By Laurie Baron
SAN DIEGO — I was born in 1947. When I was growing up on the north side of Chicago, I had no inkling that the Chicago Cubs had played in a World Series two years earlier, let alone that the last time they won the Series was in 1908. All I knew was that they were my team because Wrigley Field was a verdant place where my dad often schlepped me in the summer after he got off of work at noon. Indeed, I never saw a night game until I moved to San Diego in 1988!
The Cubs I of my youth were lovable losers. From my birth until 1967, they never finished above fifth place in the National League. It didn’t matter much because I had the chance to see hometown heroes like Ernie Banks, Glenn Beckert, Lou Brock, Randy Hundley, Fergie Jenkins, Don Kessinger, and Billy Williams play for the love of the game and not for endorsements and pennants, In retrospect I treasure having witnessed Hall of Famers like Roberto Clemente, Sandy Koufax, Stan Musial, and Willy Mays perform their on-field magic.
I admit I suffered from World Series envy when the White Sox battled with the Dodgers for the championship in 1959. For solace, I just burrowed into my fond memories of the cacophony of the vendors yelling “Beer, Cold Beer!” “Hot Dog, the Hot Doggie,” and “Peanuts, get your fresh peanuts!” followed by the accurate toss of bags of the latter to purchasers in the crowd.
After I graduated from the University of Illinois in 1969, I no longer lived in Chicago. I still cheered for the Cubs when I watched their games broadcast on WGN. When I was in high-school, I had viewed many of them in the home of the daughter of Jack Jacobson who produced them for the station. Who can ever forget Jack Brickhouse screaming out “Hey, Hey” and Harry Caray “Holy Cow” after every Cub homerun? In 1984 the Padres broke my heart by beating the Cubs in the playoffs. This fact became even more hurtful when I moved to San Diego in 1988. At least I resided in a National League city where I occasionally see the Cubs play with a new generation of All Stars like Moises Alou, Andre Dawson, Mark Grace, Greg Maddux, Rick Sutcliffe, and Sammy Sosa.
The Cubs dashed my hopes again in 2003 when they beat the Atlanta Braves in the division playoffs and lost to the Marlins in the National League Championship series. And now the World Series rings are within their grasp. If they prevail, I’m certain my late father will be smiling. So will his children, and, all Chicagoans. If they don’t, I will still believe in the Messiah, even though He tarries.
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Baron is a professor emeritus of history at San Diego State University. He may be contacted at lawrence.baron@sdjewishworld.com, or you may comment on this website provided the rules below are observed.