Ain’t Nothin’ But a Family Thing
Cub fans are born, not made. It just takes a little bit to realize you are one.
My father loves to tell the story: I was ensconced in my seat at Wrigley, paging through comic books. It was not yet 1969, and 1945 was still not impossibly far away. Cub legends like Ernie Banks, Billy Williams and Ron Santo strode the field. Dad was watching the game, wishing his son was more of a baseball fan. An older Italian gentlemen, observing all this, leaned over and asked, “Whatsa matter, little boy? Don’t you like-a da baseball?”
In the bottom of the ninth, Ernie Banks hit a walk-off home run. As of that magical moment, and ever since, I DO like-a da baseball. And I love-a my Cubs. Like my father before me and his father before him.
I never met my grandfather, who died a few years after the Cubs lost the ’45 series. He was a plumber throughout the Depression in Chicago although, at one point, he had bigger dreams. A talented semi-pro catcher, he was scouted by the Yankees and invited to a try-out. His mother convinced him playing a child’s game was no way to make a living. If he had become a Yankee… I can’t even complete the thought, nor contemplate the disastrous chain of events which would have then ensued.
But he stayed, and struggled, and provided, and root, root, rooted for the Cubs, and had a couple of sons, both of whom are still alive. He died when Dad was 19, at Mass, in the arms of a priest. Sure, he went straight to Heaven.
And last night, he sent some Heaven back down on his namesakes, three additional generations’ worth.
My father was born in the Depression, and was a talented athlete in his own right, although golf was his game. Still is. In his childhood, the Cubs were in the middle of a string of triennial World Series appearances – ’29, ’32, ’35, ’38 – all of which were, obviously, lost. But the clock-like regularity of Cub National League dominance, briefly regained in 1945, belied the decades of absolute futility that were to follow.
Via Catholic Charities, I was adopted into that futility in 1962. Despite my South Side Sox Fan Mom (whose family is the template for the Hachecristo clan) it was inevitable that I become a Cub fan – I was even born on the North Side. Until that magical Ernie Banks home run, though, I hadn’t realized it. Little did I know the great joy and great pain that would follow.
Little, too, did I know that my family fandom of futility was part of a much bigger family. Years and years and years and years of loving a sports team despite their failures has created a much larger family of millions, across the country and across the globe, whose shared last name is “Cubs Fan.” Yesterday, in the middle of a Kroger in the middle of Ohio, I shared a fist-bump with another brother in a Cubs tee shirt.
Yesterday, too, I called my Dad back in the Chicago ‘burbs, still in the same house I grew up in. Yes, it was Game 7, but I would have called anyway, given the significance of the date: November 2.
You see, the Cubs won their World Series on my Dad’s 86th birthday.
We did it, Ernie. We made it, Dad.
“There are 108 stitches in a baseball. There are 108 beads on the Catholic Rosary.” (Bull Durham) There are 108 years in a Cubs drought. And not one more.
Happy Birthday, Dad. Many happy returns. From the entire Cubs family. And your son.
Wonderful post, thank you for all of it. I am a native of the state of Georgia and have lived in Tennessee most of my adult life. I married into a Cubs family. My husband though not a big sports fan in general, has stayed loyal to the Cubs. He is from northern Indiana, just spitting distance from Chicago. We have a family member who tends bar in Chicago…..she made $900 last night.
1Primo, you share wonderful stories. A big hug to you and a bigger hug to your dad and “Happy Birthday”, too.
2As a hereditary Red Sox fan, I HAVE to say:
What a tremendous game we saw last night!
Cleveland fans should be proud of hosting such a wonderful contest! It is a shame that only one winner could come of it. I mean, to witness what may be *THE* childhood Baseball fantasy come true!
“World Series game seven, extra innings, set up by a clutch ninth inning two out home run, the batter steps to the plate…”
3The Cubs win! The Cubs win! The Cubs win!
That game was a microcosm of baseball back to day 1. It had everything… rain delay, managerial decisions to second guess, closely called outs on second base, the {g^&*()_+d()_} bunt, first pitch home runs. And almost heart stoppage and damn near strokes in stately Micr Manor.
And I HATE National League baseball!
4I’m not any kind of a sports fan, but loved your story!!
5Wow. I’m not even a baseball fan, but I sure enjoyed this. A wonderful tribute to your Dad, Primo.
6Primo, I take it you know your cousin Chris Cubsfan Hayes?
Did you see Michael Moore pull his cover two nights ago? He had a teevee machine set up within eye-shot throughout that evening’s broadcast. And yet, he didn’t miss a beat during his reporting. No one would have known — if Michael hadn’t been a guest that night.
That’s a big family you belong to, my friend.
7two crows – Chris Hayes was drunk tweeting last night, including a selfie clip of him singing in the middle of the street. HI-larious.
8😀 Primo like you, I know a very special Cubs fan who is smiling down from the heavens today. Waiting for the sun to rise a little higher in the sky to call his widow and congratulate her on his victory. It will be bitter sweet. We’d rather be celebrating with our special Cubbie fan.
9Primo – What a wonderful story! As happy as the victory made your Pop last night, I’m guessing this column will make him happier still, you make sure he sees it! While you are at it give him a big abrazo from all of us over here at the WMDBS!
As a Royals fan, I know something about droughts so that made this series even more special. It’s my considered opinion that the 7th game will go down in history as one of the best ever just like this column.
Amen Micro Amen!
Celebrate some more, you have earned it!
10I’m neither a Cubs fan nor an Indians fan. My heart belongs completely to the Nats. So, Primo, I can sooo relate to you and your family.
However, I can’t remember enjoying any WS as much as this one. It was a pure blessing that it started last week and gave me something other than this dreadful campaign to think about and look forward to.
Plus, the game last night was simply miraculous. Just when I thought the Cubs had it in the bag, the Indians tied the thing up. So, we got free baseball and a very short raid delay. I even stayed up to watch all the ceremonies and Bill Murray’s antics and the wonderful commercials (!) that were obviously held in waiting for this outcome.
Pure, unadulterated BLISS!
11I’m not a baseball fan, but who couldn’t celebrate a Cubs win? Congratulations to all, but especially your Dad, Primo.
12@primo
Allow me to join in the tribute to the end of the Cubs pain in your family.
To the other commenting patrons: +1
13Congratulations! On the win and the wonderful story
14My family was Brooklyn Dodgers fans. Rabid fans. I have fond memories of visiting my grandmother and watching my Aunt Winnie praying the rosary during the games.
There was great sadness in the family when they moved to LA, but Aunt Winnie did pray for the Mets!
What a fantastic gift for your father’s birthday! You couldn’t have gotten him anything better. As a Pirates fan back in the 50’s we were having a 28 year dry spell of our own, when in 1960 we faced the dreaded Yankees in the WS. It too came down to the 7th game in Pittsburgh and when Bill Mazeroski hit that 9th inning homerun to win the game all heck broke loose.
15The lowly Pirates beat the team with Whitey Ford, Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Roger Maris and Bobby Richardson to name a few stars among many. I still can’t believe it and neither can Casey Stengel, who lost his job because of it. Savor that victory, Cubs fans. It will last a lifetime.
Aww, Primo honey, you made me cry.
And yes, it’s probably a more joyful day even in Heaven. What a game!
16My eyes are moister after reading that. Thank you!
17What a wonderful story, and how fantastic that it happened on your dad’s birthday!
Lifelong Giants fan here, and my husband lifelong Royals fan, and both of us were thrilled to bits. (Though we still think the Best World Series Ever title belongs to 2014 – ok, he says 2015 was a close call better.) My mom was 94 when the Giants won in 2010, 96 for their win in 2012, and we knew the joy of watching it together; even my dad, now 100, was pretty happy though nothing could match my mom’s euphoria. And if your dad is like my mom, the joy will last for years!
18Baseball bores me rigid, though my parents were Phillies fans, but I was hoping the Cubs would win to make people like you happy, Primo. Congratulations to you and your dad.
19I wondered what you’d post for the Cubs win. Not a big sportsball fan but you brought a smile to this kid from Kimball & North. (My dad was a Sox fan- said only bankers, lawyers, doctors, & other rich people could go watch the Cubs during the middle of a work day)
20If you run into any of your Grobnik relations, buy ’em two-tree uh dem beers and drink a toast to Royko, Billy Goat, an duh Cubbies.
I have the Cubs gene too. And all I could think of was my grand pa, who never gave up hope until the day he died. He was with me last night. Thanks for this great story.
21Old Fart: Haven’t we all stood at the plate in our youth and intoned those words, followed by
“There’s a drive, it’s well hit. Back. Back! BACK! Hey HEY!” (Jack Brickhouse)
or, with my kids:
“He swings…THERE’S a drive! WAY back! It might BE…. It could BE…IT is! a HOME run! HOly cow. LISten to the crowd! (Harry Caray)
22Time for a Cubs, Rangers, Astros, etc jokie…
Two buddies Bob and Earl were two of the biggest baseball fans in America.
Their entire adult lives, Bob and Earl discussed baseball history in the winter, and they pored over every box score during the season. They went to 60 games a year. They even agreed that whoever died first would try to come back and tell the other if there was baseball in heaven.
One summer night, Bob passed away in his sleep after watching the Rangers victory earlier in the evening. He died happy. A few nights later, his buddy Earl awoke to the sound of Bob’s voice from beyond.
“Bob, Is that you?” Earl asked.
“Of course it me,” Bob replied.
“This is unbelievable!” Earl exclaimed. “So tell me, is there baseball in heaven?”
“Well, I have some good news and some bad news for you about that. Which do you want to hear first?”
“Tell me the good news first.”
“Well, the good news is that yes there is baseball in heaven, Earl. We play afternoon games and we play evening games and sometimes even double-headers.”
“Oh, that is wonderful! So what could possibly be the bad news?”
“You’re pitching tomorrow night.”
23Sigh, it feels good to laugh 😉
24I’m sure Jeff MacNelly was looking down on the series as well.
I can’t find an image, but I recall one of his ‘Shoe’ strips
Skyler: Will the Cubs ever win, Uncle Cosmo?
Uncle Cosmo: This is a ball park Skyler, not a place for complicated theological questions.
Congrats to the cubbies. Hopefully my 100-game losing team will find its way out of the cellar while I’m still alive.
25@eyesoars:
The only baseball team I’ve ever cared about was the Washington Senators, of blessed memory, who were summed up accurately as “First in war, first in peace, and last in the American League.” They actually won a World Series in 1924, but never again, despite the efforts of their fans (see Damn Yankees). In 1961, they deserted us for Minnesota, and became the Twins.
26And, That Other Jean, the newly minted Twins played in the World Series in 1965. They lost to the Dodgers and the magnificent Sandy Koufax in 7 games.
Primo, yeah. I grew up in South Dakota which meant that I could follow any team I wanted. I picked one in each league – the Oakland A’s and the Cubbies. The A’s had lots of success in the 70s with Rollie Fingers, Blue Moon Odom, Reggie Jackson, etc. The Cubs, on the other hand . . . . .
Primo, happy birthday to your dad, and”cheers” to all you Cubbies fans!
27Primo, I think you’ll appreciate this:
28http://www.kansascity.com/news/nation-world/national/article112352027.html#storylink=twt_staff
Nice story. But there are NOT 108 beads in a Catholic rosary. However, there are 108 beads in a Buddhist mala.
29Women have had the vote here for 96 years. Here’s to breaking the drought on that one now too!
30Thank you for your words, Primo, from a lifelong Cubbies fan who didn’t think this would ever happen in her lifetime. What a series, what a game. And they’re a young team (and good looking–just saying).
31Wow! Just wow, to you Primo and all you contributors above.
32Good point, Joanne, although, I didn’t write the movie, I just quoted it. Mine have always had the standard 59; however, having attended a Dominican HS (the order, not the country) I’ve seen plenty of 15-decaders. March, Fenwick!
Note: the Mysteries of the Rosary now number 20, thanks to JP2 just, you know, making shtuff up, (the Luminous Mysteries?) but he was the Pope so I guess he was entitled. But I’ve never seen a 20-decade rosary.
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