by Jo-Anne LaBuda

I have been a Chicago Cubs fan since I was three years old.  I won't say how long ago that is as everyone will figure out how old I am.

We lived on the near north side in a second floor flat near the El tracks.  I don't remember much about the apartment, but I sure do remember the TV set.  The screen wasn't as big as the computer screen I'm typing on right now.

I vividly remember having to take a nap every afternoon whether I was sleepy or not.  That was in the days of no air conditioning, so the windows were open so we could get some of the breeze that came in off Lake Michigan.  I remember lying in bed and hearing Jack Brickhouse, the Cubs announcer.   I also remember the song from the Hamm's Beer commercials, "From the land of sky blue waters..."   My dad would sit in the living room and watch the games on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.  It just killed me to have to take a dumb nap when all the action was going on at Wrigley Field and in our living room.

That was when the whole Cubs thing started for me.

Through the years, I saw many Cubs players come and go, experienced Don Cardwell's no-hitter, watched Ryan Sandberg, Hank Sauer, Fergie Jenkins, Ron Santo and so many other great Cubs.  I also saw Sandy Koufax (LA Dodgers), Warren Spahn (Milwaukee when they were the Braves), Don Drysdale (LA Dodgers) and many other great players from other teams. 

I saw many years of dreams of a pennant and a World Series come and crash...and developed what I call a "Cubs way of thinking".  Never get too excited about anything and definitely don't count your chickens before they are hatched!  Ask any Cubs fan and he will know EXACTLY what I am talking about!  The Cubs would be doing great and come June or September (it was always one of those two months) the bottom would fall out and we'd end up in the cellar (9th place in those days since there were only 18 teams) right alonside the Philadelphia Phillies.  Sometimes we'd never leave the "cellar" from Opening Day.

My favorite Cub of all time is "Mr. Cub", Ernie Banks.  He always had a smile (still does) on his face and a positive attitude about the upcoming season.  Unfortunately he wasn't ever right, but we always looked forward to "next year".

I have such great memories of my dad picking me up on a hot summer afternoon and saying, "How about a ball game?" Nothing was better than a ballpark hot dog and sitting right next to my dad behind the Cubs dugout.  I could see every player's face and always had a cheer for them.  My dad and I would fill out the score card and come home sunburned and happy, win or lose.  Whether we had won or lost, he would always say, "Where would you rather be?"  The sun would be shining, the grass was green and the ivy on the brick wall in the outfield was just waiting for Ernie to hit a home run.  "Back, back...way back...hey, hey!" Jack Brickhouse would scream.

So those are just some of the reasons that I'm still a Cubs fan, still waiting for that pennant, that World Series.  Always rooting for the underdog and always full of hope for next year.

This is the year, though.  We've only waited since 1908.  I think it's going to happen this year.

If it does, I'm taking my Cubs hat back to Chicago and I'm going to put it on my dad's grave and say, "They did it, Dad.  I wish you were here to see it."