03-19-2009, 11:41 AM
The game that probably means more to me than most Cub fans was this Cubs/Reds game from 1979. I was about a week out from turning seven years old, and I was downstairs, by myself, up "late," glued to a game where the Cubs were getting mauled through six (7-0). I remember watching it in my yet-unspoiled naivete of young Cub fandom, believing they were still in the game. My faith was rewarded as the offense put together 10 runs over the last three innings, eventually winning 10-8.
What really made the game special was that after each half-inning, I ran upstairs to the front porch, where my dad was sitting and "chewing the fat" (I remember him using this term and me being awfully confused by it) with our next-door neighbor, and I would deliver an update. I remember my dad being amused by my courier work at first, but when the game got close, he was genuinely interested in my enthusiastic bulletins.
It's interesting to go back and check out the box score on Baseball Reference for this game now; according to the Win Probability Added stat they give, the Cubs had less than a 1% chance (it's listed as 0%) to win the game when they scored their first run with two outs in the 7th. It was truly a helluva comeback, made all the sweeter because I got to perform the important job of delivering the increasingly good news to my dad every half-inning.
The Cubs were 9 games over .500 after their victory, and would be 13 games up and trailing eventual World Champs Pittsburgh by only 4 games on August 20th. Naturally, they went 13-28 the rest of the way (including a 9-22 September--remember doubleheaders?) to finish below .500 and deliver me the first in a long serious of disappointments.
But there's always <i>this</i> year.
What really made the game special was that after each half-inning, I ran upstairs to the front porch, where my dad was sitting and "chewing the fat" (I remember him using this term and me being awfully confused by it) with our next-door neighbor, and I would deliver an update. I remember my dad being amused by my courier work at first, but when the game got close, he was genuinely interested in my enthusiastic bulletins.
It's interesting to go back and check out the box score on Baseball Reference for this game now; according to the Win Probability Added stat they give, the Cubs had less than a 1% chance (it's listed as 0%) to win the game when they scored their first run with two outs in the 7th. It was truly a helluva comeback, made all the sweeter because I got to perform the important job of delivering the increasingly good news to my dad every half-inning.
The Cubs were 9 games over .500 after their victory, and would be 13 games up and trailing eventual World Champs Pittsburgh by only 4 games on August 20th. Naturally, they went 13-28 the rest of the way (including a 9-22 September--remember doubleheaders?) to finish below .500 and deliver me the first in a long serious of disappointments.
But there's always <i>this</i> year.
One dick can poke an eye out. A hundred dicks can move mountains.
--Veryzer
--Veryzer