Cubs Win World Series

For the first time in over a century, the Chicago Cubs are World Series champs.  General manager Theo Epstein, holds the trophy.  My guess is the trophy that the Cubs won in their previous World Series looked much different.

Chicago Cubs Break Curse--Head To World Series

The Chicago Cubs have since their last appearance in a World Series in 1945, have alternated between bad teams and great teams with bad luck. This year, for the first time since 1945, they have won the National League pennant. The Cubs play in historical Wrigley Field, in which many of the newer baseball stadium have been modeled.
In order to win it's first world championship since 1908, the Cubs will have to defeat the Cleveland Indians, who are trying to also overcome a draught.  The Indians have not won a World Series since 1948.

Mets Foil Cubs Again

Not long after when I first got interested in baseball, I read a magazine article about a star player for Detroit named Al Kaline.  Kaline was a veteran outfielder who was playing his last season in 1968.  He has never played in the World Series and this was his last chance.  As it turned out, the Tigers went to the series that year and became world champions.  During the season, on the NBC game of the week, after the Tigers had clinched the American League, Curt Gowdy mentioned that Kaline had gotten a letter or telegram from Chicago Cubs star Ernie Banks congratulating him for being able to play in the upcoming series and hoping that he (Banks) would get the chance.
The next season (1969) it looked like Banks and his team would get the chance.  Stocked with all time greats like Ron Santo, Billy Williams, Fergie Jenkins, and Banks, it looked like it would be the Cubs year.  How could you not love the Cubs?  They played in Wrigley Field, a beautiful traditional baseball field in  the middle of a neighborhood.  At that time, it had no lights and the all the games were played in the daytime.  Everyone loved Ernie Banks, considered one of baseball's ambassadors.
However, post game play was not to be.  The New York Mets, who were only 7 years old, most of them as a baseball laughing stalk. Suddenly they starting winning and winning.  The Cubs were sputtering, soon the Mets had overtaken the Cubs.  The Mets would go on to win it all and go down in history as the "Miracle Mets".
This year, The Cubs won a post game series for the first time since 1908,    It looked like this was the year for them to go to the World Series and perhaps win it. Except once again, someone stopped them in the National League Championship Series.  After 46 years, the Cubs dream was once again crushed by the New York Mets.

Cubs Legend Ernie Banks Dead

It has been reported that former Chicago Cubs great Ernie Banks, has died at 83.  One of baseball's best loved players,  Banks played shortstop and first base for the Cubs from 1953 to 1971.  In 1973, he was awarded the Medal Of Freedom from President Obama.

Hall Welcomes The Late Ron Santo

Seattle native and legendary 3rd Baseman Ron Santo has been elected by the Veteran's committee to the Baseball Hall Of Fame.  Santo played for a Chicago Cub team that may have been the best team ever to not play in post season, the fact that Santo did not play in the post season could have factored into him being passed up 18 times for enshrinement.  Santo played for the National League All Star team, a team that I remember as a consistent winner 9 times.  He was a winner of 5 gold gloves.  As a hitter, he belted 342 homers during his career.
Santo was an extremely popular radio analyst for the Cubs for over two decades.  He died almost exactly a year ago from complications from bladder cancer.

Chicago Cubs Legend Ron Santo

Baseball legend Ron Santo passed away this week from cancer.
When I was first following baseball in the late 60s, it was a toss up between Brooks Robinson and Ron Santo for the best third baseman in the game. I became a big Cubs fan for a number of reasons, one is I had baseball cards of Ferguson Jenkens and Billy Williams, and also because it's Triple A farm club, The Tacoma Cubs were on cable channel 11. I also thought thought Ernie Banks was cool as well.
The Chicago Cubs have not been to a World Series in my lifetime. Ron Santo was a native of Seattle and considered one of the best athletes to come out of this area. He was not in the Hall Of Fame, but many writers say that he may get in this year.

Piniella Will Retire

Chicago Cubs manager Lou Piniella has announce that he will retire at season's end. Piniella, of course, is best known for turning around the Seattle Mariners, leading them to several post season appearences. Piniella will be remember for his angry outburst which included throwing bases, kicking his cap and loud arguments with umpires. There will be many that will hope that Piniella will be talked out of retirement and manage the Mariners again.

Chicago Cubs Invade Safeco

One of my favorite teams, the Chicago Cubs is in town to play the Mariners. The Cubs are managed by former Seattle skipper Lou Piniella (pictured above), a legend in Seattle sports, having guided the M's to it's only post season appearances.

My affection for the Cubs goes back to my boyhood, their AAA farm club at the time was in Tacoma. As a boy, I was able to watch the Tacoma Cubs on cable channel 11, KTNT. In 1999, we visited Chicago's Wrigley Field to watch the team play the Padres, although the game was called in the late innings because of a vicious rain storm.

Last night the Mariners beat the Cubs 2-0.

Chicago Is Where It's At For Baseball

Unlike here in Seattle, Baseball has got to be fun in Chicago. The Cubs and White Sox are leading their respective divisions, both teams have fiery managers in Ozzie Guillen and Lou Piniella who will not except anything but the best from their players.

I have been a lifelong fan of the Cubs since watching their AAA farmclub in Tacoma on Cable Channel 11 as a boy. That was when the Cubs had Ernie Banks and Ron Santo. They were probably the best team to never go to a World Series. 30 years later Safeco Field opened , my wife and I attended an outdoor Major League baseball game for the first team in Chicago's legendary Wrigley Field (that was a month before Safeco Field opened for the Mariners) and wouldn't you know, the game was stopped because of a terrible rainstorm. What happened afterward is a story for a different time.
The White Sox and Cubs will face each other this weekend for a series in Wrigley.

Lou Piniella Up To Old Tricks

Meanwhile, things are not going so well for another ex-Mariner. Chicago Cub Manager Lou Piniella received a four game suspension after a tirade last weekend in a game against the Atlanta Braves. Piniella went ballistic on the umpires, just as he was known to do in his 10 year stint of managing the M's. The Chicago Cubs, once baseball's "lovable losers" can now drop lovable from that nickname. The "midgets" of the Midway can simply be known as Baseball's answer to the LA Clippers.