A Cub Fans Persona

Cub fans have their own separate identity from the average baseball fan. They will blindly support their team even though 99 years of past history strongly suggest that their isn't any light at the end of the tunnel. When the last pitch has been thrown, they will be on the losing end of the scoreboard.

So, why do their fans faithfully sell out Wrigley Field, and are always amongst the league leaders in road attendance. Is it their perpetual underdog status? Is it the Harry Carray beer drinking party atmosphere that the bleacher bums eagerly embrace? For whatever reason the "Lovable Losers" are undoubtedly one of the most beloved teams in baseball.

Early in the 1980's there wasn't much to root for. Annually battling for last place with very little star power to speak of. They even lost Bruce Sutter to the rival Cardinals after the 1980 season. Not even the more adept baseball trivia buffs could probably tell you that "Jerry Martin" led the team in home runs in 1980 with 23. Rick Rueschel led the team in victories with 11, and the entire team could only muster 64 wins as a team. Bill Buckner was the lone bright spot hitting for a .324 batting average. With those atrocious stats, many may wonder how any 8 year old boy in their right mind could fall in love with the Chicago Cubs. Heck, even the jerseys weren't to attractive to the eye.

Yet, here I am in 2008 waiting in anticipation for another season to begin. Tomorrow, I will discuss the Dallas Green era and the moves he made to help the Cubs rise out of mediocrity and come within one game of heading to the 1984 World Series. Not, for the faint of heart.

Growing Up a Cubs Fan

I grew up in central Illinois and started following the Cubs in 1980, when I was 8 years old. Bill Buckner quickly grew on me. I just loved his gritty hard nosed style of play. I also would anticipate a 440 foot moon shot homerun every time Dave Kingman stepped up to the plate. The Cubs weren't competitive back then, but that didn't stop me from running home from school everyday to catch the game on the radio. We didn't have cable back then, so a small transistor radio allowed me to close my eyes and just listen to the commentators to me away to Wrigley Field. I have always rooted for the underdog, and what team fits the criteria better than the Cubs? I just knew that every year the Cubs were going to shock the world and finally bring home a World Series. I'm still waiting, but still hanging on to my optimism about 2008 Cubs baseball.

Life as a Cubs Fan

Any passionate Cubs fan with just more than a few years under their belt will tell you that life as a Cubs fan is not at all easy. You always have that glimmer of hope every spring even though in the back of your mind you have an "uncertain" certainty that they will eventually break your heart when the season is all said and done.

I am going to write about my journey following the Cubs through heartache and near misses over the years. From years of absolute futility in the late 70's to 1984's game 5 meltdown. From 1989's ride into the playoffs to being within 5 outs from the world series in 2003. Tomorrow I'll start out and tell the story of how my somewhat twisted devotion to the Cubs began. Excuse me while, I make sure the medicine cabinet has ample supply of antacids.