A Cub Fan’s Journey — From Watching The Lovable Losers On My Grandfather’s Knee, To A World Series Appearance

I’m not the oldest Chicago Cubs fan; there were fans at Wrigley Field last night who are twice my age and some change, watching the Cubs do what we’ve all waited decades for them to do. But at 46, I’ve been around for my share of Cubs triumphs, and a larger share of Cubs disappointments. I’m not the most famous Cubs fan either; that distinction probably goes to Bill Murray. I have a few dozen Twitter followers, and that’s about the extent of my “fame.” But a Cubs fan I am, and this is my journey.

The year before I was born, the Cubs were all but a lock to win the National League. By September of 1969, the North Siders were 32 games over.500, with the Mets in a distant second place. Then, one fateful game — September 11, 1969, to be exact — a black cat ran onto the field, according to CBS News. Then began a series of devastating losses, and the so-called “Miracle Mets” would go on to win the World Series.

Another tale from the Cubs’ cursed history: In 1969, a black cat circled Cubs star Ron Santo on the field. https://t.co/IKyMQIlkQt pic.twitter.com/SxtX0ST8z5

— The Morning News (@TheMorningNews) October 23, 2016

25 years before I was born — October 6, 1945, to be exact — a local bar owner named Billy Sianis brought his pet goat to a World Series game at Wrigley Field, according to The History Channel, and was promptly kicked out. Legend says that a disgruntled Sianis put a curse on the Cubs.

None of that mattered to me in the early 1970’s, a then-preschooler watching the Cubs on my grandfather’s knee. Grandpa Sam, dressed head to toe in his Cubs regalia, would cheer when they won, cry when they lost, cuss a blue streak at a blown call, then bounce back the next season. Over and over again, for decades.

By all rights, I probably shouldn’t have even been a Cubs fan. I grew up in the town that is the metaphorical boundary between Cubs Nation and Cardinals Nation. A mile north of Springfield, Illinois, and it’s all Cubs. A mile south, it’s all Cardinals (St. Louis is only 99 miles further away). And for the baseball-watching public in Springfield, it’s a 50/50 split — half Cubs fans, half Cards fans. My dad was on the Cards side. Only by luck did I choose to be a Cubs fan.

It was a decision that would come back to haunt me over and over again. By the time I was a teenager, I’d already picked up Grandpa Sam’s habit of coming back for more punishment every season. In 1984, the Cubs made their first post-season appearance since 1945, thanks to the advent of divisional play — and were promptly defeated by the Padres. Then 1989. Then other post-season appearances — all met with disappointment. 1998. We dare not speak of what happened in 2003 (Fox Sports can explain it to you, if you’re not familiar with the story). 2007. 2008. 2015.

Still, any Cubs fan will tell you that the Cubs are more than just a team to us. They’re like a family to us. Sure, they disappoint us sometimes, but we love them and we will never let them go. And as in all families, sometimes beloved family members die. In my lifetime alone, Harry Caray, Ron Santo, Ernie Banks — and Grandpa Sam — have all gone on to a better place without ever seeing the Cubs make it to the World Series.

That all changed last night. Every Cubs fan will tell you where they were on October 22, 2016. As for me, I was at home — in Missouri, no less, in the heart of Cardinals country (marrying a Missouri girl will do that to you). My wife recorded my reaction to the final two outs on her iPad — I may yet put the video up on YouTube, if I ever decide that I want to let the whole world see me bawl like a baby.

For the 2016 Cubs, the journey isn’t over. They still haven’t won the World Series, and only a fool would say that a 2016 World Championship is a sure thing. But for now, that doesn’t matter. Black cats, billy goats, and Bartman balls don’t matter. Supposed curses don’t matter. Nothing matters but that moment last night when seven decades of heartbreak finally, mercifully came to an end.

Grandpa Sam would have been proud.

The World Series begins on Tuesday, October 25, at Progressive Park. The Chicago Cubs will take on the Cleveland Indians for the World Championship.

[Featured Image by Jamie Squire/Getty Images]