry Caray and the move to become a superstation status
spread the gospel of Cubs baseball nationally during the 1980s, helping
turn the lovable losers into a lucrative franchise.
For years the Cubs were the only game on TV across the country in the
daytime, making them a nationally beloved entity through thick and thin.
That in turn helped increase the franchise's value from $20.5 million
in 1981 when Tribune Co. bought it to $845 million when the Ricketts
family purchased the team, the ballpark and 25 percent of Comcast
SportsNet in 2009.
But Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts is always looking to increase the team's
revenue sources, and now it appears likely the team will wave goodbye
to their longtime TV home when its contract ends after the 2014 season.
Ricketts declined to address their plans on Sunday, except to say a discussion on rights fees will begin in 2013.
"Obviously local media rights have been increasing in value," he said.
"Hopefully at some point we will be able to get more value for our media
rights. It's just something that's playing out over time."
I suppose time will tell on this deal, yes? The video above is a Chicago Cubs broadcast intro from 1988 from WGN.
You know I was wondering what he said that prompted this suspension or at the very least a picketer who believed that the former Chicago White Sox manager should be let go from his new team the Florida Miami Marlins:
The suspension by the team takes effect immediately. It was announced Tuesday shortly before Guillen held a news conference to apologize again and explain his remarks, which caused a public backlash.
Guillen told Time magazine he loves Castro and respects the retired Cuban leader for staying in power so long. At least two local officials said Guillen should lose his job.
OH! I understand that Florida is home to a significant Cuban exile community. Perhaps many of them groan at the compliments of Fidel Castro that have been thrown about over the years.
I wonder what prompted these comments and don't misunderstand Guillen has the unfortunate tendency to be very controversial at times. This is just one of those times he's very controversial.
I consider myself a casual sports fan, and yet it was great to see the Chicago Cubs win the World Series after 108 years. It was not something that was on the horizon for many Cubs fans and yet it happened. I didn't see this coming especially.
