How Being a Cubs Fan has Changed

Today is the Chicago Cubs' home opener at Wrigley Field.

A few years ago, that would have barely elicited a yawn from me...although hope sprang eternal for my lifelong Cubs fan husband.

But I have become a real fan.  I care about each game, I look forward to experiencing the excitement of a  game at Wrigley Field again, I check the scores, I have my favorite players.

No, I can't lay claim to being a diehard fan like my husband, who has followed them and rooted them on through thick and thin...through years of when being a Cubs fan was a big old joke to most people. 

But guess what?  No one's laughing now. 

Six years ago, I wrote a post I titled "The Sweet Pain of Being a Diehard Cubs Fan."

I talked about what it's like being married to such a fan...watching their excitement on Opening
Day that gradually turned to disappointment and then resignation:

"Through the years of being repeatedly disappointed by the Cubs, my husband has learned to temper his emotions regarding the team. Yes, he'll gripe about their losses, but at the end of the summer, once he knows the Cubs are out of it, his attitude is one of quiet acceptance. 

Despite never winning the World Series, the Cubs have brought him the kind of enjoyment and pleasure that is the seasoning of a well-lived life. 

In April, hope springs in the heart of a die-hard Cubs fan as sure as the daffodils lift their sunny golden faces to the blue Illinois sky. .. 

So let the fun begin. And if the Cubs don't make the play-offs? 

There's always next year."

My husband Doug (far right) at his happy place 

But things have changed since I wrote that post.  For one thing, the Cubs now have a president of baseball operations named Theo Epstein who helped lift a curse from the Boston Red Sox, and who many believe is doing the same for the Cubs.

They have a rich roster of talent and a manager, Joe Maddon, who seems to know exactly what to do with this wealth.

The Cubs are mostly young and excited and FUN to watch.  And they WIN!  They do a lot of winning.

The other day my husband said to me with wonder in his voice, "The Cubs are GOOD."

That's how being a Cubs fan has changed.  Yes, diehard Cubs fans like my husband will never be able to completely relax and enjoy the season without a niggling fear that it's all going to fall apart.  There will always be disappointments, like the loss of Kyle Schwarber for the season due to an injury.

Diehard Cubs fans have endured years and years of bitter disappointment and shattered dreams.

But Opening Day is different now.  Because the Cubs ARE GOOD.  And hope is stronger than ever.

This could be the year.

The Sweet Pain of Being a Die-Hard Cubs Fan

...or in my case, being married to one

(Originally posted April 17, 2010)

My friend Tara, whose husband Joe is a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan, wrote this on Facebook today:

I love my 7 year old's optimism: "Mom the Cubs are almost in first place. If they can stay in first place long enough, they'll make the playoffs!!" Oh, it's going to be a long summer.

I had to laugh. Having been married to a die-hard Cubs fan for over 30 years, and being the mother of two more, I can SO relate.

The Friendly Confines

See that picture? You may think it's just a photograph of a baseball field, but oh no, it's SO much more.

That picture of Wrigley Field will strike a chord deep in the soul of every true Cubs fan. That diamond is the scene of a plethora of emotions experienced only by a baseball enthusiast who fanatically supports a team. Right now, it's a tremulous, yet undying sense of joyful anticipation.

The soundtrack of my marriage...
The soundtrack of my married life has not been provided by a particular musician or band. At least from April through September, it's been the sound of ambient stadium noise and the voices of announcers from Harry Caray to Steve Stone to Ron Santo--commenting in tones ranging from desultory and casual ("beautiful day here at the friendly confines") to wildly and frantically excited ("It might be...it could be...it IS!!!" "Cubs Win! Cubs Win!")

Riding in the car with my husband anywhere? Forget music. If there's a Cubs game on, that's what we'll be listening to.

Years ago, in a particularly good season for the Cubs, WGN's theme music coming in and out of the games--and on TV, as the credits were rolling--was Van Halen's "Jump." My husband is the furthest thing from a rock music fan, but I'll wager that if he ever hears that song, his heart leaps a little bit.

I know I can never hear its closing strains without also hearing a voice saying, "This has been a presentation of WGN Radio. Any reproduction without the express written consent of Major League Baseball...",etc.

Hope springs eternal...

Through the years of being repeatedly disappointed by the Cubs, my husband has learned to temper his emotions regarding the team. Yes, he'll gripe about their losses, but at the end of the summer, once he knows the Cubs are out of it, his attitude is one of quiet acceptance.

Despite never winning the World Series, the Cubs have brought him the kind of enjoyment and pleasure that is the seasoning of a well-lived life.

In April, hope springs in the heart of a die-hard Cubs fan as sure as the daffodils lift their sunny golden faces to the blue Illinois sky. That hope is as fresh and naive as that of Tara's 7-year-old son.

So let the fun begin. And if the Cubs don't make the play-offs?

There's always next year.

From the Archives: The Sweet Pain of Being a Die-Hard Cubs Fan

...or in my case, being married to one


(Originally posted April 17, 2010)


My friend Tara, whose husband Joe is a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan, wrote this on Facebook today:

I love my 7 year old's optimism: "Mom the Cubs are almost in first place. If they can stay in first place long enough, they'll make the playoffs!!" Oh, it's going to be a long summer.

I had to laugh. Having been married to a die-hard Cubs fan for over 30 years, and being the mother of two more, I can SO relate.

The Friendly Confines

See that picture? You may think it's just a photograph of a baseball field, but oh no, it's SO much more.

That picture of Wrigley Field will strike a chord deep in the soul of every true Cubs fan. That diamond is the scene of a plethora of emotions experienced only by a baseball enthusiast who fanatically supports a team. Right now, it's a tremulous, yet undying sense of joyful anticipation.

The soundtrack of my marriage...

The soundtrack of my married life has not been provided by a particular musician or band. At least from April through September, it's been the sound of ambient stadium noise and the voices of announcers from Harry Caray to Steve Stone to Ron Santo--commenting in tones ranging from desultory and casual ("beautiful day here at the friendly confines") to wildly and frantically excited ("It might be...it could be...it IS!!!" "Cubs Win! Cubs Win!")

Riding in the car with my husband anywhere? Forget music. If there's a Cubs game on, that's what we'll be listening to.

Years ago, in a particularly good season for the Cubs, WGN's theme music coming in and out of the games--and on TV, as the credits were rolling--was Van Halen's "Jump." My husband is the furthest thing from a rock music fan, but I'll wager that if he ever hears that song, his heart leaps a little bit.

I know I can never hear its closing strains without also hearing a voice saying, "This has been a presentation of WGN Radio. Any reproduction without the express written consent of Major League Baseball...",etc.

Hope springs eternal...

Through the years of being repeatedly disappointed by the Cubs, my husband has learned to temper his emotions regarding the team. Yes, he'll gripe about their losses, but at the end of the summer, once he knows the Cubs are out of it, his attitude is one of quiet acceptance.

Despite never winning the World Series, the Cubs have brought him the kind of enjoyment and pleasure that is the seasoning of a well-lived life.

In April, hope springs in the heart of a die-hard Cubs fan as sure as the daffodils lift their sunny golden faces to the blue Illinois sky. That hope is as fresh and naive as that of Tara's 7-year-old son.

So let the fun begin. And if the Cubs don't make the play-offs?

There's always next year.

Beautiful Wedding on the Lake

Promontory Point, Chicago

Last night my husband and I went to the wedding of a young man we've known all his life, Andrew, and his lovely bride Jeanna. The setting couldn't have been more beautiful. It was in a quaint little stone building on Promontory Point, pictured right.

(I'm just sick that my camera has been acting up and I wasn't able to take any pictures, but I found some on the internet so you can at least get a feel of what the wedding was like.)


A view of the wedding hall

French doors/windows cover the outer walls of the venue, so you can easily glimpse Lake Michigan, which was a gorgeous dark turquoise color yesterday(the wedding began at 4:30 PM.) A nice, gentle breeze blew through the open doors during the ceremony.

Afterwards, the reception was held at the Chicago Firehouse Restaurant, which is actually housed in a beautifully-restored turn-of-the-century Chicago fire station.



The food was delicious. I dined on King Salmon with mushrooms and spinach in madeira sauce, and my husband had Mango and Chili Pork Chops with whipped sweet potatoes and shredded cooked cabbage. The wedding cake? Chocolate with a thick, white buttercream frosting to die for (or to abandon your diet for!)

I love Chicago anyway, and last night it was at its most gorgeous. All in all, a truly wonderful evening in one of my favorite cities in the world!

The Sweet Pain of Being a Die-Hard Cubs Fan

...or in my case, being married to one


My friend Tara, whose husband Joe is a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan, wrote this on Facebook today:

I love my 7 year old's optimism: "Mom the Cubs are almost in first place. If they can stay in first place long enough, they'll make the playoffs!!" Oh, it's going to be a long summer.

I had to laugh. Having been married to a die-hard Cubs fan for over 30 years, and being the mother of two more, I can SO relate.

The Friendly Confines

See that picture? You may think it's just a photograph of a baseball field, but oh no, it's SO much more.

That picture of Wrigley Field will strike a chord deep in the soul of every true Cubs fan. That diamond is the scene of a plethora of emotions experienced only by a baseball enthusiast who fanatically supports a team. Right now, it's a tremulous, yet undying sense of joyful anticipation.

The soundtrack of my marriage...

The soundtrack of my married life has not been provided by a particular musician or band. At least from April through September, it's been the sound of ambient stadium noise and the voices of announcers from Harry Caray to Steve Stone to Ron Santo--commenting in tones ranging from desultory and casual ("beautiful day here at the friendly confines") to wildly and frantically excited ("It might be...it could be...it IS!!!" "Cubs Win! Cubs Win!")

Riding in the car with my husband anywhere? Forget music. If there's a Cubs game on, that's what we'll be listening to.

Years ago, in a particularly good season for the Cubs, WGN's theme music coming in and out of the games--and on TV, as the credits were rolling--was Van Halen's "Jump." My husband is the furthest thing from a rock music fan, but I'll wager that if he ever hears that song, his heart leaps a little bit.

I know I can never hear its closing strains without also hearing a voice saying, "This has been a presentation of WGN Radio. Any reproduction without the express written consent of Major League Baseball...",etc.

Hope springs eternal...

Through the years of being repeatedly disappointed by the Cubs, my husband has learned to temper his emotions regarding the team. Yes, he'll gripe about their losses, but at the end of the summer, once he knows the Cubs are out of it, his attitude is one of quiet acceptance.

Despite never winning the World Series, the Cubs have brought him the kind of enjoyment and pleasure that is the seasoning of a well-lived life.

In April, hope springs in the heart of a die-hard Cubs fan as sure as the daffodils lift their sunny golden faces to the blue Illinois sky. That hope is as fresh and naive as that of Tara's 7-year-old son.

So let the fun begin. And if the Cubs don't make the play-offs?

There's always next year.