While watching the Toronto Blue Jays at the New York Yankees on Sunday, September 4, 2011, I heard Yankee commentators Michael Kay, Paul O’Neill, and Ken Singleton give out a few birthday wishes as many announcers will do. One birthday wish in particular, however, caught my attention.
Kay, O’Neill, and Singleton wished a happy 95th birthday to one particular fan and discussed that at his age, he must have seen many great Yankee legends play. After a moment, I realized that in his lifetime, this fan has seen 27 Yankees World Series championships and no Chicago Cubs championships.
As a fan of both teams, I realize that this is not news. Baseball fans everywhere are fully aware of the Yankees’ success and Cubs’ failures. The Yankees won their first world championship in 1923 and have won 27 of 40 World Series appearances overall, most recently in 2009. They have had many stretches of consecutive World Series appearances, including nine different stretches of three or more. They have a good chance of appearing in and winning yet another one in 2011. They rarely need to “Wait ’till next year” because each year brings them a great chance of winning.
On the other hand, the Cubs have won only two World Series championships since the World Series began in 1903. They won it all in 1907 and 1908. In all, the Cubs have played in 10 World Series, the last one occurring way back in 1945. Since divisional play and expanded playoffs began in 1969, the Cubs have made the post season six times but have only one series win to show for it. The 2003 Cubs beat the Atlanta Braves 3-2 in a best-of-five NLDS but lost to the Florida Marlins in the famous and gut-wrenching Steve Bartman series after leading three games to one. That loss is one of many recent disappointments that we Cub fans will always remember.
The Cubs also came close in 1984, their first post-season appearance since 1945. They won the NL East and took the first two of a then best-of-five NLCS against the San Diego Padres. The Cubs won two at Wrigley Field and then lost three straight in San Diego. Steve Garvey’s Game 4 walk-off home run forced a decisive Game 5 and broke our Cub-fan hearts. In Game 5, first baseman Leon Durham’s and second baseman Ryne Sandberg’s errors late in the game allowed the Padres to come back and win to break our hearts even more. The ALCS went to seven games the next season. I still wish that 1984 would have had a seven-game series.Could the Cubs have won Games 6 and 7 to end the World Series drought? We will never know.
In 1989 the Cubs lost the NLCS 4-1, and in 1998, 2007, and 2008, they were swept out of the post season each time. Each one hurt, but the 2008 sweep hurt the most because the Cubs had the best record in the National League and looked as if they would finally reach – if not win- the World Series.
As the 2011 reaches end, let me be among the first to say, “Wait ’till next year” as I say every year. If I live to age 95, will I get to see “Next Year”?
Sources:
Chicago Cubs, Post Season Results, cubs.mlb.com.
New York Yankees, Championship Clubs, yankees.mlb.com.
Raymond grew up in Florida and began watching the Cubs on WGN in 1982. He became a fan in 1984 when Ryne Sandberg hit the two famous game-tying home runs off Cardinals closer and former Cub Bruce Sutter. Raymond then solidified his team loyalty when the Cubs won the division later that season and has been a fan ever since. He also became a Yankee fan as he saw them make the World Series in 1976, 1977, 1978 and 1981, winning the middle two.
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Why am I Still a Cub Fan?
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Matt Garza Deserves a Long-Term Contract
Best Grand Slam Moments in Yankees History