If you follow baseball (or live anywhere in proximity of Chicago), you're aware the playoffs are going on right now and the Chicago Cubs are one series away from the World Series. Baseball is one of the most superstitious sports ever, so just typing that sentence makes me nervous... But it's fact.
It's been a minute since my last post, so let me backup a bit. Anyone who knows me knows I love the Cubs. The lovable losers are slowly but surely turning into the lovable winners, and to be able to watch that happen before my eyes is amazing. To all of the fans who have followed this team through thick and thin have the ability to appreciate this postseason just a little bit more than the rest.
The timing couldn't have been more perfect. 2015, the year I move to Chicago and the year the Cubs turn into one of the hottest teams in baseball. What does that mean? It means I'm 20 minutes away from Wrigley Field and get to take in all of this excitement right at the center of it all. A lot of my posts point out all the things I'm doing here that I couldn't have been doing while living in the suburbs and this is certainly one of those.
The National League Wild Card game was on a Wednesday night. Being only a few red line stops away, I got to head out on Clark Street, pack into a bar with hundreds of other Cubs fans and celebrate in the streets after the win. To top it off, I was also lucky enough to win the Cubs postseason raffle and purchase tickets to game 3 of the National League Division Series.
It's been a minute since my last post, so let me backup a bit. Anyone who knows me knows I love the Cubs. The lovable losers are slowly but surely turning into the lovable winners, and to be able to watch that happen before my eyes is amazing. To all of the fans who have followed this team through thick and thin have the ability to appreciate this postseason just a little bit more than the rest.
The timing couldn't have been more perfect. 2015, the year I move to Chicago and the year the Cubs turn into one of the hottest teams in baseball. What does that mean? It means I'm 20 minutes away from Wrigley Field and get to take in all of this excitement right at the center of it all. A lot of my posts point out all the things I'm doing here that I couldn't have been doing while living in the suburbs and this is certainly one of those.
The National League Wild Card game was on a Wednesday night. Being only a few red line stops away, I got to head out on Clark Street, pack into a bar with hundreds of other Cubs fans and celebrate in the streets after the win. To top it off, I was also lucky enough to win the Cubs postseason raffle and purchase tickets to game 3 of the National League Division Series.
I don't think I can accurate describe the excitement and anxiety that goes into a playoff game, but being at the first postseason game at Wrigley Field since 2008 was incredible. The atmosphere is like nothing else. Everyone lives on every pitch, standing at every two strikes, two outs, drawn walk, base hit. Anything that played to the Cubs favor, we stood and waved those rally towels like it was our job.
The wind was blowing straight out that night and if you know Wrigley Field, you know that means a chance for plenty of long balls. No one knows that better than the Cubs themselves and they didn't disappoint. Six different players went deep that night, breaking the record for most home runs in a game during the postseason.
The wind was blowing straight out that night and if you know Wrigley Field, you know that means a chance for plenty of long balls. No one knows that better than the Cubs themselves and they didn't disappoint. Six different players went deep that night, breaking the record for most home runs in a game during the postseason.
During games like these, one of the best parts is just celebrating in Wrigleyville with everyone. When you have 40,000+ people inside the ballpark and thousands more at the surrounding bars, Clark, Addison, Sheffield and Waveland have no choice but to completely close off. There's something about walking down the middle of the road, being utterly estactic and bonding with complete strangers that makes these moments something really special.
So Cubs, thank you for waiting until I moved downtown to be good and make this playoff run. Here's to the National League Championship Series tonight!
So Cubs, thank you for waiting until I moved downtown to be good and make this playoff run. Here's to the National League Championship Series tonight!