I believe I can hear the fun going on in Wrigleyville all way over here in China! Forgive me folks if get a bit giddy. The last time the North Side Boys won the division title--1989--I was traveling with them and writing a book about their minor league system. It was a blast; the pennant, not the earthquake that jolted the series with the Giants; the series that featured two great young hitters, Will Clark and Mark Grace, and neither disappointed. "Mad Dog" Maddox was still a Cubbie, and Rhyno too, with Popeye pulling the strings and talking the best baseball talk of any baseball man anywhere, any time (course, Zim's still doing it, except it's at Yankee Stadium and Mr. Torre is the listener). Lordy, Lordy, it's a fine day indeed. Now, I just have to find a TV channel carrying the series in Beijing! Ain't it sweet...!
CHICAGO, Sept. 27 - The Cubs could feel it now, the unbelievable becoming believable, the improbable becoming probable and the normally vacant days of October magically becoming filled by postseason baseball. Postseason baseball that involves the Cubs, the lovable losers who are still lovable, yet are losers no more.
The feeling built throughout a cool, anxious day at Wrigley Field. Every time Mark Prior struck out another batter, the fans yelled as if it were New Year's Eve. Every time the scoreboard operator offered them more encouraging news about the faltering Houston Astros, they toasted the developments occurring 1,100 miles away. They could feel it, too.
After the fatigued Prior helped the Cubs stop the Pittsburgh Pirates, 4-2, in the first game of a doubleheader and the Astros lost to the last-place Milwaukee Brewers, 5-2, the Cubs were one victory away from winning the National League Central. There was one victory left for the Cubs to secure, and they had the chance for the parlay on the same special day.
And the Cubs did it, eliminating the suspense in a suspenseful season by scoring six runs in the first two innings to win, 7-2, and qualify for the postseason for the first time since 1998.
Being a Cubbie fan (in the National League; I'm a pin-striper in the junior circuit) it would not be fitting if I didn't remind myself that the last time the Cubs were in a World Series, the United States Army was beginning the occupation of Japan--in other words, it's been awhile. The Boys are due!
So happy hour, or a happy slice of history, came early at Wrigley. Sammy Sosa smashed a home run, Matt Clement pitched splendidly and the Cubs snared their first division title since 1989.
"For us to win the division in Chicago, it's like a dream come true," Sosa said. "All the fans have been supportive of the team through the years. There's so many things that happened with this team this year. To celebrate together, it's awesome. It's beautiful."
Who would have thought a team that lost 95 games last season could make it to the playoffs? That a team that had not swept in 48 of its last 52 doubleheaders could sweep the most important one ever? That a team that has not won a World Series since 1908 would instantly be considered a formidable contender to rumble there? Apparently, the Cubs believed.
What a wonderful diversion from all this worldly mess...
