“Catch Them If You Can” — Please Don’t Say That!
Why did ESPN.com do it? They headlined the Chicago Cubs with “Catch Them If You Can”!
I can feel another jinx in the works. Somebody is going to show up with a goat at Wrigley and be refused a seat as in 1945. Or, there will be another Bartman.
But “catch them if you can”….give me a break. It is better to be silent like we are waiting out a no hitter by not talking to the pitcher and letting him sit alone in the corner so that we don’t disturb the forces in the universe.
“Catch them if you can”? These are the Chicago Cubs. They know how to blow a lead.
Today they are 75-47 with a 5.5 game lead over the Brewers, but on August 16 of 1969 they were 75-44 with a nine game lead…and all Cubs fans know what happened next. They lost it. They finished the season with a September record of 9-19 while the “Amazin’ Mets” went 23-7. The Mets finished eight games ahead of the Cubs in their division! The Mets went to the series instead of the Cubs after sweeping the Braves in the playoff round (just like the Cubs just sweept the Braves this week!).
By the way, Lou Pinnella–now manager of the Cubs–won Rookie of the Year in 1969! Is that an omen or what?
I remember the Cubs collapse like it was yesterday. I was a tender-aged twelve years old when the baseball “gods” broke my young heart that year.
Am I excited this year? I’m trying not to be. I don’t want to set myself up for a fall. Low expectations may receive great reward but high expectations bring tragic disappointments.
But it is hard not to be excited, especially when the Cubs keep winning and in dramatic fashion….like a three run homer in the ninth last night against Florida to extend their road winning streak to nine games. It is the longest streak since they were last in the World Series in 1945.
Ok…I’m excited; I’m ready for a Cubs World Series at least once in my lifetime, and God surely has sufficient grace to give Cubs fans a World Series win every 100 years, right? 🙂 We can only hope as we Cubs fans have been doing since 1945 (their last appearance) and 1908 (their last Series victory).
We may feed on the lamentable antics of the Chicago Cubs for the past 100 years, but everyone has to give us Cubs fans at least one credit — we may be misguided, but at least we are loyal!
Hey, the Cubs have won more games than any other franchise in history except the San Francisco (New York) Giants…over 10,000! But, alas, no World Series since 1908.
So, I give my voice to the cry that pleads for at least one World Series victory every 100 years. 🙂
August 16th, 2008 at 2:07 pm
Surely you can find a psalm of disorientation somewhat applicable for a cubs fan right??
🙂
August 16th, 2008 at 2:39 pm
If I were a literalist, I’d say be careful what you ask for. If a day is as a thousand years, there are 365,000 “years” in each of our annual trips ’round the sun and 36,500,000 in your hundred years. Can you (or the Cubs, for that matter) hang around that long? ^_^
August 16th, 2008 at 6:30 pm
1969
The Mets finished eight games ahead of the Cubs in their division! The Mets went to the series instead of the Cubs after sweeping the Braves in the playoff round…2008… (just like the Cubs just sweept the Braves this week!). you get a big 2+2=5
on that comment….i am wondering…
john mark?
have you stoped takeing your meds…again????
or may be i should ask jennifer.
how much disrepair she see’s ” in the old rudder”
just remember…
tell jennifer when all this gets so bad and you seem to drift in and out of the real world something like takeing your little baseball glove to assembly and in the middle of a point the preacher is makeing you stand up and say (with your glove Raised high “YELLING OUT… I got it!!!!… I GOT IT”!!!!.
knowing full well that this catch will put your name in the hall of fame.
YES I CAN SEE IT ALL NOW.
THE SIGNS ARE NOTICIABLE I am SURE SHE IS CONCERNED…SO TELL HER TO PRACTICE TELLING YOU TO KNOCK LOUDLY ON A TABLE 4 AND 1/2 TIMES. AND IN A QUITE BUT FIRM VOICE SAY TO YOU….john mark …john mark.
knock….knock…
time for a reality check..john mark.. REMEMBER NOW WHAT DR. RICH SAID
rich said…..
it would be the angles IN 4 A SWEEP
remember….
it’s ok john mark…
knock. knock.
RICH IN CAL BLESSINGS TO ALL
August 16th, 2008 at 7:42 pm
I once heard a preacher exclaim “God is a Cubs fan!” As he went on to explain his claim, he reasoned that God has always been a fan and supporter of the poor and pitiful and the Cubs…
As a die-hard Cubs fan, I wanted to agree but I also wanted to stand up and protest:-).
Rex
August 17th, 2008 at 9:59 pm
I’m a Rangers fan so I really don’t pay too much attention to the cubs. Sorry. Should I repent? 🙂
I hope you have a blessed week.
August 18th, 2008 at 7:13 am
Well, my friend, you have suffered long as well–but I longer. 🙂
I enjoyed watching the Washington Senators before they moved to Texas. I was at the last game of the Washington Senators at JFK stadium. It was a sad day for me since it was easy for me to get to the stadium to go to ballgames, sometimes by myself as a teenager.
But, alas, the baseball gods have their own mysterious reasons for such things. 🙂
August 18th, 2008 at 7:39 am
john mark does that mean that i will see you this oct. in aniheim.
dr. rich
doctor OF APPLIED SPOTRSOLIGICAL PROGNOSISCATIONS.
August 18th, 2008 at 8:01 am
I’m afraid I am not willing to spend that kind of money just to see something live that I can enjoy almost as much sitting in my den at home. 🙂
I don’t think that would be faithful stewardship of the money with which the Lord has entrusted me. 🙂
August 18th, 2008 at 8:22 am
you didn,t happen to have your baseball glove handy yesterday at assembly?
oh now you throw out the lord card.
deep down you and i both realalise you should stop suffering and get on the happy train to cheer on the true team… that has at least has part of our lords congragation in it’s name.
also i would refer you to the movie.
where the true angles helped anaheim win.
what more evidence do you need for changing.
also the phrase …. GO ANGLES….
HOW TRUELY EXCITING IS THAT!!!!!!!!
RICH IN CA. 14.753 MILES FROM THE HOME OF THE ANGLES!!!!2008 WORLD CHAMPS.
I HAVE READ ALL OF THIS TO LORRIE…
she is saying even though we have now been married 22 years……
I, might have a problem.!!!!!
I of course told her….. first …. knock , knock,
and to get a grip
DR. RICH
DOCTOR OF APPLIED SPOTRSOLIGICAL PROGNOSISCATIONS.
August 18th, 2008 at 9:10 am
joihn mark…everyone
this is fun but i must confess…
i am feeling a tad bit guilty as all of you might get the impression that i am a sports fan.
i….just can’t help teasing john mark…..
blessings rich in ca.
August 18th, 2008 at 9:17 am
and by the john mark…
i don’t want to hear you say “I KNEW THAT”.
I AM SURE YOU WERE BEGINNING TO WONDER…