The Cultivation of a Cubs Fan
By all reasonable standards, the Chicago Cubs have had a great year.
No, they didn’t get in the World Series. But with several very young players starting, they played with skill and class, and had some great wins that propelled them into the National League playoffs.
So as the thrill of this year wanes and Cubs fans look to next year, I find myself reminiscing about how I became a fan, and how it has lasted for all these years.
How It All Began
In the summer of 1941, with not even a dream about the following December 7th, I went to visit my friend Phil Whiteside, who lived a couple of miles down the road from our country house near Weldon, Illinois.
As a 7 year old, I had never been more than 50 miles away from my farm home, and was pretty green about the world.
I parked my bike, and was told Phil was in the living room.
To my amazed surprise, Phil was not only looking at a photo of a baseball team he called the Chicago Cubs, but, lo and behold, he was listening to them play baseball on the radio!
It was the first time I had ever heard the Cubs play, but by no means the last.
After listening to the game, Phil and I went out to his pasture with ball and bat, arranged dried up cow patties for bases and home plate, and played baseball to our hearts content.
He knew all the player’s names, so we pretended to be Bill Nickelson, Phil Cavarretta, Stan Hack, Peanuts Lowery, and a little guy, named Dom Dallessandro.
I liked Dellessandro and Cavarretta because they were left-handed– just like me.
Many years later, when the Cubs won their division title, I wrote Phil Whiteside a letter. I reminded Phil that I had followed the Cubs ever since that fateful day in 1941, and thanked him profusely for “introducing me to culture,” and for “broadening my worldview.”
In 1941, we had an old battery radio, which was basically only used to listen to the WLS Barn Dance on Saturday night, and possibly to Jack Armstrong and Lum and Abner during the week– if we did our chores.
Even though the battery wore down quickly, I convinced my Dad to let me listen to the Cubs, and a lifetime of being a Cubs fan began.
And How it Got Real Boost
The first time I went to a real Cubs game was when I was 14 years old.
The father and mother of another friend of mine-Terry Glynn– who were more worldly than my parents– invited me to go to Chicago with them and actually see a Cubs game.
I was beside myself with excitement, and it was really fun.
The only catch was that they three of them were all Cardinal fans, so I had to cheer for the Cubs on my own. And it was beginning to look pretty grim.
The Cardinals were ahead 3-1 with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, with Cubs Jeffcoat and Waitkus on base.
Then, as in a dream, Andy Pafko came up and hit a home run over the centerfield wall, putting the Cubs ahead to stay, 4-3. Click the link below to see the famous box score for that game.
60 years later, my son-in-law’s father, Chuck Thornquist, met Andy Pafko on a bus of retirees going to St.Louis, and Andy generously autographed his photo for me.
I always felt the autographed photo commemorated that great game in Chicago- my first real Cubs game– when Pafko hit the home run.
Needless to say, my first real game experience clinched it–And I have never waivered from being a Cubs fan!
How It Continues
Harriet and I attended many Cubs games over the years, laced with some very enjoyable side adventures. And we have watched a lot of enjoyable games on TV.
One great side adventure was the chance meeting and talk in Harry Carey’s restaurant in 2010 with Cubs manager Lou Pinella.
It was a great 80th birthday present for Chuck Thornquist– my son-in law-Bruce’s dad– who was having dinner with us.
Also in 2010, I was able to tour Wrigley Field with my son-in-law Bruce, Chuck Thornquist, and grandson Lee. We greatly enjoyed seeing the locker room, and the inner works of the centerfield scoreboard.
The highlight of my lifetime as a Cubs fan was being able to throw out the first pitch at a Cubs game in 2011. It was a wonderful adventure, and I felt like the Cubs pitcher of the year! (See the blog post on this website for the rest of this story.)
And finally, there was being at Wrigley Field for the exciting third win for the Cubs over the Cardinals on their way to the National League playoffs this year—in October 2015.
It was an electric atmosphere, with everyone waving a W(in) towel and standing up for practically every pitch. The Cubs hit 6 home runs in the game, and everything went the Cubs way.
Of course, the big goal is for the Cubs to win the World Series, which was not to be this year.
But as a Cubs fan for most of my 81 years, I can feel trends “in my bones,” and I’ve no doubt that the Cubs will be World Series Champs again– in my lifetime!
Go Cubs!