Cubs World Series victory brings joy to local fans

SIGOURNEY- The impossible occurred on Wednesday, Nov. 2, the Chicago Cubs won the World Series after a 108-year draught. Now around Iowa the Cubs and Cardinals both have very strong fan bases, and both are very passionate about their respective teams, but the Cardinals have had their success through the decades winning numerous World Series titles, and the poor Cubbies have fell short of even making the Fall Classic since 1945. Just to put that in perspective, America and the World were recovering from WWII, which had ended a mere month and a half before.

            Billy goats, black cats and Bartman helped give us Cubs fans reasons to believe in curses and omens, but reality was the Cubs have just been historically unlucky. As Steve Goodman said in his song “The Dying Cubs Fans Last Request”, “The law of averages says anything will happen that can, but the last time the Cubs won the National League Pennant was the year we dropped the bomb on Japan.”

            Many of us Cubs fans are fans for more personal reasons; someone we loved very much and who may not be with us anymore was a Cub fan. This fact I know for me personally that is the case, and also three ladies I recently talked to at Deer View Manor in Sigourney this is the case as well.

            There are literally dozens of stories from friends and family throughout town that have a certain love for the Cubs and their lovable losing ways. For me personally my Mother’s father and my grandfather, Ricardo Avila, a farmer, who would only take a break from work on Saturdays to watch the Cubs, was a huge Cubs fan. My other grandfather, Jerry Holt, loved watching the Cubs every day. In fact, when he became sick, a big thing that helped my Grandmother and I help him keep his routine was the Cubs game being put on for him. He seemed at ease watching the Cubs and would get some of his best sleep during many afternoon games. My great-aunt, Sister Hugh Brady, was another huge Cubs fan in my life. I remember her having the Hawkeye games on TV with the volume turned all the way down, and the Cubs blaring on her Radio.

            Many Cubs fans are fans because the Cubs have helped bridge common ground in relationships that are separated through generational gaps. My story is the same with Margie Griner’s six grandchildren, all of whom are Cubs fans because of their grandmother. Margie, who at 95 jokes she is 59, has been an avid Cub fan since 1985. Her husband passed away then, and she moved into town as her husband and her lived in Webster. When she moved to town she was able to watch the Cubs, and since they were her late husband’s favorite team, she decided to keep track of their lineups and box scores. When her family cleaned out her house they found over 50 notebooks full of Chicago Cubs game-by-game lineups and box scores. Margie was more than happy to show me her lineup sheet from Game Seven of the World Series. She even had the substitutions, as her grandchildren called her before the game and at various times to assist her. In fact after the Cubs recorded the last out at ten till one her phone began to ring as three of her grandchildren called her throughout the next hour. She also received a visit from her neighbor Jeanette Sterrett, who is also a Cubs fan, and the two women embraced in a hug and did a little victory dance together.

(For full article read Nov. 9 edition of The News Review)