Even though the Reds got the crap kicked out of them last night, there was one silver lining that occurred. When the Dodgers beat the Cubs last night, combined with San Diego's win over the Reds, that once again eliminated the Chicago Cubs from the playoffs and marks the 98th consecutive year that they will have not won a World Series. This was a foregne conclusion since July but I like to wait until it becomes official. It brings great joy to my heart that the Cubs - and by extention, most of their pathetic fans - will not be celebrating a World's Championship.
Now, just to give you an idea on how long it has been since the Cubs won the World Series, here are some major events that have occurred since 1908.
Major Events that Have Occurred Since the Chicago Cubs Won Their Last World Series
-Both radio and TV were invented...
-Fourteen teams were added to Major League Baseball...
-George Burns celebrated his 10th, 20th, 30th, 40th, 50th, 60th, 70th, 80th, 90th --and 100th birthdays...
-Haley's comet passed Earth,....twice ...
-Harry Caray was born, and died...
-The NBA, NHL and NFL were formed, and Chicago teams won championships in each league...
-The US fought in two world wars, the Korean War, Vietnam War and 2 Persian Gulf Wars
-Man landed on the moon...
-Sixteen US presidents were elected...
-Eleven amendments added to the Constitution...
-Prohibition was created and repealed...
-The Titanic was built, set sail, sank, and was re discovered...
-Wrigley Field was built and becomes the oldest park in the National League...
-Flag poles were erected on Wrigley Field roof to hold all of the team's future World Series pennants, which have since rusted and been taken down...
-A combination of 40 Summer and Winter Olympics have been held...
-Thirteen baseball players have won the Triple Crown...
-Swing music, bell-bottoms, and disco came in style, went out of style and came back in style...
-The Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox and Florida Marlins have all won the World Series; what next, the Expos?!?
-The Cubs played almost 15,000 regular-season games, losing the majority of them...
-Alaska, Arizona, Hawaii, Oklahoma and New Mexico were admitted to the Union...
When I think of the Cubs being eliminated from post-season play the following song comes to mind.
A Dying Cub Fan's Last Request
by Steve Goodman (1983)
By the shore's of old Lake Michigan
Where the "hawk wind" blows so cold
An old Cub fan lay dying
In his midnight hour that tolled
Round his bed, his friends had all gathered
They knew his time was short
And on his head they put this bright blue cap
From his all-time favorite sport
He told them, "Its late and its getting dark in here"
And I know its time to go
But before I leave the line-up
Boys, there's just one thing I'd like to know
Do they still play the blues in Chicago
When baseball season rolls around
When the snow melts away,
Do the Cubbies still play
In their ivy-covered burial ground
When I was a boy they were my pride and joy
But now they only bring fatigue
To the home of the brave
The land of the free
And the doormat of the National League
Told his friends "You know the law of averages says: Anything will happen that can"
That's what it says
"But the last time the Cubs won a National League pennant Was the year we dropped the bomb on Japan"
The Cubs made me a criminal
Sent me down a wayward path
They stole my youth from me
(that's the truth)
I'd forsake my teachers
To go sit in the bleachers
In flagrant truancy
And then one thing led to another
and soon I'd discovered alcohol, gambling, dope football, hockey, lacrosse, tennis
But what do you expect,
When you raise up a young boy's hopes
And then just crush 'em like so many paper beer cups.
Year after year after year
after year, after year, after year, after year, after year 'Til those hopes are just so much popcorn for the pigeons beneath the 'L' tracks to eat
He said, "You know I'll never see Wrigley Field, anymore before my eternal rest
So if you have your pencils and your score cards ready, and I'll read you my last request
He said, "Give me a double header funeral in Wrigley Field On some sunny weekend day (no lights)
Have the organ play the "National Anthem" and then a little 'na, na, na, na, hey hey, hey, Goodbye'
Make six bullpen pitchers, carry my coffin and six ground keepers clear my path
Have the umpires bark me out at every base
In all their holy wrath
Its a beautiful day for a funeral, Hey Ernie lets play two! Somebody go get Jack Brickhouse to come back, and conduct just one more interview
Have the Cubbies run right out into the middle of the field, Have Keith Moreland drop a routine fly
Give everybody two bags of peanuts and a frosty malt
And I'll be ready to die
Build a big fire on home plate out of your Louisville Sluggers baseball bats,
And toss my coffin in
Let my ashes blow in a beautiful snow
From the prevailing 30 mile an hour southwest wind
When my last remains go flying over the left-field wall
Will bid the bleacher bums adíeu
And I will come to my final resting place, out on Waveland Avenue
The dying man's friends told him to cut it out
They said stop it that's an awful shame
He whispered, "Don't Cry, we'll meet by and by near the Heavenly Hall of Fame
He said, "I've got season's tickets to watch the Angels now, So its just what I'm going to do
He said, "but you the living, you're stuck here with the Cubs, So its me that feels sorry for you!"
And he said, "Ahh Play, play that lonesome losers tune, That's the one I like the best"
And he closed his eyes, and slipped away
What we got is the Dying Cub Fan's Last Request
And here it is
Do they still play the blues in Chicago
When baseball season rolls around
When the snow melts away,
Do the Cubbies still play
In their ivy-covered burial ground
When I was a boy they were my pride and joy
But now they only bring fatigue
To the home of the brave
The land of the free
And the doormat of the National League
Originally Posted by Raisor
I loved that one!
