Remembering Steve Bartman
a.k.a. "Bill E. Goat"
| Steve Bartman that fateful night... |
| Chicago Cubs logo |
Now that I'm here, let's talk about the Chicago Cubs. Unfortunately (and I've tried to deny this for many years), I am a Cubs fan. Yes, I'm a fan of the Chicago Cubs, or the "lovable losers" as fans have labeled them. The Cubs have a long history of disappointment, bad teams, evil managers, horrid players, curses, and everything in between, and yet, they're still one of the most profitable franchise in the MLB. Why that is, I can't explain. It's something about "Cubs magic", in that no matter how fuckin' awful they are, they're loved by all their fans.
In 1907, the Cubs dominated the baseball world and won the 1907 World Series. In 1908, they followed it up with a back-to-back World Series win. However, little did the team know that 1908 was the very last time the team would win the Series. The Cubs would return to the Series nine more times after 1908; losing all of their appearances. In 1945, Bill Sianis was thrown from a game in the World Series because the odors of his billy goat was disturbing the other Cub fans, so Sianis was tossed from Wrigley Field. However, before leaving the stadium, Sianis placed a curse on the team, exclaiming "Them Cubs ain't never gonna win again!". Known as the "Curse of the Billy Goat", it has haunted the Cubs since 1945, as 1945 was the very last year the Cubs appeared in the World Series...
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| Ron Santo with the black cat at Shea Stadium - 1969 |
There were a couple hopeful seasons following 1945. In 1969, the Cubs were in 1st place in mid-September, and showed alot of promise for a World Series appearance, if not a win. However, in late-September, the Cubs suffered another stroke of the curse; as Ron Santo was warming up on deck, a black cat had leaped into the infield and ran round the on-deck circle, where Santo was warming up. The remainder of the season, the Cubs blew the central division lead and finished the season in 2nd place, eight games behind the New York Mets. It was a bitter disappointment and Cubs fans were devastated by how bad the Cubs could blow a commanding lead in such a short time...
Another season had a glimmer of hope, which was the 1984 season. The Cubs were leading the NL East division fairly late in the season, and showed promise. Before the mid-point of the season, the Cubs traded first basemen Bill Buckner to the Red Sox. Leon Durham was tagged as Buckner's replacement, and the remainder of the season showed promise.The Cubs won their division, and won the first two of the for games of their '84 NLCS against the Padres, leaving the series tied at 2. However, during the fifth game, the billy goat curse struck again. The Cubs were leading 3-0 in the game, but the pitching staff fell apart, as well as the defense in the outfield. The most notable was Tim Flannery's ground ball that was a tailor-made out for the Cubs that could've helped stop the bleeding. However, the ball instead went through Leon Durham's legs and cost the Cubs a precious out. The Cubs ended up losing the game and the NLCS.
From 1984 on, it seemed as though the Cubs would never at least return to the World Series. Many fans by this point had given up hope that the team would win the World Series, but many wanted to see the team go to the series. Year after year, the Cubs would find new ways to disappoint themselves and their fans, as the playoffs kept passing them by. In 1998, the Cubs won the NL wild card during the big "Sosa/McGwire" home-run chase, but nothing came of that. It seemed like all hope would be lost for quite some time...
| Mark Prior with the Cubs - 2003 |
The 2003 season for the Cubs started out like any other season; a sell-out opening day followed by bitter comments from fans. However, as the season progressed, many fans and even non-fans began taking notice to the Cubs' growing ability. The starting pitcher rotation, led by Carlos Zambrano, Kerry Wood, and that year's phenom Mark Prior, were rounding up wins better than any other rotation. The hitting and defense roster included Sammy Sosa, Moises Alou, Alex Gonzalez, Corey Patterson, and many others. The Cubs won their division and moved on to the NLDS against the Braves. A lot of people were hoping for a Cubs/Red Sox World Series face-off, as both teams looked potent. However, while the Red Sox folded under the Yankees in the ALDS, the Cubs remained resilient and won the 2003 NLDS against the Braves. The Cubs then would face the Marlins in the NLCS. The Cubs lost game 1, won games 2, 3, and 4, and lost game 5. The Cubs returned to Chicago for game 6 of the 2003 NLCS, leading the series 3-2. One more win, and the Cubs would win their first national league pennant since 1945 and go to the World Series...
TO BE CONTINUED...
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