Once upon a time, in land not so far away, a man with a goat invoked a curse of some renown.
Like many tales, in the telling of the details, words were lost and words were gained, but, the essence of the story remains the same.
In 1945, during the fourth game of the World Series, Billy Sianis’ goat was ejected from Wrigley Field. Insulted at his goat’s harsh treatment, Mr. Sianis uttered a curse. “Them Cubs, they ain’t gonna win no more,”
What actually happened is lost over the span of seven decades, but, the legend of the Curse of the Billy Goat lingered. For 71 years, the Chicago Cubs have never won the National League Pennant, and never advanced to baseball’s World Series, in spite of many efforts to break the curse.
Whether you believe in curses or fairy tales, for 71 years avid Cubs fans, some two or three generations deep, would hoot and shout and get their hopes up, only to have them quelled at season’s end. Loyal to the core, they waited – and waited and waited – until next year!
Like the magical moments in fairy tales, next year finally came, and with it something special happened – the curse of the Billy goat was broken.
After 71 cursed years, the Chicago Cubs won the National League Division and are now in the World Series, which they have not won since 1908. Cubs fans the world over are elated, with shirts and caps and big “W” flags flying on pillars and posts and prominent buildings. There are Chicago Cubs caps on the venerable lions guarding the Art Institute of Chicago, and extra-large Cubbie t-shirts on the Field Museum dinosaurs.
These expressions of appreciation, encouragement and hope are important, but, something more meaningful, more magical, more wondrous has happened and it is coming from the hearts and souls and reminisces of people. It started to show, then to grow, on social media, in newspapers, on television and radio and has gathered fans and their ancestors together like a mother bear leading her cubs home.
Whether calling in or writing, texting or phoning – the stories of Cubs fans past or present are pouring forth. A common theme seems to have arisen. While fans of the Chicago Cubs have been on Cloud 9, it is their mothers and fathers, uncles and cousins, great-grandmothers, aunts and uncles whose memories are invoked with the hue and cry of
” is celebrating in heaven!”.
A local television station, WGN, has encouraged everyone to send in their stories of loved ones who have passed on and their relationship with the Chicago Cubs. The stories keep growing and filling the air with a wholesomeness that is sincere and welcome in these otherwise uncertain times. There is no barrier, it seems, to who a Cubs fan is; no matter the gender, skin color, religion, ethnicity, political affiliations age, or education – there is no box to check off on the roster of rooters as so many people reveal their heartwarming stories of the decades of fans; fans that continued to wait until next year.
Whether or not the Cubs win the World Series is yet to be determined, but, in my humble view, they have already won the World Series of Human Spirit.
I have shared a story in the past of Tom and Ron Santo, which you can read here.
Championship sign is from the Cubs.
Goat photo is mine. 🙂
I like your story much better than mine which I will post towards the end of the week. 🙂
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I’m sure your will be great, Mike, and look forward to reading it. 🙂 Watching the game right now.
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As a Cubs fan from way back, I can appreciate your post. Well said!
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Thanks, Sue. It’s been exciting.
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The license plate on our car says SOON with the CUBS logo in the middle. We’ve had it for years–this may be the year!
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You might have to change it to FINALLY, Adrienne. I’d say your are a fan, for sure. 🙂
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Watching the game as I blog right this very minute (someone else in our tiny house is paying more attention); so far so good — bottom of 4th. Fingers crossed (making it somewhat difficult to type).
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. . . and as I answer, they are still playing. Someone in our house is paying more attention as well. What a long game!
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My husband is a real baseball and football fan. He watches every game. He was very disappointed when the Giants lost . I’m on the other hand have no interest in either of the games.
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If truth be told, I’m not much of a sports fan, Gerlinde, but, this series is exciting on so many levels for Chicagoans.and Cubs fans everywhere 🙂
Have a good day. Cold and damp here – and leaves everywhere.
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We are thankful for the rain the last couple of days, but it has been sunny and warm.
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One of the pastors announced from the pulpit last Sunday that this has to be the end times, since the Cubs are in the World Series. Everybody laughed.
Great post! My brother, who moved to Houston, is still a die-hard Cubs fan. He is so excited!
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It just might be. haha
Thanks, L. Marie. I think that once one has “Cub fever”, it never quite goes away, no matter when one moves. 🙂
Thinking of and hoping your current endeavors are coming along.
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I appreciate the enthusiasm of the Cubs fans and wish that the curse will be broken! Go Cubs!
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I’m not much of a professional sports fan, Marilyn, but this is great fun and excitement – and so “Chicago”. 🙂 Thank you. (cold and rainy today – sigh).
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Love your post as always. My Dad was a die-hard Cubs fan. Do you happen to know how and where to send in stories? I couldn’t find a link.
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Susan, this is the blurb that was on WGN’s Facebook page.
If you go to the FB page and scroll down, there are tons of heartwarming stories, and I’m sure you have one of your Dad to add to it.
WGN TV
October 24 at 7:30pm ·
Do you have a late father, mother, grandfather, great-uncle, great-aunt, cousin, who was a diehard Chicago Cubs fan who didn’t quite make it to see the Cubs get this far? Do you have a photo, either when they were young OR old, that you would be willing to share? Post in the comments AND e-mail ChicagoStories9@gmail.com
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Thank you, Penny! Much appreciated.
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I wil embellish this a tad, but this is my story:
My Dad passed away before the Cubs ever got back to the World Series (he was 14 the last time that happened). He always knew all the stats, much about the team they’d be playing next, etc. When he was in a nursing home, they didn’t show the games on TV often enough, so we got him a radio so he could at least listen. At the end of the season, he’d always say, “Maybe next year.” Not to be morbid, but we buried Dad with his Cubs hat.
I remember going to Wrigley Field with Dad as a kid. One time the Cubs were losing 9-0. Dad said, “If it gets to 10-0, we’re leaving.” The Cubs turned it around and won 10-9. Another time, we were on the ramps in the stadium and ran into Jack Brickhouse. Dad’s tactful greeting was “You’re as bald as I am!”
My three kids are all Cubs fans because of my Dad, even though their father (my husband Ken) is a Sox fan. So is my nephew out in Texas, even though he’s never lived in the Midwest.
GO CUBBIES!
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Susan, this is such a wonderful story and I don’t find it at all morbid. Many a have been buried in their Cubs cap and right now, many graves have the W flag on them, or other mementos. I think it is quite fitting. I had to chuckle over your Dad’s comment to Jack Brickhouse and it is such a nice memory for you to share. Thank you.
My father was a Sox fan as well – and that was in a multi-generational family of mostly Cubs fans. 🙂
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This is so fun to read, Penny. Naturally, or I suppose you assumed, our household was rooting for the Dodgers, but once we were put out of our misery, we all really got behind the Cubs. There’s something so delightful about the story of the curse being broken. Following the final play-off game it was so moving to see the tears of joy and celebration from lifelong Cubs fans. I’m not a big baseball enthusiast (or any other sporting event for that matter), but I love a good story. And I love to see people happy! This is one of those times. And I knew that there was a curse, but not what it was. You’ve filled it in for me. 🙂
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Of course you should root-toot-toot for the home team (sorry, the tune just came to mind 🙂 )! I’m not much of sports enthusiast, either, but, when the home team gets to this level, YES!
Speaking of the Dodgers . . . did you or Jay ever read Doris Kearns Goodwin’s book “Wait Till Next Year” ? It is about the Dodgers when they were in Brooklyn, her childhood, and her relationship with her father and the game.
The National League win has elevated the spirits of Chicagoans and Cubs fans and, I swear, that night and the next days, the spirits of so many die hard loved ones were recalled. Check out Susan Eakins’ comment about her dad. It is so sweet and representative of what it is all about.
The Curse is broken! 🙂 Thanks, Debra. Have a good weekend.
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This is very much how Red Sox fans felt in 2004. There were wonderful articles written about those who had lived and died waiting for that moment, my father and uncle just two of them. People who are young think the RS are like any other team. They didn’t live through years of last or almost last place. The years when our own curse – the curse of the Bambino – seemed unbreakable. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curse_of_the_Bambino
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Ah, yes – the curse of the Bambino! These curses become a part of a sport’s (or even an area’s) collective conscience. When the curse is broken, it has an interesting cathartic and uplifting consequence that is uplifting. While I really, really hope the Cubs win the World Series, being IN the series after 71 years feels good. Thanks for commenting, Nan, and for the link.
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