Cubs Clinch NL Central, and general rant

For the first time in 100 years the Chicago Cubs have won their division and locked down a playoff spot for two consecutive years. This team has been in the making for about 5 years now, and all the pieces are finally falling together. They made smart trades, stayed healthy, acquired the Babe Ruth of Japan, and threw some heat into their starting pitching rotation with Rich Harden. Having been a die hard Cubs fan all my life, growing up around the corner from Wrigley Field I know better than to say that "this is the year." Although I will say that this is the best team I have seen on that field since they blew it in 2003 when they were 1 game away from the World Series with one of our many aces on the mound, Mark Prior. I was at all the NLCS home games against the Braves when we chanted them off the field, I was also there for the darker nights against the Marlins that still give me nightmares to this day.

I know that everyone in Chicago knows who Steve Bartman is, he is one of the reasons we blew game 6 to go to the world series. He is the infamous Cubs fan who reached over the bleacher wall and interfered with a very playable ball to get out of the inning. So basically every single Cubs fan in America hates this dude, but I know and other people who know baseball and can actually focus on any other aspect of that particular game besides that can tell you that he is not why we lost the game. He was just the perfect scape goat, and I'll admit that I wanted him stoned and humiliated in the middle of the field but I have learned in time to let it go. Our pitching fell apart and Alex Gonzalez F-D up the easiest ground ball right through his legs when we could have been out of the inning and out of the game with a W. When Bartman reached over for the ball and people realized what had happened, you could hear a pin drop in the stadium. Immediately after the word spread, beers, hot dogs, and other miscelaneous items were thrown at Mr. Bartman and he was escorted by Wrigley personel. Here is a short clip from this incident.

Anyways the Cubs are finishing up the regular season with the second best record in all of the Major League and I wish I was home to feel the excitement. There is just nothing better than going to Wrigley Field with friends and loved ones, drinking Old Style, eating the best hot dogs ever, in the best city ever, with the best fans of all time, and when the seventh inning stretch rolls around it turns into a whole new ball game.

So even though we haven't won a World Series in 100 years, I'm liking where we are at right now and I'm hopeful for a strong Playoff Performance. I'm going to leave you with a clip of Harry Caray singing the 7th inning stretch he made so famous as well as a funny Budweiser commercial from the 80's, enjoy.