The nail just isn't in the coffin, it's been in there awhile and already rusting with post-season tears.

Well this is it. My last entry for the MLB season. I could fill it with some emotional, heartfelt, sappy verbiage about how the Cubs' fate, yet once again ended up in a non-World Series win, not even a post-season hope all of the die-hard loving fans who, like me, will most likely (if not already) be counting the days until the season home opener in the spring. No, I'm not going to get sappy, well maybe a little bit. For now I choose to say it how it is. This season stunk. Let's review, shall we?

1. Milton Bradley - Bad energy. Good riddence.

So much to highlight, but let's just start with suspensions, and his completely unappreciative quotes to the media on why his playing for the Cubs wasn't his greatest or finest moments, and I quote from the man himself on how he feels back at home compared to being in Chicago, (after a 15 - 6 loss to the Nationals in August), "When I go home and look in the mirror, I like what I see. My family is there I have people I can talk to who are very supportive, in spite of everything and all the adversity and the hatred you face on a daily basis. But I'll be all right. I always have."

"I'm talking about hatred, period. I'm talking about when I go to eat at a restaurant. I've got to listen to the waiters badmouthing me at another table, sitting in a restaurant. That's what I'm talking about. Everything."

In response to this, hey BRADLEY: You signed a 3 year, $30 MILLION contract in the off-season, you make more in one year than most Cubs fans will in a lifetime. Suck it up and be appreciative that Cubs fans actually care about the game, and suck it up that well, honey...you STINK.

2. Soriano - that famous hop he does catching the ball in the outfield didn't help him hit enough RBIs for us in the regular season. What took Paniella so long to move him down in the line up? And why wasn't Soto moved in his place faster? That leads into the next reasoning...

3. Management - What did Lou say at the beginning of the post season last year when we actually made the playoffs "In the playoffs, everyone starts out at the same level. It doesn't matter what you did in the regular season, all that matters is what you do in the post." Um we didn't do ANYTHING. Oops I stand corrected - the Cubs played their three worst games in the post season against the Dodgers compared to any regular season game. But let's stay on track people, that was 2008. I feel like Lou takes too long to make decisions. What's his rationale behind this? Can his management please contact me and get me a direct quote in answer to this?

4. Ownership - Should this really effect how the Cubs play? So a really prominent, wealthy (insanely wealthy) family purchased the Cubs , the Rickett family to be exact, for $900m, or so they say. Not sure if this effected the Cubs' playing in '09, but it was a huge news worthy happening that seemed to fuel Cubs haters everywhere. As if there weren't enough.

5. Pitching Pitching PITCHING - Ok so in all honesty, we've come a long way. Marmol and Dempster certainly seemed to prove themselves this season, but it seems with pitching. Whenever the Cubs take 3 steps forward, we end up taking 4 steps back. What happened to Zambrano in the last half of the season? Is he having personal problems? He used to be our Ace. The one that could pitch until the 7th inning and keep it under control, despite his emotional connection to the game. We've come a long way, but we have such a long way to go.

Should I keep going with reasons? Isn't this what we do every year? As a baseball fan, and as a Cubs fan, we always try to figure out what went wrong, where it went wrong. It's like seeing a relationship end and you have no idea where it started to go badly, you just know you watched it spiral down into nothing but a bad ending. And with this season, I know I even speak for the Cubs ticketing office who said what I felt "we just can't wait for this season to end." Listen folks, I'm tired. I'm tired of making excuses or rationalizing or trying to figure out the perfect formula for the Cubs actually having a true winning season. I am pretty certain you'd have to be some MIT grad to figure out the right formula for this mess.

But...but, as you all know, I like to look at the glass half full and appreciate the good times, win or lose I have every season. Unfortunately I didn't make it to many home games this season, my travels had me elsewhere, but of course I was there for home opener, and blogged about our amazing win, despite the rain and the cold. And I was there in September, even though the season was over for us, I enjoyed an amazing Fall day at Wrigley in the bleachers, with some of my favorite Cubs fans and friends, saluting purple heart war Veterans at the beginning of the game, and watching the Cubs, well, lose the game. But it was still brilliant. It's still Wrigleyfield, and it's still about the dark green ivy in the Fall, and the stands that are still, still packed for every single game. It's still about the game of baseball, no matter what happens.

The Cubs are like a very long term relationship. In the beginning, it's new and fresh and full of energy. But like any long-lasting relationship, comes heartache, compromise, frustration and exasperation. The great thing about a long term relationship with the Cubs is that you get a break from it. You have time to lick the wounds, curse the Cubs over a finely brewed beer in the off-season, and then laugh with your fellow Cubs fans as spring comes around and the air is fresh and last season's heartaches have been swept from Wrigleyfield by the Chicago Winter winds. And once again, in 179+ days (ok so I don't know the exact count right now), I'll be back, and so will you, and you know it. And we'll hope again, because that is what Cubs fans do, no matter what others say, no matter how they say the Cubs stink (even if they do sometimes), we'll always be here, hoping, dreaming, waiting, along with that 95 year old Cubs fan who still believes, so why shouldn't we?

Here's to next season boys, but give us some time for the wounds from this season to heal, once again. 

                             September 17th, 2009 Cubs vs. Milwaukee Brewers

                                     A Cubs fan in the beginning of the season.. 

         A Cubs fan at the end of the season..can't we change this outcome?                           

Ok well here it is. Start freaking out because July is half way over. Just kidding. Playoffs are 2 months away. Whoever is in first in the division is starting to salivate with baseball playoff fever and those in last sigh and shrug their shoulders and can only hope that being an optimist will help their team.

In baseball we all know the season is long. It's ever-changing, it's heart-breaking, frustrating, annoying, anger-ridden, joy-filled, and quite frankly - exhausting. It takes a lot to be a baseball fan, to endure all of the months. In a Cubs fan's case, the bitter cold that sometimes happens in the beginning of the season, the delayed games due to tornadoes in May and June, torrential rain storms in May, June, July, August. Then you have to deal with the game itself. The players, the management, the pitching coaches, the batting line-up that should have changed about 5 series back and is just now getting in the right order (we hope). The money spent on cold beer, hot dogs and whatever else you engaged in during a game (or the many bar tabs from Wrigleyville).

It's July. If your team is 3 games back you still have hope. Anything can change in the course of a series, a weekend, even one game. July is when you start to clench your teeth and pray to your baseball Gods for your team to perhaps, surge ahead and take it all, win it all.

In my case, it's July with the Cubs. That means the ivy at Wrigley is a deep green, the summers are hot and sticky when it's not threatening to rain, and while every win is considered a gift bundled in happiness, every loss in July adds a new line of worry. And while you tell yourself that it is only July, time keeps ticking, and you watch the standings in your division as August creeps closer.

We took 3 games from the Brewers at home, took 2 from St. Louis and still somehow managed to slip and be tied for 3rd in the division with Houston. Um..WHAT?! 

It's July. Where you shake your head in disbelief one week and cheer with great enthusiasm the next because you team suddenly looks better than the rest. Its full of emotions. Maybe Cubs fans should all get on Prozac during the month of July. I'm just kidding..kind of.

Here's to the middle of the season - where anything can happen come August 1st. And with that I leave this entry with some of the highlights of the July season and my beloved Chicago Cubs.

GO CUBS!

Cubs against St. Louis at home

Cubs fans catching Derrick Lee's HR against the Brewers at Wrigley.

Awwww Soto & Marmol share a bonding moment...

Cubs photos courtesy of the Chicago Tribune

I've heard a lot, but Eddie Vedder seems to have done the best job with a song about the Cubs, next to Steve Goodman's "Go Cubs Go" song played after every win at Wrigleyfield I'm going to do a dig here because I can. I don't see anyone writing a song about the Brewers or the White Sox, and I can see why. GO CUBS!

Eddie Vedder:

http://www.youtube.com/v/CqHTScDBsDU&hl=en&fs=1

Steve Goodman:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrlLmTh32KI

And some others for you die-hard Cubby pals, and for my pal Kevin Henrickson who wrote this song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgUZlMM22-s

Everyone has their favorite things about their team's ballpark, whether it's the green monster at Fenway, the sausage race at Miller Park or the memories from Shea stadium. Everyone thinks their ballpark is the best. I can probably name 100 things about Wrigleyfield that make it one of the best places in the country to watch a game at, but I've narrowed it down to what I think are at the top, or worth giving a tribute to. So what is the best thing about your ballpark? Can it beat these below?

The outside scoreboard. The screen that always says "Cubs Welcome" on it and whoever the Cubs are playing is displayed underneath. The same sign that gives you the score as you drive by the stadium if you aren't lucky enough to be inside. The same sign that kindly and unwillingly congratulated the 2005 White Sox after they won the WS, because the northsiders are not sore losers. The same sign, that will some day, SOME DAY bost the beautiful words "CUBS WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS," but for now, a picture of the Cubs sign with my name on it, a gift given to me by a pal at the corporate office. And no, that isn't photoshopped...it's the real deal.

The Bleachers. Need I say more? The bleachers are the biggest party scene in the city. They bleed tradition and gave birth to the trademark name "bleacher bum," of which anyone would be proud to be called. The bleachers are home of the invention other ballparks have copied  - the infamous opposing team HR ball return. Anytime and everytime an HR is hit by another team, a bleachers fan is expected to throw the ball back onto the field. This is a time-honored tradition, which hasn't been broken, and has indeed been copied by other ballparks. It's a sign to the other team that we care more about the Cubs than a HR ball for a keepsake. The bleachers are an entirely different experience at Wrigleyfield than sitting in one of the regular seats. You can meet your future spouse in the bleachers, make a life-long friend, or sit next to a 90 year old woman with her scorecard who will reminisce with you over an icy cold beer over the days when a ticket was just a quarter. You can cool yourself on a hot summer day in the 7th inning with the spray from the gigantic hose that helps cool the crowd. You can heckle the other team to see just how razzled you can make the outfielders, and taunt the other bleacher fans by seeing who is loudest. The bleachers are home to having one of the greatest views of Wrigleyfield. There is simply nothing better than watching the Cubs hit a grand slam against the White Sox, while you are sitting in the bleachers, and you see that beautiful baseball hurling out over your head, past the bleachers onto Addison, causing your team to win the game and a celebration that will last well into the early hours. The bleacher seats bring chills when you face the flag during the national anthem, and that old school mentality when you look up at the manually operated scoreboard and kick your feet that lay dangling over one of the cement stairs that you are sitting on because the bleachers are first come first serve. The Wrigleyfield bleachers is one of the best experiences you can have in Chicago, if you haven't experienced it you are missing out.

The Scoreboard.  One of the only manually operated scoreboards left in MLB. It's the true essence of what Wrigleyfield has always been, a pure ballpark with out all of the bells and whistles. I've heard it gets really hot back there, where 2 people change the score during the Cubs game for all of the teams in the National and American League that are playing at the same time. Often times the crowd will cheer when they see the final score of another game that may have helped the Cubs advance in the standings. It's traditions like the manually operated green scoreboard that make Wrigleyfield so unique and special.

 The Vendors. Not just another pretty vendor face, most of the vendors that work during the season are true veterans, that have been working at the field for years, sometimes decades. Vendors sell pretty much anything, and will actually go and get you something if you are nice enough. You know you are a die-hard fan when you give your vendors a hug at every game and know everything about their family. I personally have seen the same vendors every season, and they know that I sneak in a flask of Captain Morgan and always order a diet coke to mix it with in my seat. They know that I run out of the flask around the 4th inning and generally take a break from drinking. They know when I hug them goodbye at the last home game of the regular season and I consider them my second family. The vendors are all die-hard fans that consider Wrigleyfield a home away from home.

The Budweiser Roof. You don't have to have ever been to the ballpark to recognize this. It's the red Budweiser covered rooftop that has been around for what seems like forever. It's been in many movies, including "About Last Night," "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," "The Break-Up," to name a few. Any MLB fan knows when they see that roof in any picture that it's Wrigleyfield in the back-drop.

The Bars. Do I really need to say more? Of course. The neighborhood bars that surround Wrigleyfield are the reason why pre & post-game parties are some of the greatest times a fan can possibly have. There are nearly 2 dozen bars with in a 2 block radius of the park, but the ones that align the same streets as Wrigleyfield each have their own personality and crowd. The most popular places that people talk about, and flock to when they visit the windy city are Cubby Bear, Sluggers and Murphy's Bleachers.

The Cubby Bear, a bar I bartended at in 1998 has 3 floors, great bar food, and a history of being known for the hook-up scene post-game. If you ever visit ask the manager about the photobooth that used to be near the basement bathrooms. A lot went down in there after a game. Cubby Bear is so serious about the Cubs that they even fly in girls from Sweden to work the season, and as a former employee I made more money than I ever thought possible in one season. Go there and ask an employee about Mike, the former manager who had twins during the 99' season and named them "Clark" and "Addison" after the street corners that Wrigleyfield sits on. Now that's a true fan.

Sluggers has been around since the beginning of time it seems. It boasts an upstairs game room and batting cage and stripper pole, that seem to be more fun post-game. Go figure. The same managers of Sluggers still exist, and they keep around the same, friendly staff each season. If you go there ask for Zack the manager, or David the famous bartender. They'll make you do a shot of whiskey chased with pineapple juice. It's tradition.

Then there's Murphy's Bleachers, outside of the entrance to the bleacher seats. It's small, loud and fantastic, and pre-game it's one of the best places to people watch as the line to get into the bleachers increases. This bar is home to corporate outings to games, where inappropriateness is bound to show up among your colleagues. Hey - Vegas isn't the only place that can boast that saying. What happens at a Cubs game...well it stays at a Cubs game.

CUBBY BEAR

SLUGGERS

MURPHY'S BLEACHERS

The Old-Time Cubs Band. They're old. They wear Cubs uniforms, and they play good time music pre-game right outside the entrance to the park and then through out the entire game in different sections. They aren't loud enough to be annoying, and friendly enough to put a smile on your face, even if the Cubs happen to be losing. A game at Wrigley would be lost with out the band.

Eamus Catuli Sign. It's beneath one of the rooftops that boasts letters and numbers. The Lakeview Baseball Club is home to the famous Eamus Catuli sign. (Eamus Catuli is latin for Let's go Whelps... but essentially means, Go Cubs!). The other sign (in this picture as AC0063100) stands for Ano Catuli 00 63 100. Ano Catuli means, "In the year of the Cub" the first two digits are how long it's been since the Cubs won a division title. The second set of two digits are for how long it's been since the Cubs won the NL Pennant, and the final numbers (now three digits) are for how long it's been since the Cubs won the World Series. Some day that number will be a zero at the end. Some day.

The ivy. The only ballpark in the world that has the ivy. What makes it special? How it changes. You can always tell how early or late in the baseball season it is just by the color of the ivy. In the spring the ivy is barely green, still recovering from the Chicago winter of ice and wind. In the middle of the season it's a bright green, lush and glowing in the sun. In late season it turns a dark green, and if we're lucky enough to see it in post-season it boasts beautiful Fall colors of oranges and reds - the best colors a fan can see.

The Rooftops. One of the priciest tickets in town, a rooftop game includes all you can eat and drink (including these amazing soft chocolate chip cookies) premiere seat where you can view the entire game with a personal waitress to make you drinks and food whenever your tummy growls. The Rooftops are mostly owned by the bar owners, including Cubby Bear, which owns two rooftops and sells them out every season. If you've got the dough and want to have a completely personalized Cubs game experience, rent out a rooftop and invite your closest friends. They'll never forget the experience.

The Miller Lite Billboard. It's brilliant. Every series boasts a new billboard, sitting high above the bleachers next to the rooftops. The billboard boasts a saying that represents whoever the Cubs are playing or the standings at the time. I dated a guy once who actually had a poster that showed every single billboard up until 2005. I'd love to get my hands on that. Maybe he's still single? Ha.

Not a New York state of mind, this billboard showed up in the Mets series at home in 2007.

Post-season. If only it would treat us well just once.

                                  Can you guess what team we were playing?

A dig at the sausage races held at Miller Park. This billboard displayed during the Brewers series.

It was Wednesday, June 17th. Soriano, a $17m/year player has a batting average of .225. We're not even close to first place. The Brewers swept the White Sox when they played them, and here we are, already having lost a game 4-1 against the miserable South-siders at home none the less, both teams desperately needing wins. I take it with a grain of salt. Last year the Cubs were in first place nearly the entire season, and look what de-railed in the end? (And trust me who wants to go down that memory lane again?) So do I get angry that we haven't been hitting like we should, or that we've been ridden with injuries in May or that perhaps our star player shouldn't be first in the batting order with a batting average under .300? Should I compare it to Jeter, whose current batting average isn't that great either and his price tag is even higher than Soriano's? I don't know what to think. All I know is that I'm **********. (MLB will block out swear words so insert here). 

To make it worse, the usual anti-Cub fans post comments to my facebook page about how I should be used to this madness by now. Whatever. The Cubs are like Chicago weather. You never ever know what you are going to get, and that is an under-statement. So I consult with my friends back in Chicago, what the hell is going on? Is it good that we aren't so cocky this season and so ahead at this point in the season so we don't repeat last year? I've never been stunted like this with the Cubs. I'm ********** but I have no idea what to think about the road ahead.

Then, when all else fails - it happens. June 18th, last game in the series against the White Sox at home. The Cubs do this once or twice per season, sometimes more if we're lucky. Any die-hard fan can relate. It's this beautiful, 9th inning, 2 outs, 2 strikes against your team moment, when an RBI or HR occurs that defines moments in baseball where you truly understand why you love the game, why you love your team. Soriano hits an RBI to center field to get Reed Johnson home in the 9th inning against our biggest rival White Sox to win the game 6-5. And instantly my faith is restored. It's the magical moments we forget about, the experiences and games where the Cubs bring you unbelievable happiness - when anything is possible.

I know our standings. (Yes Brewers fans back in WIS, I am fully aware of where you stand in the Central Division, you do NOT have to remind me). I know it's only June...well middle of June. And I know anything, and everything can change in baseball, with one injury, with one series..anything. I'm still taking this season game by game, series by series. And I will continue to take the abuse from the LA natives, and numerous anti-Cubs fans who just don't understand believing in a team no matter what. They can piss me off, but I will always believe in them. GO CUBS!

We never really think about it until they make us mad by something they say during a game, but as I sit here in my LA apartment, watching my beloved Cubs on WGN, I can't help but be thankful for Len and Bob. Just hearing their familiar voices makes me feel closer to my team, and everyone who is a die-hard for a team knows their announcers and could probably recognize their voices anywhere. This entry is dedicated to the Cubs WGN broadcasters, who not only have given me a shout out twice on TV, but help me to feel as though I'm not really 1700 miles away from Wrigleyfield.

In June of 2008, I was watching the Cubs during the 7th inning on WGN, and it was a pretty hot day southern Cali, and the Cubs were winning at home. I remember exactly what I was doing when it happened. I got up to make some iced tea and I hear Len say, "we want to give a special shout out to a huge Cubs fan in Marina Del Rey, Jessica Nelson who is watching the Cubs right now out in California." I literally almost dropped my iced tea and wanted to smack myself in the head for not DVRing the game to play it back. My phone immediately rang..first it was my Dad back in WIS, who said "holy crap did they just give you a shout out?!" My Dad, an attorney who's law firm has MLB for a client and who used to have Bud Selig as an active partner in the firm, was shocked. My Dad's dream was to be a broadcaster, and like him I share that dream of just being able to do it once. Unfortunately I tried out for ESPN in 2003 with Stuart Scott (ok I didn't TRY out but I was in the booth at the NFL Experience at 6am and did a mini-try out) and I was told to either not be so hungover for it or not to quit my day job. Ha. At any rate I di-gress. My Dad was impressed with the shout out..and so was I, not to have bragging rights to my friends, but because it was an effort made by my good friend Brian in the Cubs office to have them give me a shout out because he KNEW I'd be watching, and he knew that I missed the Cubs terribly. He didn't even make sure I'd be watching that day, he simply knew. Next came a few phone calls from back in Chitown who were watching the game who couldn't believe it. Then came the call from my friend Brian from the Cubs..and I was so thankful and appreciative, because it showed me that the Cubs do care about their fans. In that very moment I felt close to Len and Bob - now I know they give shout outs all the time, but it made ME feel special.

And so as I sit here on Mother's Day, I am feeling a tad homesick, and the familiar voice of Len and Bob is making me feel at peace and some pure enjoyment on a lazy Sunday afternoon. With out them I would have no connection to the Cubs. There's something that could be said about watching baseball in the summer on TV, and hearing the announcers make the play by plays and comment on various player stats, injuries and performances. It's what makes baseball...baseball. There's a certain ambience and feeling when you are listening to these guys...it really defines what baseball is all about. With out the broadcasters, baseball wouldn't be baseball.

Look at Haray Caray - he's a legend, and he always will be. And look at Ron Santo, although he tends to miss some plays on the radio or gets behind (sorry Ron), you still have to love him, and identify with him. He keeps us connected..they all do. I remember Chip and Steve with fondness, and honestly am still sad that they both left several years ago. Steve Stone loved the city of Chicago from what I could tell, and I am a pretty firm believer that Len and Bob truly enjoy the Cubs, Chicago and the fans.

It's days like these where I'm thankful for you both, Len and Bob who just made me feel like I was able to watch my Cubbies in person, and am supporting them and feeling every play. Oh, and they WON. GO CUBS!

Thank you Len and Bob!

Everytime I make a comment on Twitter, Facebook, Myspace..whatever about the Cubs about ANYTHING I get 90% Cubs haters coming back at me with the "loveable losers," "you'll never win," "you are cursed," "all the Cubs care about is money" blah blah blah. Well this blog is about the Cubs, win, lose, love em, leave em. So I decided to devote one entry to all of the Cubs haters out there. America is all about freedom of expression and believing in what YOU believe and not being judged, so I here by dedicate this entry to Cubs haters everywhere. I ask you to do only one thing when you reply back: Tell me, WHY do you hate the Cubs so much? I've given you a list below of various reasons I've heard through out the years, but if you have your own hater story, by all means fill in the blank. I still don't get why the Cubs are hated so much, we're not the YANKEES for goodness sakes. Is it our players? Our fans? Our management? Inquiring minds want to know. Please share, and be as mean or nasty as you want - after all, I asked for it.

By the way there is a method to my madness. I will have a response to everyone who replies, and I will post to your own blog and promote you, just make some sense or rationale behind your hatred behind the Cubs when you post.

Here's a list to get you started, you can add on to each bullet or enter in your own:

Why do so many hate the Cubs? Is it because...

1. They get more media attention than most teams (that's a fact)

2. They have the 3rd highest paying salary in baseball?

3. They make excuses for not winning and blame it on fans like Bartman, a black cat, a goat or whatever other curse they think they have?

4. They pack in every home game, and most away games season after season, win or lose no matter what?

5. The fans are so die-hard it pisses you off that they just won't quit?

6. The owners seem to care more about money than a championship or so it appears?

7. You love to kick a team when they're down so it's easy to hate on them?

8. You know as a Cubs hater, deep down in that dark heart of yours that if they do win it all that it will be the biggest thing in sports history, probably ever to this point and that pisses you off?

9. You can't get tickets to the game or you've never been to Wrigley so don't even GET it?

10. You dated a Cubs fan who broke your heart once?

11. You just don't get the movie Fever Pitch and understand what it's truly like to love the game of baseball and love your team?

12. I can't think of anymore....I am sure you Cubs haters can.

How many die-hard fans don't live in the city where our favorite team plays? I know there has to be thousands of us out there....aimlessly logging on to MLB.com to get status of our team, trying to figure out what time they play if we're in different time zones. It's like juggling a long distance relationship that you know will never end unless you compromise and move to them.

I lived in Chicago for 10 years and was blessed by the Red Line train to Wrigleyfield after a day's work, to catch a night game, then go home slightly tipsy and catch another day at work and do it all over again. I was so spoiled living in that city and being able to go see the Cubs anytime at home. I remember when it would be around 3:00 on a Tuesday, the Cubs playing at home at 7:05pm, and I'd say to my other Cubs game soul mate Lissette - "hey...should we go to the game?" And it would be as easy as that. We'd finish up work, catch the El at 6:00pm and have a beer in our hands by the time the national anthem was sung. And the best part about living in the same city your team is - seeing it live, seeing the plays, the memorable wins, losses and inning by inning biting on your nails tied games that would end in celebration..hopefully. The best part - talking about seeing Derek Lee hit a grand slam to the bleachers against the White Sox, when he just stepped off the bench in '07. Or seeing Aramis hit an HR to sweep the Brewers. There's nothing like being there to see it, to live it, and to talk about it for days, weeks, even years after.

And now it's all changed for me. I'm still struggling with my new routine and how to be a die-hard Cubs fan. There is no doubt I'm still a die-hard fan, but it's just more difficult. I live in LA, 1700 miles away from Wrigleyfield. I'm 2 hours behind Chicago. They usually are playing when I'm at work. And unless they are on WGN I can't see them on TV because of course they show the Dodgers here. And so I have to get MLB TV, which is fine....it's just not being able to easily see them. To hear that they played an amazing 9th inning at home and hear about it at 5:00pm while I'm at work from a friend back in Chicago. Knowing I missed a great play, a great win, or just plainly...a great day at Wrigley.

Even worse is living in a city that isn't sports minded, well except for the NBA really. In Chicago any sports bar would be playing the Cubs, even one on the Southside. Now I have to call ahead to see if they'll show it on even on TV.

I know I chose to leave the windy city for a better job, better weather and well....a better lifestyle  here in Cali by my opinion. But it's often frustrating, and depressing for me to love them from so far away. Long distance relationships don't often last, but this one is a bit different.

Coming back for home opener made me realize how much I still love my Cubs. And they won, for me I believe. My only hope is that like Haray Caray, I am forever there in spirit at the game, if not physically able to be there.

This entry is for all of those die-hard fans who share long distance relationships with their own teams like I do. Here's to hoping that I'll be back in Chicago in October...maybe, just maybe watching them win a WS.

GO CUBS!

I'm still waiting on pictures from friends, but thought I'd recap as it's been over 24 hours since the long-awaited Cubs home opener. Let's set the scene, shall we?

8:30AM: Breakfast at Nookies in the Gold Coast, fueling up for a cold game, including eggwhite omelette, green tea and watching the streets outside as it slowly starts to drizzle.

9:15AM: Last minute stop to Target because James forgot his cold weather tights under his jeans (and yes, it was THAT cold). We run aimlessly through Target and realize that their winter clothes are no longer out. Um...WHAT? Oh well, James will have to freeze...didn't he prepare for this day previously? Lesson learned.

10:20AM: Hailing a cab from Lakeview to head to the field. The cab driver doesn't know where Wrigleyfield is. UM....did he just move to this country?

10:30AM: Hugs given all around to the ever-loyal Cubs ticketing office, a quick catching up conversation and we head back out into the now pouring rain, which inevitably indicated a rain delay.

11:00AM: A cold Bud Lite at the famous Cubby Bear, but the music sucks and we're not into it. James makes me slam my beer (not a fan of that) and we head back out into the now very pouring rain. Gross. 

11:15AM: Sluggers baby. A hug to the manager Zack, and traditional season veteran bartenders Allie and David and head back to our saved table with our usual die-hard Cubs friends, to toast to another season. Oooh now we can drink hard liquor. That weird sensation comes over us from drinking during the day...it's light out and we have a buzz. Always weird.

12:30AM: Slow down on the drinking, we have a long day ahead of us. Game now starts at 2pm. Tabs to close, rain gear to put on, and bathroom stops to make before we leave. It's still raining. 

2:00PM: The song "Jump" by Van Halen fills the packed stadium and rain covered seats as our beloved Cubbies run onto the field. It's raining slightly and the wind has picked up off of the lake, but we're prepared. My butt is wet, shoes soaked and any hope of looking good is now diminished with my semi-wet hair. And as you can see from the picture above, it's a PACKED stadium, wind, snow, rain WHATEVER we are always there.

2nd inning: Cubs get on the scoreboard and the rain turns into a slight drizzle. The wind dies down and it's not so cold. Wait, is that the liquor talking or did it really warm up? 

4th inning: Doh! And the Cubs get 2 runs...ha ha ha. Bathroom break necessary. By the way our seats are 129, 3rd base line, 6 rows up.

6th inning: Lillly nearly has a no-hitter, but then the inevitable happens and some ******* from the Rockies gets a base hit. We cheer Lilly off of the field right before top of 7. I could have sworn Mark Grace sang the 7th inning stretch, but I'm still not sure. 

Not sure what inning this was, but the Rockies manager gets ejected from the game. Ha ha ha.

After getting soaked for over 7 innings our clan had to make its way back to Sluggers to watch the game in the warmth and dry seats with some fresh brew. We celebrate by singing "Go Cubs Go" after the top of the 9th, beating CO 4-0 and continue to party.

10:00PM Butch Maguire's eating dinner. I'm so tired I can't even see. How did I used to do this for every single Cubs game anyways? I look in the mirror and things aren't looking too well. It's time to call it a day. Hail a cab, back to Greektown and pass out with a smile because my Cubbies won home opener, and I flew 1700 miles to see them do it.

GO CUBS!

Even if you couldn't watch your team live or had to be at work (my Cubbies played at 4pm my time so had to watch on MLB.com) you could still feel the utter excitement and chills as the MLB season got underway. What happened today?

The Yankees got a little clobbered, the Dodgers won (arrrggh), White Sox get canceled due to the typical Chicago spring-time weather, the Marlins clobber in their first game and hello the Cubbies hit a home run on the first pitch of the game against Houston. Oh what a beautiful start Soriano.

And the Cubs home opener is in 6 days. SIX DAYS. My little Cubby blue a*s will be on a plane on Easter Sunday, and my alarm will go off sharply at 7am on Monday. I'll be proudly wearing my Cubby blue, flask in hand, breakfast at Nookie's to get some fuel and a stop by the Wrigley office to get my tickets before heading to Sluggers to say hi to the crew. There is NOTHING like your own home opener..NOTHING.

I will still stick to my ever faithful one game at a time rule this season, and this time. Cubs WIN 4-2. That's my boys!

GO CUBS!