Going for the sweep

The Cubs don’t really need to win today against the Pirates at Wrigley Field. They’ve already won the series, and have a commanding 11 and a half game lead in the division on Father’s Day. But a lifetime of waiting for this has also made this Cubs fan greedy. Today we’ll find out if the

In the Midnight hour

Thanks to a night game at Wrigley Field, and a very long rain delay, today I had the rare opportunity to have a baseball experience late at night. So late that it was technically the next day. Here’s the story of this experience, which appeared today on ThroughTheFenceBaseball.com. I hope it gives even the slightest sense

Link to a piece on ThroughTheFenceBaseball

Photo from Wrigleywax Yesterday was the anniversary of the day that I became a Cubs fan. My Cubs birthday, in a manner of speaking. The circumstances surrounding it were somewhat bizarre, and so I wrote about it in a piece that was published on ThroughtheFenceBaseball.com today. I hope you enjoy it.

A no-no-no

The Cubs managed just one hit tonight against A.J. Burnett of the Pirates. Burnett had a no-hitter into the 8th inning of tonight’s game, and only a single by rookie Adrian Cardenas stood between Burnett and an historic feat. As the saying goes, close but no cigar. Most people are aware that the last time

A fleeting Cub’s story

It’s Opening Day, 1973 at Wrigley Field. Baseball has returned from a long winter’s nap, but it’s still in a daze. During the offseason, one of its brightest stars, Roberto Clemente, was lost in a plane crash in Puerto Rico. The Pirates came within three outs of the 1972 World Series, but that seems less

His place in history

A week ago, when the baseball season hadn’t yet started, and the Cubs weren’t off to their “This will be a long year, won’t it?” start of 1-4 after five games, I scanned a card highlighting long-ago Cubs pitcher Rick Reuschel. Today, in the interest of equal time–and to keep me from going off on this

A baseball tradition that you’ve never heard about

Today’s story is a bit ribald. Some people would probably rather not have it told, but that rarely stops me from doing anything. So read on if you’re intrigued, and go find something else to do if you’re easily offended. On Belmont Avenue in Chicago, just west of Lake Shore Drive, there’s a statue of

A dramatic win for the Cubs

September 28 marks the end of another lost season for the Cubs. They never did make any noise on the field, except to scare away the seagulls that were flocking to the outfield early in the season. The post-mortem reports of what went wrong, and what’s needed in the offseason to rebuild the team, will

Same old, same old for the Pirates

Is it fair to say that Jerry Meals cost the Pirates a chance at a winning season? Probably not. But can a case be made that his blown call didn’t help? Absolutely. And if instant replay ever does find its way into the game on a widespread basis, it should be called the Jerry Meals