Sunday, October 23, 2016

ADMISSION AGAINST INTEREST

When I was just 7 years old, my Dad, of blessed memory, took me to my first Major League Baseball game. I will always remember climbing the ramp to the right field bleachers at old, now gone, Comiskey Park, and seeing the field for the first time looking like green velvet, I can still smell the freshly mowed grass. I remember the crack of the bat as Ted Williams hit a towering home run well over our heads and the despair at another White Sox loss. Ever since, I have been a White Sox fan, joy-filled at every victory, crestfallen with every loss.

The White Sox were a mediocrity then, as they are now, but I and many of my friends remained passionate and filled with hope each season. Many of us, me included, enjoyed a certain schadenfreude -- we were always assured that is the White Sox were downtrodden, the Cubs were even more so. Some of us, me included, got as much joy out of a Cubs loss as out of a Sox win. I still remember the immortal, snarling Leo Durocher joining the Cubs as Manager after a miserable season announcing: "This is not an 8th place team" and, sure enough the Cubs finished 10th that first year of Durocher's realm. There was the Cubs collapse in 1969 and often thereafter mainly attributed to a curse announced by one Billy Sianis when his pet goat was not allowed to join him at a game. 

Then, the White Sox arose three times -- 1959 in a World Series loss, 1983 in a woeful playoff loss and then in the magnificent World Series win in 2005. Each time we thought "no more will we be the second team in a two team town" and each time the Sox lapsed back into untold mediocrity. And, now...

The Cubs are not only back in the World Series, they are as "lovable" as when they were "lovable losers." I, like all Chicagoans, have found joy in their victories and find myself rooting for them through each agonizing playoff game. This is great for the once-beleaguered Cubs fans; it's great for my City.

All I can yell is GO CUBS. All of Chicago is with you.

Rwexler

6 comments:

Bob Hyfler said...

I think its a Federation thing - you just relish sticking it to Cleveland!

Paul Jeser said...

M E T S
METS METS METS
��

Anonymous said...

The Cubs are the most Jewish sports team, ever.

We have complete dibs, after all, on the phrase "Wait 'Til Next Year".

Next year has finally arrived. And the messianic age, though it did tarry quite a bit, arrived nonetheless for the faithfully devoted who have prayed for it for generations.

Last night's triumph happened on Hoshannah Rabbah, where according to the Zohar, the judgement for the New Year is finally delivered.

"Ess is shver tzu zaynen un Cubs fan". Not any more! Our time of freedom, liberation and deliverance from the bondage of Billy goat curses is now upon us.

RWEX said...

To Bob Hyfler: Being for the Cubs definitely is not being against the Indians...on the other hand, being against the Cars -- that's a whole different story.

To Paul Jeser, cheering for the Mets is like cheering: 'TRUMP, Trump, Trum..., Tru...

Anonymous said...

https://youtu.be/LMdqUlbkyLo

A Jewish Camp Song at its best!

Guy said...

To quote Al Michaels:

Do you believe in miracles?

YES!!!!

No Tachanun in Chicago for the rest of the month.