Thanks, guys. It was grand.
That tired old refrain of Chicago Cubs fans–“Wait ’til next year”–has a little bounce to it this October. And the main reason is Cubs fans are saying it in October rather than in September after another ignominious finish far out of the money.
Yes, the Cubs were swept in three by the Atlanta Braves. And yes, the team, city and fans went a little nutty–OK, very nutty–a week ago after the teamclinched the National League wild card spot, meaning the Cubs were officially the best of the also-rans. And, yes, it has now been 90 years since they won a World Series and 53 years since they even made it that far.
But the 1998 Chicago Cubs season overflows with sweet memories–of Sammy Sosa and Kerry Wood, of Harry Carey’s weird ghostly presence bobbing above Wrigley Field, of gutty come-from-behind wins and heartbreaking losses.
It was also a season for the record books. Last season was one for the books too, you’ll recall, with the Cubs setting a National League record by opening the season 0 for 14 and going on to lose 94 games. This year, well, this year was different. How sweet it was.
Sammy slammed 66 home runs, five more than Roger Maris’ 37-year-old Major League Baseball record and four fewer than the new home run champ, St. Louis Cardinal Mark McGwire. Sammy hit 20 in June alone–a one-month baseball record. Sosa and McGwire combined with their home run derby to set baseball on fire, eradicating any leftover fan resentment from the 1994-95 strike. And Cubs pitching phenom Kerry Wood struck out a record-breaking 20 against Houston in May.
In the words of the Tribune’s Rick Morrissey, this wasn’t a “dream season,” it was a “fun season.” A dream season includes serious jewelry for the ring finger. In a fun season, you make a run for it as summer fades away, you root for Sammy to slam one onto Waveland Avenue, and everyone–Grace and Gaetti and Morandini and Tapani and Beck and Mieske–comes through.
Being a Cubs fan is never easy and this season did serious damage to blood pressures throughout Chicagoland. The Cubs came from behind to win 49 times this season. In 24 games, they won with their last at-bat. What a terrific season.
Cheers to the boys of autumn. Can’t wait for next spring when you take us back to the ballpark.
