As he waited for the train to roll in shortly before 10 a.m., Jeffery L. Goree knew he had to be in the city to celebrate the Cubs championship.
The chances were slim that he’d be able to actually see much of anything. But that didn’t matter.
“I may not see the buses, but I’ll be part of the crowd,” the 60-year-old Homewood man said.
He was among thousands across the suburbs who took Metra trains into Chicago to take part in the historic parade to welcome home the Wold Series champs.
“This doesn’t happen every day,” Irene Hernandez said.
The Oak Forest mom watched two full trains pass by the Oak Forest station before getting on a train with her three children shortly after 9 a.m.
“It’s not the same watching at home,” she said anticipating the parade. “You want to be in with the crowd.”
As Hernandez and several other fans waited for a train in Oak Forest, the atmosphere was light with some singing, others reveling in the Cubs historic win or snapping selfies with their friends.
“This is great for the city,” said one Oak Forest man who skipped work Friday to catch the parade and asked not to be identified.
“I just want to be there,” said Mary Greenys, of Oak Forest, as she waited for the train. “I’ve waited my whole life.”
Though many were lucky enough to catch a train in for the parade, one group at the 103rd Street station in Beverly had to drive in after missing their train.
“We’re doing everything we can to get to the parade,” said Nicole Corley, of Mt. Greenwood.
Corley took an Uber car from Dayton to meet up with friends at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. The group then drove home and planned to head into the city together. Megan Mertic even managed to get out of a math exam Friday after emailing her teacher letting her know about her love for the Cubs and desire to be in the city for the parade. Her teacher acquiesced, telling Mertic she married into a Cubs family over 40 years ago and asked her to snap a picture for her.
For Cyndi and Tom Wiedeman of Thornton, Friday’s parade was extra special. The couple’s daughter, Candy, is married to Cub’s hitting coach John Mallee.
“The team is wonderful,” said Cyndi Wiedeman, as she waited for a train at the Homewood station Friday morning. She was joined other family members who were excited to see Mallee for the first time since the World Series win. Her 9-year-old granddaughter, Mikasa, said she couldn’t wait to see “Uncle John.”
Though her husband has been a life-long Cubs’ fan, Cyndi Wiedeman started following baseball when she welcomed Mallee as her son-in-law.
“I’ve always told him he’s the best hitting coach,” she said. “Now everyone knows what I’ve been telling him for 20 years.”
And while Cubs fans Friday said their team has been through highs and lows over the last century, they said having a World Series title puts things in a different perspective.
“I’ve had all the headaches and heartaches as many Cubs fan have,” Goree said. “I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. (Now) I’m watching a team that I believe can win another championship.”
Alicia Fabbre is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
