Keeping with that Game 7 spirit, let’s turn our attention to THE Game 7; of course I’m talking about the Cubs. You remember, right? The year was 1885; the Cubs were actually the White Stockings, and we played the St. Louis Browns to a 3-3-1 tie in the World Series. How can anyone forget? A tie in the World Series, really?
No, no… not the game I’m thinking of. There was 1945 when the Cubs went down to the Tigers in 7 games in the World Series; the famous Billy Goat series. No, I wasn’t around for that one… thankfully. Losing in the World Series, in the final game of the series? Ugh! Of course the next Game 7 for the Cubs chronologically came in 2003 in the NLCS vs the Marlins. Funny thing, well, it wasn’t funny at the time, but yeah, it wasn’t even Game 7 that was the most painful in that series. Seriously, if the Game 7 I’m getting to, eventually, didn’t occur, who knows if I’d ever be over 2003… but alas, no worries…
Yes, 2016 Game 7 vs the Cleveland Indians; yes, that’s more like it. Like I said in my last blog, I’d rather go through the ringer of a Game 7 than just watch my team suck every year, and let me tell you, that Game 7… was the ultimate ringer. I can’t even imagine if it turned out the opposite way. I mean, I do believe one day that I’ll be that guy mumbling to himself on the train, but if the Cubs had lost Game 7 that year, I think I may already be there. Of course, the Cubs were down 3-1 in the Series. There was the huge Game 5 win at home; the Game 6 blowout that set the stage. There was our manager trying to F our destiny at every turn; I would have absolutely hated him for the rest of my life had his dumb ass decisions back fired. But it was all part of the script right? Cubs big lead; crazy shit starts to happen. Indians draw closer; Indians tie it up off the best reliever in baseball. We survive the bottom of the 9th. The rain delay; the rain delay speech. The Schwarber base hit, the KB Sac fly, the Almora tag, the Rizzo intentional walk, the Zobrist double down the line… I don’t have to look this up. The elation, the pure joy, the tears that came out when KB fielded that grounder and threw it to Rizzo, who I’m glad was as tall as he is… yeah, it happened; it really did.
1-2-1 in Game 7s doesn’t really matter to me. It’s all about that 1… that 1 win that washed away all the BS; that made being a die-hard Cubs fan my whole life worth it. It’s that 1 win that enables me to endure the BS that has happened over the past year, and will continue to happen… although Tuesday night’s game at Wrigley was pretty fun. As for the playoffs… not sure when we’ll be back, but I got my one… I got my one… Go Cubs!!!
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