Folks, it's that time of year again. The trees begin to change their colors as if God started his own personal bonfire. The weather cools off, the day gets shorter, and in my humble opinion, it's the most romantic time of the year. Of course, with me that tends to go to waste, but whatever (laughs).
Yes, you guessed it. It's autumn, and early autumn is single-handedly one of my favorite times of the year. Everything seems to happen in the fall, and to me it really adds a nice finishing touch on any year, at least in my life. I mean, how can you go wrong? The MLB postseason begins immediately in October, always exciting (even moreso that the Cubs are in it once again), my birthday is on the 29th, my uncle's and sister's birthdays also in the month of October, parents' anniversary (always a nice occasion), the concert year closing out, hockey season begins and football season heats up, Halloween, the ideal fall weather. I can really go on and on and on and...well, you get the picture.
But before we take a look into the future, let's take a look at the past. I have a feeling this post will be one of my shorter ones because frankly, I haven't done much this past month. I have a feeling the majority of it will probably cover things I'm GOING to be doing, rather than things I'd done.
When was my last update, August? Well, school's been annoying. What else is new? My grades are good so I can't really complain, I'm just sick of the grind. Same shit every single day. No real complaints about my teachers, 'cept for Conway but I've never really liked her going back to last year. But like I said, outside of the grind, I'd say I'm in pretty good shape academically.
Let's see, let's see, what else? The Cubs are winning! I know I've done enough blogs on the Cubs recently but shit, I can't get enough of this team. We clinched on the 20th of September, good game against the Cardinals, the rest of the month was basically auditioning for the bullpen spots and the last places on the 25 man postseason roster. We won a couple, including an exciting extra inning game against the Mets at Shea Stadium last week. But for the most part it was resting regulars and brushing up the bullpen role. Not to mention this past month we had Zambrano's no-hitter against Houston and a miracle bottom-ninth, two-out comeback four days later against Milwaukee. Exciting time for the North Siders.
Homecoming week was the 15th to the 20th. It was annoying, only thing I truly participated in was Cubs / Sox day (and felt good to lend my Mark Prior 2003 All Star Game jersey to a friend who needed something Cubs related to wear). Outside of that, I could really care less about the whole school pride thing. In honesty, it's a "what have you done for me lately?" sorta thing. They've screwed me over so many times in so many ways, and I'm expected to show off pride in my school. Yeah, right.
The dance was alright, things could've been better. Nothing bad really happened to me, I was just kinda there, annoying the folks by singing Eddie Vedder's Cubs song "All the Way" obnoxiously to everyone, which was a ton of fun in itself. Had a lot of fun afterward, celebrating the Cubs clinching with some friends and some champagne in the eyes, blinding me the next morning. Then afterwards having a ton of fun online about a certain situation I'm not sure I should mention or not (the person involved knows what I'm talking about, which is all that matters). That was a fun night, I gotta admit.
Love life, haven't covered that in awhile. But what's there to cover? I'm not trying to be negative, there's just nothing there to talk about. Sure I have my interests, sure it's not to the point where I'm comfortable leaving those in the open yet. As of now I'm just kinda rolling with things to see what happens, hoping in the end things will go my way. It's not bringin' me down, so why see it as a negative thing, right?
Alright, now the fun begins, looking forward to arguably the best month of the year (against May and July, respectively). The month starts in an outstanding fashion. My uncle won the Cubs playoff ticket lottery last week and managed to get tickets to Game 1 of the NLDS against the Dodgers for Wednesday, October 1st. Of course he surprised me with that one yesterday, just casually asking "So hey, I won the lottery last week, want to go to Wednesday's game with me?" Uncle Tom, I love ya, but that's a stupid question (laughs). So I'll be there, 5:30 PM at Wrigley Field, Wednesday evening. Keep an eye out for me on TBS, will ya?
Rest of the month? I'm booking my weekends, gonna try and make up for lost plans this past Sunday in upcoming weekends with someone, looking for things to do on the other days. My parents' anniversary is the 10th, always a nice day. Uncle's birthday a week after on the 17th, sister's four days after on the 21st. Somewhere between the 21st and the 29th we'll have a family party where my sister and I get gifts from my grandmother and uncle. Then comes the 29th, my birthday, the greatest day in the history of mankind. Start getting your gifts ready! The 30th is most likely the AC/DC concert at Allstate, and Halloween I'm going to either try and spend with friends or perhaps make trek up to Sean's in Chicago and catch the Blackhawks game that day.
Busy month, eh? My weekends are mostly free though, so make plans if you'd like, I'm open to just about anything these days.
That's about it, actually. Not much more to say. Going to be an exciting month, I can just smell it (maybe that's the beautiful scent of autumn air, I don't know, hard to tell). I don't have much of a conclusion, so fuck it, I'll catch you when it's all said and done!
-Zach
Monday, September 29, 2008
Saturday, September 20, 2008
"Clinchers" - September 21, 2008
I've posted a few Cubs related blogs over the past half a year, but today is a special day. Today is the day the Cubs became the champions of the 2008 National League Central Division!
Let me explain to you all what this means to me, from a die-hard fan's perspective. I've seen (excluding today) three clinchers over the past twelve years. You always walk in with high expectations and two out of those three times we've been sorely disappointed (with the sole exception being 2003). That being said, this year is a lot different, for several reasons. We haven't won 93 games since 1989, and we still have nine more games to play. Realistically, we could pass the 1984 team's number of victories which was 96, and we haven't had more than 96 wins in a season since 1945.
This team is definitely special, but will that hold any water in the playoffs? Well, that's yet to be determined. It doesn't matter if we win 162 games this season, once you hit October baseball, it's a whole new season, in a sense. Everything changes, match-ups from the previous season don't seem to matter much anymore, and it's a wild rat race for the trophy in the end. Lord knows it isn't an easy one, either.
As I've stated, this is my fourth clincher in my lifetime, and the three prior ones ended in sore disappointment. But in fairness, allow me to reflect on the good times, when the clinch actually occurred, before we could eventually be let down in the October atmosphere. Whenever the Cubs could clinch in front of 40,000 faithful fans at Wrigley Field and in front of the eyes of millions of others, it's a special moment, one which right now, sorely deserves reflection.
Most people in my age group aren't going to remember 1998, but it was actually the first season I remember tremendously vividly (been a fan since '96, you do the math). Sammy Sosa in The Great Home Run Race against Mark McGwire, rookie Kerry Wood stunning the world with thirteen victories, nearly 11 strikeouts per start, and a magical 20 strikeout performance that May, and the little guys around them, like Hernandez, Morandini, Gaetti, Tapani, and co. getting the job done on a regular basis. It was a magical season indeed, one of my personal favorites to date.
So we take you to September 28, 1998. The Cubs were in the Wild Card hunt for a very long time, in a race with the New York Mets and San Francisco Giants. Well, the Mets got knocked out that Saturday, and the Cubs and Giants lost on the final game that Sunday. So after a road trip from Houston's atrocious Astrodome, the Cubs hiked up to Wrigley for a night game that following Monday, winning the coin toss against the Giants of San Fran.
The Cubs and their faithful hadn't seen postseason baseball since 1989 against, ironically, the very same Giants. They didn't seem up to the task though. Henry Rodriguez was humorously showered with "O Henry!" candy bars in left field, which took the grounds crew over fifteen minutes to clean up before resuming play. Steve Trachsel took a no-hitter into the seventh inning, and Gary Gaetti hit, in my opinion, one of the most memorable home runs in Cubs history in the fifth inning giving us a 1-0 lead. Appropriately, the rare 163rd game of the season ended with astounding closer Rod Beck to get a pop-up to Cub legend Mark Grace at first base, and what do ya know? The Cubs were headed to the playoffs for the first time in nine years.
Playoff Recap: The Cubs face the NL East champion Atlanta Braves, who won an incredible 106 games that season compared to our silly 90 wins. Well, that match-up really didn't disappoint baseball fans, as we were swept mercilously in three games, being outscored 15-4. Jim Riggleman didn't know how on earth to set up a postseason rotation or lineup because, well...he was an idiot. Not a proud series for Cub fans, though we did get nice pitching performances from Terry Mulholland and Kerry Wood.
After five dreadful years (excluding the impressive 2001 season, going a horrendous 199-287), we had a breath of fresh air. Dusty Baker, who originally took the Giants that previous season to the World Series, had been hired as the manager of the Cubs. 2003 was a great season, only stand-out performer being Mark Prior winning 18 games. Outside of him, it was a team effort. Guys like Karros, Grudzielanek, Ramirez, Alou, Lofton, Sosa, Wood, Zambrano, Clement, Guthrie, and Borowski held this team on their shoulders and took this team to their first division title since 1989 (note-Wild Cards do not constitute division titles).
Fast forward to September 27. 2003, just one day from marking five years since the Cubs clinched a playoff berth. The game on Friday the 26th got rained out, so the Cubs went into Saturday the 27th facing a doubleheader against the Pittsburgh Pirates, in very chilly fall conditions at Wrigley Field. The team's magic number was two, and a loss by the Houston Astros that day would make it one, and the fans were absolutely pumped for this game.
Mark Prior was set to go looking for win number 18 in the first game. The Houston / Milwaukee Brewer game was going on at the same time, and I'll tell you, it was absolute insanity when Milwaukee scored four runs in an inning once the scoreboard workers changed it. Never in your life would you hear that park that loud for something seemingly so minimal. The Cubs won the first game 4-2, thanks to a homer by catcher Damian Miller which really helped out the offense. The second game was dark, storm clouds passing in and out, with Matt Clement facing the task of taking his team to the postseason (and looking for his 14th win). The game started off well, with Sosa hitting a first inning homer off Ryan Vogelsong and the team scoring five more runs in the second. The ninth came with the Cubs ahead, and Jose Hernandez from the 1998 team (now with Pittsburgh) grounded into a 6-4-3 double play ending the game in the very cloudy early evening of Wrigley Field. The mob scene in the streets, on the field, and in the stands was absolutely astounding, and seeing the team so happy after such a grueling season was truly magical.
Playoff Recap: The Cubs, with 88 wins, were set to rematch against the Atlanta Braves, this time with 101 wins. The Cubs surprisingly took the series to all five games, and eventually clinched a spot in the second round against the Florida Marlins in the final game. The second round had an outstanding start, we went up 3-1 before losing three more games (going all seven that round) and eventually losing our World Series spot. And Game 6's clusterfuck wasn't Steve Bartman's fault. If Alex Gonzalez were any kind of a player he wouldn't have muffed up the double play and we'd have just been three outs away from our first World Series since 1945.
Three more dreadful seasons followed. 2004 we actually won more games (89, not drastic) but didn't make the playoffs because of petty clubhouse nonsense. 2005 had high expectations but we ended up four games under .500. 2006, well, don't get me started. But 2007 marked change. We hired one of my favorite managers of all-time, Lou Piniella, to take this team to a better direction. We signed Ted Lilly, Alfonso Soriano, Mark DeRosa, among others, and really seemed like a possible contender.
So we have a miserable start to the season, including a dugout fight between Michael Barrett and Carlos Zambrano, but Lou Piniella's tantrum the day after with an umpire sparked inspiration into the team. We had an incredible month of June and a pretty good July, and by August we propelled to first place, after being in second by eight games at one point in the season. It was a fun ride to success, I must say.
So enter September 28, 2007. We got off a miserable sweep against the Marlins and went into Cincinnati with a very small lead in first place. The game started with a lead-off homer by Alfonso Soriano, followed by five more runs later in the game to win 6-0, but that wasn't the clincher yet. The Brewers still had a game in progress against the San Diego Padres, who were hungry for a playoff berth of their own. With the Cubs waiting in the Reds clubhouse, the Padres shut the Brewers out, and the Cubs were NL Central champs once again. Though based on a somewhat rocky season, postseason expectations couldn't be too high, at least for myself. So yes, the celebration was exciting, but quiet. We still had a long way to go.
Postseason Recap: The Cubs with only 87 wins faced off with the Arizona Diamondbacks who won 90. The series were basically shades of '98, just bad baseball, weak offense, subpar pitching. We weren't prepared, and while we weren't mis-matched against a team with 106 wins, it was still pretty disasterous.
Much like in 2004, there were high expectations for a follow-up. The cold winters of the offseason were unbearable for Cubs fans, including myself. The Cubs Convention filled the void for the twenty days before pitchers and catchers reported to Spring Training. Lou Piniella and the players continued to state that there was "unfinished business" to take care of, and fans bought it.
And boy, they should be glad they did. The season started in April with the Cubs posting an outrageous record of 18-9. For much of the season, we were the hottest team in all of baseball, eventually with the most come from behind victories in the sport, as well as the second best home record and best overall record in Major League Baseball.
So we go into September 20, 2008 with 92 wins in the books, which is incredible because we hadn't even won more than 90 games since 1989 (93). With still nine games to go, the Cubs would face the rival St. Louis Cardinals, and after a miserable loss for the Milwaukee Brewers the night before, all the Cubs needed to do was win and they would clinch the NL Central for the third time in six years, something it took them 40 years to do before 1984. All started off well, with Alfonso Soriano driving in three on a triple in the second inning, and later Mark DeRosa driving in a run on a double and Ted Lilly bringing him home on a surprise suicide squeeze. The score would be 5-0 until the sixth, when Troy Glaus of the Cardinals hit a monsterous three run blast after the Cards had already scored one run, making the score now 5-4. The game remained that way until the bottom of the ninth, enter Kerry Wood. With two outs he faced the pesty Aaron Miles, who graciously popped up to Jim Edmonds in center, resulting in the Cubs' fourth playoff berth in ten years.
The celebration at Wrigley was something special yesterday. It was different from '03, the energy level was the same, but the reason for that was different. In '03 we snuck up on Houston and were a surprise champion. This season was different, we were a monster all season long and it was inevitable that we were going to clinch after taking a seven game lead in the middle of September. The fans were celebrating the magical season that was 2008, but it was VERY subdued in the clubhouse for awhile because everyone in the ballclub knows that there's much more baseball to be played. Sure, the players ran around and sprayed Champaigne into the stands, and celebrated hard like any team should. But still, there was the awareness to not assume we've "won" anything yet. And Lou Piniella is dead on for brainwashing that mentality into the players.
So now we have a week left to play baseball and work out the playoff roster. This is the earliest a Cubs team has clinched playoff berth since 1932. So we've got a ton of time to prepare for October baseball and right now I'm feeling comfortable. Throw us against a team like Philadelphia, I won't be so comfortable, hah.
Still, look at how awful two of the three postseason recaps were. Yet I'll always maintain positive memories of the season because the clincher essentially captures the true essence of the team in one game, one celebration. Whenever a team clinches a playoff berth, it's a special moment, especially when it's the Cubs. The city of Chicago lights up, hoping that maybe this time, we'll get it right.
Hey, who knows, this may be the year. But I'll never make that assumption until we actually win it all. I was there to witness 2003 fall apart right before my eyes, and since then, I'll never, ever be stupid enough to hold up an "It's Gonna Happen" sign, because until it does happen, it hasn't. That sounds like a really stupid remark but think about it. You can't jump to that conclusion until it's over, and it's far from that right now. If you expect it, your chances of getting let down are better than of them getting fulfilled.
Still, in the words of Eddie Vedder, "Someday we'll go all the way." The hope is ALWAYS there, and I'll always be saying "Believe in AC 00 00 00" until it happens.
-Zach
Let me explain to you all what this means to me, from a die-hard fan's perspective. I've seen (excluding today) three clinchers over the past twelve years. You always walk in with high expectations and two out of those three times we've been sorely disappointed (with the sole exception being 2003). That being said, this year is a lot different, for several reasons. We haven't won 93 games since 1989, and we still have nine more games to play. Realistically, we could pass the 1984 team's number of victories which was 96, and we haven't had more than 96 wins in a season since 1945.
This team is definitely special, but will that hold any water in the playoffs? Well, that's yet to be determined. It doesn't matter if we win 162 games this season, once you hit October baseball, it's a whole new season, in a sense. Everything changes, match-ups from the previous season don't seem to matter much anymore, and it's a wild rat race for the trophy in the end. Lord knows it isn't an easy one, either.
As I've stated, this is my fourth clincher in my lifetime, and the three prior ones ended in sore disappointment. But in fairness, allow me to reflect on the good times, when the clinch actually occurred, before we could eventually be let down in the October atmosphere. Whenever the Cubs could clinch in front of 40,000 faithful fans at Wrigley Field and in front of the eyes of millions of others, it's a special moment, one which right now, sorely deserves reflection.
Most people in my age group aren't going to remember 1998, but it was actually the first season I remember tremendously vividly (been a fan since '96, you do the math). Sammy Sosa in The Great Home Run Race against Mark McGwire, rookie Kerry Wood stunning the world with thirteen victories, nearly 11 strikeouts per start, and a magical 20 strikeout performance that May, and the little guys around them, like Hernandez, Morandini, Gaetti, Tapani, and co. getting the job done on a regular basis. It was a magical season indeed, one of my personal favorites to date.
So we take you to September 28, 1998. The Cubs were in the Wild Card hunt for a very long time, in a race with the New York Mets and San Francisco Giants. Well, the Mets got knocked out that Saturday, and the Cubs and Giants lost on the final game that Sunday. So after a road trip from Houston's atrocious Astrodome, the Cubs hiked up to Wrigley for a night game that following Monday, winning the coin toss against the Giants of San Fran.
The Cubs and their faithful hadn't seen postseason baseball since 1989 against, ironically, the very same Giants. They didn't seem up to the task though. Henry Rodriguez was humorously showered with "O Henry!" candy bars in left field, which took the grounds crew over fifteen minutes to clean up before resuming play. Steve Trachsel took a no-hitter into the seventh inning, and Gary Gaetti hit, in my opinion, one of the most memorable home runs in Cubs history in the fifth inning giving us a 1-0 lead. Appropriately, the rare 163rd game of the season ended with astounding closer Rod Beck to get a pop-up to Cub legend Mark Grace at first base, and what do ya know? The Cubs were headed to the playoffs for the first time in nine years.
Playoff Recap: The Cubs face the NL East champion Atlanta Braves, who won an incredible 106 games that season compared to our silly 90 wins. Well, that match-up really didn't disappoint baseball fans, as we were swept mercilously in three games, being outscored 15-4. Jim Riggleman didn't know how on earth to set up a postseason rotation or lineup because, well...he was an idiot. Not a proud series for Cub fans, though we did get nice pitching performances from Terry Mulholland and Kerry Wood.
After five dreadful years (excluding the impressive 2001 season, going a horrendous 199-287), we had a breath of fresh air. Dusty Baker, who originally took the Giants that previous season to the World Series, had been hired as the manager of the Cubs. 2003 was a great season, only stand-out performer being Mark Prior winning 18 games. Outside of him, it was a team effort. Guys like Karros, Grudzielanek, Ramirez, Alou, Lofton, Sosa, Wood, Zambrano, Clement, Guthrie, and Borowski held this team on their shoulders and took this team to their first division title since 1989 (note-Wild Cards do not constitute division titles).
Fast forward to September 27. 2003, just one day from marking five years since the Cubs clinched a playoff berth. The game on Friday the 26th got rained out, so the Cubs went into Saturday the 27th facing a doubleheader against the Pittsburgh Pirates, in very chilly fall conditions at Wrigley Field. The team's magic number was two, and a loss by the Houston Astros that day would make it one, and the fans were absolutely pumped for this game.
Mark Prior was set to go looking for win number 18 in the first game. The Houston / Milwaukee Brewer game was going on at the same time, and I'll tell you, it was absolute insanity when Milwaukee scored four runs in an inning once the scoreboard workers changed it. Never in your life would you hear that park that loud for something seemingly so minimal. The Cubs won the first game 4-2, thanks to a homer by catcher Damian Miller which really helped out the offense. The second game was dark, storm clouds passing in and out, with Matt Clement facing the task of taking his team to the postseason (and looking for his 14th win). The game started off well, with Sosa hitting a first inning homer off Ryan Vogelsong and the team scoring five more runs in the second. The ninth came with the Cubs ahead, and Jose Hernandez from the 1998 team (now with Pittsburgh) grounded into a 6-4-3 double play ending the game in the very cloudy early evening of Wrigley Field. The mob scene in the streets, on the field, and in the stands was absolutely astounding, and seeing the team so happy after such a grueling season was truly magical.
Playoff Recap: The Cubs, with 88 wins, were set to rematch against the Atlanta Braves, this time with 101 wins. The Cubs surprisingly took the series to all five games, and eventually clinched a spot in the second round against the Florida Marlins in the final game. The second round had an outstanding start, we went up 3-1 before losing three more games (going all seven that round) and eventually losing our World Series spot. And Game 6's clusterfuck wasn't Steve Bartman's fault. If Alex Gonzalez were any kind of a player he wouldn't have muffed up the double play and we'd have just been three outs away from our first World Series since 1945.
Three more dreadful seasons followed. 2004 we actually won more games (89, not drastic) but didn't make the playoffs because of petty clubhouse nonsense. 2005 had high expectations but we ended up four games under .500. 2006, well, don't get me started. But 2007 marked change. We hired one of my favorite managers of all-time, Lou Piniella, to take this team to a better direction. We signed Ted Lilly, Alfonso Soriano, Mark DeRosa, among others, and really seemed like a possible contender.
So we have a miserable start to the season, including a dugout fight between Michael Barrett and Carlos Zambrano, but Lou Piniella's tantrum the day after with an umpire sparked inspiration into the team. We had an incredible month of June and a pretty good July, and by August we propelled to first place, after being in second by eight games at one point in the season. It was a fun ride to success, I must say.
So enter September 28, 2007. We got off a miserable sweep against the Marlins and went into Cincinnati with a very small lead in first place. The game started with a lead-off homer by Alfonso Soriano, followed by five more runs later in the game to win 6-0, but that wasn't the clincher yet. The Brewers still had a game in progress against the San Diego Padres, who were hungry for a playoff berth of their own. With the Cubs waiting in the Reds clubhouse, the Padres shut the Brewers out, and the Cubs were NL Central champs once again. Though based on a somewhat rocky season, postseason expectations couldn't be too high, at least for myself. So yes, the celebration was exciting, but quiet. We still had a long way to go.
Postseason Recap: The Cubs with only 87 wins faced off with the Arizona Diamondbacks who won 90. The series were basically shades of '98, just bad baseball, weak offense, subpar pitching. We weren't prepared, and while we weren't mis-matched against a team with 106 wins, it was still pretty disasterous.
Much like in 2004, there were high expectations for a follow-up. The cold winters of the offseason were unbearable for Cubs fans, including myself. The Cubs Convention filled the void for the twenty days before pitchers and catchers reported to Spring Training. Lou Piniella and the players continued to state that there was "unfinished business" to take care of, and fans bought it.
And boy, they should be glad they did. The season started in April with the Cubs posting an outrageous record of 18-9. For much of the season, we were the hottest team in all of baseball, eventually with the most come from behind victories in the sport, as well as the second best home record and best overall record in Major League Baseball.
So we go into September 20, 2008 with 92 wins in the books, which is incredible because we hadn't even won more than 90 games since 1989 (93). With still nine games to go, the Cubs would face the rival St. Louis Cardinals, and after a miserable loss for the Milwaukee Brewers the night before, all the Cubs needed to do was win and they would clinch the NL Central for the third time in six years, something it took them 40 years to do before 1984. All started off well, with Alfonso Soriano driving in three on a triple in the second inning, and later Mark DeRosa driving in a run on a double and Ted Lilly bringing him home on a surprise suicide squeeze. The score would be 5-0 until the sixth, when Troy Glaus of the Cardinals hit a monsterous three run blast after the Cards had already scored one run, making the score now 5-4. The game remained that way until the bottom of the ninth, enter Kerry Wood. With two outs he faced the pesty Aaron Miles, who graciously popped up to Jim Edmonds in center, resulting in the Cubs' fourth playoff berth in ten years.
The celebration at Wrigley was something special yesterday. It was different from '03, the energy level was the same, but the reason for that was different. In '03 we snuck up on Houston and were a surprise champion. This season was different, we were a monster all season long and it was inevitable that we were going to clinch after taking a seven game lead in the middle of September. The fans were celebrating the magical season that was 2008, but it was VERY subdued in the clubhouse for awhile because everyone in the ballclub knows that there's much more baseball to be played. Sure, the players ran around and sprayed Champaigne into the stands, and celebrated hard like any team should. But still, there was the awareness to not assume we've "won" anything yet. And Lou Piniella is dead on for brainwashing that mentality into the players.
So now we have a week left to play baseball and work out the playoff roster. This is the earliest a Cubs team has clinched playoff berth since 1932. So we've got a ton of time to prepare for October baseball and right now I'm feeling comfortable. Throw us against a team like Philadelphia, I won't be so comfortable, hah.
Still, look at how awful two of the three postseason recaps were. Yet I'll always maintain positive memories of the season because the clincher essentially captures the true essence of the team in one game, one celebration. Whenever a team clinches a playoff berth, it's a special moment, especially when it's the Cubs. The city of Chicago lights up, hoping that maybe this time, we'll get it right.
Hey, who knows, this may be the year. But I'll never make that assumption until we actually win it all. I was there to witness 2003 fall apart right before my eyes, and since then, I'll never, ever be stupid enough to hold up an "It's Gonna Happen" sign, because until it does happen, it hasn't. That sounds like a really stupid remark but think about it. You can't jump to that conclusion until it's over, and it's far from that right now. If you expect it, your chances of getting let down are better than of them getting fulfilled.
Still, in the words of Eddie Vedder, "Someday we'll go all the way." The hope is ALWAYS there, and I'll always be saying "Believe in AC 00 00 00" until it happens.
-Zach
Saturday, September 13, 2008
"Reflection: September 13, 1998"
Allow me to paint a picture for you, shall I?
It's one of the last days in the summer of 1998, and I was in the mere age of seven, innocent and skating by in a stress-free, work-free lifestyle. I just started First Grade, a time when school was actually enjoyable and something to look forward to. The family had decided to buy a vacation to Florida for that October just a few weeks prior, a trip everyone, from my mother, my sister, grandma, grandpa, and Uncle Tom, all except my father, would attend, my first time ever on a REAL vacation. Chicago sports had taken a beating, dismantling the Chicago Bulls dynasty, no real interest in Blackhawks hockey anymore, the Bears were losing, the White Sox were subpar. But there was one ray of hope, yes, you guessed it. My Cubs were winning, for the first time in the three years I had been watching them, in the magical fairy tale season that was 1998.
Today was Sunday, September 13, 1998. Typically on Sundays, my mother, sister, and I would head over to the grandparents' house for a lunch / dinner around three in the afternoon, and I'd spend most of my time with my grandpa and uncle over the summer watching Cubs games on WGN, as the aroma of pork, perogi, sometimes saurkraut or cauliflour, and my favorite dish of my grandmother's, mashed potatoes, filled the air as we awaited the feast. This Sunday was no different, except for the fact that at it's standard 1:20 PM start, we didn't know history would be made.
Let's recap the first two games of this series. The Wild Card leading Cubs began a series against the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday, September 11, 1998 at Wrigley Field. The team, at this point, needed to win as many games as possible in order to stand pat in the race, as the New York Mets and San Francisco Giants showed no signs of slowing down at this point. The Cubs had a solid 82-66 record, by far exceeding expectations for the season, but the Brewers were in fourth place in the NL Central and essentially out of contention, so they were playing the spoiler. This was also special, not to mention, because of Sammy Sosa's status in the Great Home Run Race of '98, standing at 58 and could likely catch up to leader Mark McGwire (62) by weekend's end.
Sparks flew in the first game that Friday, sadly resulting in a 13-11 victory for the Brewers. Don Wengert pitched only two and a third, allowing five Milwaukee runs, but his replacement, Rodney Myers was no better, giving up four. The Cubs burned through a whopping six relievers in the loss, but the Cubs did fight, with homers by Gary Gaetti (15th), Jason Maxwell (1st), and at no surprise, Sammy Sosa (59th), snapping a five game homer-less streak.
The second game was even more of a thriller, starting off poorly once again for the Chicago Cubs. Mike Morgan surrendered eight runs in three innings, allowing homers to Geoff Jenkins, Jeromy Burnitz, and Bobby Hughes. By the bottom of the seventh, Milwaukee led the Cubs 12-5, but an offensive explosion by the Cubs brought them within just three (courtesy of a three-run homer by Sammy Sosa, now standing at 60 on the year). The Cubs eventually tied it and took the game to the bottom of the ninth, still trailing, this time 12-10. The Cubs tied it up with punch base hits, but the big hit was a pinch-hit, three-run homer by Orlando Merced, thrusting the Cubs to a shocking 15-12 victory.
Could the series possibly get anymore exciting? It was tied 1-1 going into Sunday the 13th, with both teams scoring a combined 51 runs in the series alone (by then the third highest run total for one series in the 1998 season, with one more game to go). You wouldn't believe it, but damnit, it did. It was "Gracie the Swan" promotional giveaway day, where swan Beanie Babies were given out in commemoration of Cubs legendary first baseman Mark Grace. Grandpa, Uncle Tom, and I expressed our interest in wanting to be there amidst the 87 degree Indian summer North Side heat, sadly it was the hottest ticket in Chicago since the NBA Finals that past June.
It started off negatively once again, with Steve Trachsel starting the game off by giving up a solo home run to Mark Loretta in the first, making it 1-0. Things didn't get any better as Milwaukee would go up 2-0 on pesky base hits by the bottom of the third. But in that bottom half of the inning, the Cubs offense powered it's way to a six run inning, thanks to hits by Mickey Morandini, Scott Servais, Jose Hernandez, Glenallen Hill, and Gary Gaetti, and even doubles by pitcher Steve Trachsel and Mark Grace, playing surprising small-ball instead of the usual, powerful approach the team had normally taken. The Cubs led 6-2.
Trachsel, however, was ready to let that slip. After retiring Jeff Cirillo, he gave up Jeromy Burnitz's 36th homer of the season, making it a 6-3 score. Things were silent from here on out until the bottom of the fifth, where Mark Grace singled to set-up Sammy Sosa's third at-bat of the game. All eyes were on Chicago's latest hero to bring the Cubs ahead further, and he didn't disappoint. Sosa hammered a 480 foot blast to left field (I agree with Steve Stone's assessment of the distance being "grossly understated") for #61 on the season, tying Roger Maris' former single-season record (broken by McGwire just five days prior). The Cubs were now ahead 8-3. Seemed like a good lead, but the way the series had been, nothing was ever set in stone. In the top of the sixth, after retiring Dave Nilsson, Trachsel surrendered a home run to Jeff Cirillo, closing the gap within four runs. Then the Brewers led off the top of the seventh with a home run by Bobby Hughes, making the score 8-5.
Exit Steve Trachsel, enter Terry Mulholland, retiring the rest of the Brewers easily. After Chris O'Donnell gave a quote-unquote "stirring" rendition of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame," the Cubs stepped in, still ahead, and Sosa led off. He struck out, and the place became silent as the Cubs were retired aside from one walk to Glenallen Hill. The top of the eighth was vital for the Brewers, as they scored four runs off Mulholland, all on punchy base hits. Suddenly, the Brewers were ahead 9-8. The bottom of the Cubs' eighth was quiet. Guys got on base but failed to score. The top of the ninth saw Jeff Cirillo hitting another home run, this time off Cub newcomer Chris Haney. Brewers went up 10-8 by the end of the inning.
Now is when the REAL fun begins. It's the bottom of the ninth. Crunch time. The shadow-line had already crossed the infield as the game surpasses it's standard three-hour run-time. The Cub fans, who would've usually left by now in the 1997 season (since a loss could be expected), are staying not only to see Sammy Sosa anymore, but to also see their beloved Cubbies pull out their 84th win of the year and maintain first in the Wild Card race.
After Grace led off and grounded out, it was Sosa turn, millions of eyes outside of the 40,000 strong at Wrigley around the world surrounding him, awaiting history to be made. He didn't disappoint, as he smacked one of the longest home runs I'd ever seen in my days at Wrigley Field, hit into the alley outside of left-center field (another grossly underestimated 480 feet). This would be one of the most touching moments I'd ever seen in a baseball game. Tears filled the eyes of Sammy Sosa, the fans at Wrigley Field, my mother, myself, and I think my grandfather, over such an accomplishment for such a tremendous hero. Yes, in future years Sosa would alienate his fanbase away from him and turn into a serious egomaniac, but here, he was just the little guy, succeeding and beating the odds, before the success got to him. He was the guy who cared more about his team winning than his own record, the guy who gave his millions to people who needed it more than he did. Suddenly, this guy was a superstar, who put up numbers as if he were a machine, but his tears proved he was human after all. Without question, the greatest moment I'd ever seen on a baseball field in my lifetime, and after a whopping three curtain calls, the game continued, in front of 40,000 roaring fans.
There was still baseball to be played though. Sosa's homer put the Cubs only within one of Milwaukee, and the injured pinch-hitter Henry Rodriguez dug in and doubled on the first pitch, admirably limping into second base. Chip Caray had stated amidst the excitement (and excited himself) that "My grandfather said in the fourth game of the 1964 season that the Cardinals would win the World Series. Well, as crazy as it sounded then, you get the feeling that this may just be our year..." Jason Maxwell pinch-ran, and on a 2-2 count, Gary Gaetti slapped a single up the middle which scored Maxwell and tied the game. 10-10. Un-be-lievable. It was a mob scene at the ballpark no one ever expected to see in 1998. It's safe to say it was the most ambitious and positive I've ever seen that ballpark in my entire life.
The game would go to extra innings, and Rod Beck (Shooter, if you will), our excellent closer with 50 saves, comes in and shuts down the Brewers 1-2-3 in the top of the tenth. It was the Cubs' chance to pull out a victory in the bottom of the inning. After Lance Johnson and Jose Hernandez lost their at-bats, Mark Grace dug in with two outs, and on "Gracie the Swan" day, he caps off the legendary game in perfect fashion, by delivering a solo blast into the streets in right field to win the game for the Cubs, final score 11-10. As "Celebration" played in the background, the team carried Sammy Sosa on their shoulders as they walked off Wrigley, and with a final curtain call by Mark Grace, the game was officially over. But the fans stuck around, and I'm not sure if anyone knows how long the folks actually stuck around...
I don't care what ANY Cubs fan says, that was single-handedly the best series ever at Wrigley Field and possibly Cubs history. The excitement, the drama, the back-and-forth of the score, the playoff atmosphere, the "90 Mile Rivalry" (as I call it) with the Brewers, the magic of the home run race, the magic of the Wild Card race. It was single-handedly a story-book series, one that must NEVER be forgotten by Cubs fans. And probably wouldn't.
I'll never forget the end of the game, my grandfather said to me "Remember this game, and remember this series. You'll never see another one like it ever again. I know I haven't." And he was right. I have yet to see something as exciting as that mid-September series on the North Side. When teams combine to score 72 runs in a three game series, you know it's something special. Steve Stone's "offensive onslaught" description seems rather fitting, eh?
The last game was the greatest Cub game I'd ever seen in my life. It capped off a magical series perfectly, with pieces of history thrown in there and an ending that you could only write in a book. September 13, 1998 is easily one of the finest memories of my entire life, even for being so young. Thanks to the Cubs Legends DVD box set, I was able to relive the memory today. Certainly not the sunny, 87 degree day it was ten years ago, but nevertheless, the chills ran down my spine when Chip Caray would call the home runs and the end of the game, as they were just as vibrant as they were this day ten years ago.
Probably the best baseball experience I ever shared with my grandfather and uncle, and probably the best experience to date. Hard to believe a regular season game tops off all the playoff victories and clinchers I'd seen, but there was something in the air that day, and something magical about that 1998 season, that makes it's memory so valuable. And I'm damn proud to have been around long enough to remember it and respect it the way I do today.
-Zach
It's one of the last days in the summer of 1998, and I was in the mere age of seven, innocent and skating by in a stress-free, work-free lifestyle. I just started First Grade, a time when school was actually enjoyable and something to look forward to. The family had decided to buy a vacation to Florida for that October just a few weeks prior, a trip everyone, from my mother, my sister, grandma, grandpa, and Uncle Tom, all except my father, would attend, my first time ever on a REAL vacation. Chicago sports had taken a beating, dismantling the Chicago Bulls dynasty, no real interest in Blackhawks hockey anymore, the Bears were losing, the White Sox were subpar. But there was one ray of hope, yes, you guessed it. My Cubs were winning, for the first time in the three years I had been watching them, in the magical fairy tale season that was 1998.
Today was Sunday, September 13, 1998. Typically on Sundays, my mother, sister, and I would head over to the grandparents' house for a lunch / dinner around three in the afternoon, and I'd spend most of my time with my grandpa and uncle over the summer watching Cubs games on WGN, as the aroma of pork, perogi, sometimes saurkraut or cauliflour, and my favorite dish of my grandmother's, mashed potatoes, filled the air as we awaited the feast. This Sunday was no different, except for the fact that at it's standard 1:20 PM start, we didn't know history would be made.
Let's recap the first two games of this series. The Wild Card leading Cubs began a series against the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday, September 11, 1998 at Wrigley Field. The team, at this point, needed to win as many games as possible in order to stand pat in the race, as the New York Mets and San Francisco Giants showed no signs of slowing down at this point. The Cubs had a solid 82-66 record, by far exceeding expectations for the season, but the Brewers were in fourth place in the NL Central and essentially out of contention, so they were playing the spoiler. This was also special, not to mention, because of Sammy Sosa's status in the Great Home Run Race of '98, standing at 58 and could likely catch up to leader Mark McGwire (62) by weekend's end.
Sparks flew in the first game that Friday, sadly resulting in a 13-11 victory for the Brewers. Don Wengert pitched only two and a third, allowing five Milwaukee runs, but his replacement, Rodney Myers was no better, giving up four. The Cubs burned through a whopping six relievers in the loss, but the Cubs did fight, with homers by Gary Gaetti (15th), Jason Maxwell (1st), and at no surprise, Sammy Sosa (59th), snapping a five game homer-less streak.
The second game was even more of a thriller, starting off poorly once again for the Chicago Cubs. Mike Morgan surrendered eight runs in three innings, allowing homers to Geoff Jenkins, Jeromy Burnitz, and Bobby Hughes. By the bottom of the seventh, Milwaukee led the Cubs 12-5, but an offensive explosion by the Cubs brought them within just three (courtesy of a three-run homer by Sammy Sosa, now standing at 60 on the year). The Cubs eventually tied it and took the game to the bottom of the ninth, still trailing, this time 12-10. The Cubs tied it up with punch base hits, but the big hit was a pinch-hit, three-run homer by Orlando Merced, thrusting the Cubs to a shocking 15-12 victory.
Could the series possibly get anymore exciting? It was tied 1-1 going into Sunday the 13th, with both teams scoring a combined 51 runs in the series alone (by then the third highest run total for one series in the 1998 season, with one more game to go). You wouldn't believe it, but damnit, it did. It was "Gracie the Swan" promotional giveaway day, where swan Beanie Babies were given out in commemoration of Cubs legendary first baseman Mark Grace. Grandpa, Uncle Tom, and I expressed our interest in wanting to be there amidst the 87 degree Indian summer North Side heat, sadly it was the hottest ticket in Chicago since the NBA Finals that past June.
It started off negatively once again, with Steve Trachsel starting the game off by giving up a solo home run to Mark Loretta in the first, making it 1-0. Things didn't get any better as Milwaukee would go up 2-0 on pesky base hits by the bottom of the third. But in that bottom half of the inning, the Cubs offense powered it's way to a six run inning, thanks to hits by Mickey Morandini, Scott Servais, Jose Hernandez, Glenallen Hill, and Gary Gaetti, and even doubles by pitcher Steve Trachsel and Mark Grace, playing surprising small-ball instead of the usual, powerful approach the team had normally taken. The Cubs led 6-2.
Trachsel, however, was ready to let that slip. After retiring Jeff Cirillo, he gave up Jeromy Burnitz's 36th homer of the season, making it a 6-3 score. Things were silent from here on out until the bottom of the fifth, where Mark Grace singled to set-up Sammy Sosa's third at-bat of the game. All eyes were on Chicago's latest hero to bring the Cubs ahead further, and he didn't disappoint. Sosa hammered a 480 foot blast to left field (I agree with Steve Stone's assessment of the distance being "grossly understated") for #61 on the season, tying Roger Maris' former single-season record (broken by McGwire just five days prior). The Cubs were now ahead 8-3. Seemed like a good lead, but the way the series had been, nothing was ever set in stone. In the top of the sixth, after retiring Dave Nilsson, Trachsel surrendered a home run to Jeff Cirillo, closing the gap within four runs. Then the Brewers led off the top of the seventh with a home run by Bobby Hughes, making the score 8-5.
Exit Steve Trachsel, enter Terry Mulholland, retiring the rest of the Brewers easily. After Chris O'Donnell gave a quote-unquote "stirring" rendition of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame," the Cubs stepped in, still ahead, and Sosa led off. He struck out, and the place became silent as the Cubs were retired aside from one walk to Glenallen Hill. The top of the eighth was vital for the Brewers, as they scored four runs off Mulholland, all on punchy base hits. Suddenly, the Brewers were ahead 9-8. The bottom of the Cubs' eighth was quiet. Guys got on base but failed to score. The top of the ninth saw Jeff Cirillo hitting another home run, this time off Cub newcomer Chris Haney. Brewers went up 10-8 by the end of the inning.
Now is when the REAL fun begins. It's the bottom of the ninth. Crunch time. The shadow-line had already crossed the infield as the game surpasses it's standard three-hour run-time. The Cub fans, who would've usually left by now in the 1997 season (since a loss could be expected), are staying not only to see Sammy Sosa anymore, but to also see their beloved Cubbies pull out their 84th win of the year and maintain first in the Wild Card race.
After Grace led off and grounded out, it was Sosa turn, millions of eyes outside of the 40,000 strong at Wrigley around the world surrounding him, awaiting history to be made. He didn't disappoint, as he smacked one of the longest home runs I'd ever seen in my days at Wrigley Field, hit into the alley outside of left-center field (another grossly underestimated 480 feet). This would be one of the most touching moments I'd ever seen in a baseball game. Tears filled the eyes of Sammy Sosa, the fans at Wrigley Field, my mother, myself, and I think my grandfather, over such an accomplishment for such a tremendous hero. Yes, in future years Sosa would alienate his fanbase away from him and turn into a serious egomaniac, but here, he was just the little guy, succeeding and beating the odds, before the success got to him. He was the guy who cared more about his team winning than his own record, the guy who gave his millions to people who needed it more than he did. Suddenly, this guy was a superstar, who put up numbers as if he were a machine, but his tears proved he was human after all. Without question, the greatest moment I'd ever seen on a baseball field in my lifetime, and after a whopping three curtain calls, the game continued, in front of 40,000 roaring fans.
There was still baseball to be played though. Sosa's homer put the Cubs only within one of Milwaukee, and the injured pinch-hitter Henry Rodriguez dug in and doubled on the first pitch, admirably limping into second base. Chip Caray had stated amidst the excitement (and excited himself) that "My grandfather said in the fourth game of the 1964 season that the Cardinals would win the World Series. Well, as crazy as it sounded then, you get the feeling that this may just be our year..." Jason Maxwell pinch-ran, and on a 2-2 count, Gary Gaetti slapped a single up the middle which scored Maxwell and tied the game. 10-10. Un-be-lievable. It was a mob scene at the ballpark no one ever expected to see in 1998. It's safe to say it was the most ambitious and positive I've ever seen that ballpark in my entire life.
The game would go to extra innings, and Rod Beck (Shooter, if you will), our excellent closer with 50 saves, comes in and shuts down the Brewers 1-2-3 in the top of the tenth. It was the Cubs' chance to pull out a victory in the bottom of the inning. After Lance Johnson and Jose Hernandez lost their at-bats, Mark Grace dug in with two outs, and on "Gracie the Swan" day, he caps off the legendary game in perfect fashion, by delivering a solo blast into the streets in right field to win the game for the Cubs, final score 11-10. As "Celebration" played in the background, the team carried Sammy Sosa on their shoulders as they walked off Wrigley, and with a final curtain call by Mark Grace, the game was officially over. But the fans stuck around, and I'm not sure if anyone knows how long the folks actually stuck around...
I don't care what ANY Cubs fan says, that was single-handedly the best series ever at Wrigley Field and possibly Cubs history. The excitement, the drama, the back-and-forth of the score, the playoff atmosphere, the "90 Mile Rivalry" (as I call it) with the Brewers, the magic of the home run race, the magic of the Wild Card race. It was single-handedly a story-book series, one that must NEVER be forgotten by Cubs fans. And probably wouldn't.
I'll never forget the end of the game, my grandfather said to me "Remember this game, and remember this series. You'll never see another one like it ever again. I know I haven't." And he was right. I have yet to see something as exciting as that mid-September series on the North Side. When teams combine to score 72 runs in a three game series, you know it's something special. Steve Stone's "offensive onslaught" description seems rather fitting, eh?
The last game was the greatest Cub game I'd ever seen in my life. It capped off a magical series perfectly, with pieces of history thrown in there and an ending that you could only write in a book. September 13, 1998 is easily one of the finest memories of my entire life, even for being so young. Thanks to the Cubs Legends DVD box set, I was able to relive the memory today. Certainly not the sunny, 87 degree day it was ten years ago, but nevertheless, the chills ran down my spine when Chip Caray would call the home runs and the end of the game, as they were just as vibrant as they were this day ten years ago.
Probably the best baseball experience I ever shared with my grandfather and uncle, and probably the best experience to date. Hard to believe a regular season game tops off all the playoff victories and clinchers I'd seen, but there was something in the air that day, and something magical about that 1998 season, that makes it's memory so valuable. And I'm damn proud to have been around long enough to remember it and respect it the way I do today.
-Zach
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