I am a die-hard Cubs fan. I have been a fan for over 40 years, since I was about 11 years old. The Cubs are in my blood. I live in New York City. It's tough to be a Cubs fan in Met country. A few days ago, someone in my family called me up and offered me a ticket to the first playoff game vs The Dodgers. I jumped at the chance to see the Cubs in person. This would entail laying out some bucks for the plane ticket and other expenses, but it was worth it. I was going to see my Cubbies beat LA.
Well, I got to Chicago, bought a Cubs tee-shirt and sweatshirt, took home a plastic cup with the Cubs logo on it, but I didn't see the Cubs win. They lost 7-2 on a night when pitcher Ryan Dempster pitched his worst game of the season.
Dempster simply didn't have it. I think he pitched like it was the 7th game of the World Series. He wasn't right all night.
He walked a lot of batters, seven to be exact, and that got in him in trouble. He had only given up two hits prior to Loney's big grand-slam home run. But it was the walks that did him in. He was flirting with disaster all night, and finally, somebody got him. When Loney's ball sailed into the left-center seats, about 385 feet away, the hopes of the Cubs fans' seemed to sink. People were so excited, especially, when Mark DeRosa got a gift-wrapped home run that just cleared the wall in the rightfield corner, for a two run homer. With the Cubs leading 2-0 and the pitcher with a great record in Wrigley on the mound, things looked bright. They didn't stay that way for long.
The Cubs trailed 4-2 in the 6th inning, and there seemed plenty of time to catch up. Then Sean Marshall gave up a home run and it was 5-2. The Dodgers got a man on third with a triple and he was driven in with a base-hit up them middle. Now it was 6-2 and Cub fans' started to boo out of frustration. Marshall was lifted for Jason Marquis who gave up another HR to make it 7-2. The Dodgers tacked on a run in the top of the 7th, 8th, and 9th innings, and the Cubs who were feeble at the plate, could not make a dent in the deficit.
It was great to see the game, great to see the bunting of red, white and blue up in the ballpark. This was emblematic of an "important game." Well, in my lifetime, important games at Wrigley have been rare. So, making the journey to Wrigley Field was worth it, even if the Cubs lost. And, they lost the next night, to put them an a big 0-2 hole.
It's best that they are in L.A. Maybe the sunshine will help them loosen up, to relax. Because they are not playing well at all. It's been 100 years since this team last won a World Series, and the Cubs are playing with the pressure of a city's bated breath. Everyone needs to exhale, chill out, and let the team play. I hope the Cubs play better ball. Because they are a good team.
