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Holy cow! What am I doing at a Chicago Cubs World Series trophy presentation?
That's the thought that was running through my head on Sunday
as I attended an event in Freeport, Illinois honoring the Cubs long awaited
championship. So why attend if I'm not a Cubs fan? Well I'm a baseball fan
and also respect the game's history. So anytime a team hasn't won a championship
in their sport in 108 years and I have a chance to check it out, I'll
make an exception, even for the Cubs.
It's not that I don't like the Cubs, I just don't root for them. I've been a
New York Yankee fan since I was little kid and always had an affinity for the
Bronx Bombers. Partially because just about every baseball book ever written
documents their storied history and great players. But also their pension
for winning and how it was part of their culture as an organization. So growing
up, every book I ever read about baseball increased my interest and love
for the Yankees.
Like I said, I don't root for the Cubs but I respect them. Their World Series
win last year was both historic and unprecedented. A team that had suffered
through years of mediocrity and disappointment had finally achieved their
ultimate goal. I came to find out about this event from a die hard Cubs fan I
know from Freeport named Denny Garkey. His name might not ring a bell
to you, he never played for the Cubs, he's just a normal guy who is very passionate
about sports and the Chicago Cubs in particular. Passionate might
be an understatement though, Denny was a major driving force in the creation
of Little Cubs Field. That's right, a miniature version of Wrigley nestled into
the friendly confines of Freeport. It has everything from the ivy to the scoreboard,
scaled down of course to the perfect size for wiffle ball games and
pee-wee baseball events.
I first met Denny and visited Little Cubs Field about 10 years ago. I was
asked to coach an 8 year old baseball team to be known as the Lil' Cardinals.
This team traveled to Freeport to play the Lil' Cubs. It was set up to be kind
of a regional battle between two Major League Baseball rivals. The kids got
to pretend they were big leaguers for a day and get the chance to play on
Little Cubs Field. Year after year, I coached a new group of 8 year olds that
would travel there to play the Lil' Cubs. One thing that never changed though
was Denny's dedication to the field and his passionate support of his beloved
Cubs.
When I was included in a mass email from Denny about the trophy presentation,
I thought why not attend. I'd get a chance to check out a cool trophy
display for a championship in a sport I love and maybe run into some familiar
faces from years past at the same time.
The trophy presentation was held at the Masonic Temple Association in
Freeport. I walked into what felt like a sea of Cub fans. People were lined
up around the block of the building and I was later told that people had been
waiting outside to get in since around 5:30 in the morning. After entering,
people were seated in an auditorium where a video montage of the Cubs season
was playing. To keep things orderly, a section at a time from the auditorium
was allowed to leave and get in line again to view the trophy. What am
I doing here I thought, I'm not a Cubs fan. This is their celebration for their
team. As I awkwardly waited in line to see the trophy, I couldn't help but
notice the dramatic age range of all the people there. From babies in strollers
to the elderly in wheelchairs and everyone in between. Men and woman, different
ethnic groups and races all coming together to see this trophy won by
a team I don't even root for. I finally ran into Denny and we exchanged pleasantries
and chatted about baseball and memories from the past. I even saw
a few people wearing Lil' Cub t-shirts from the teams that had played against
the Lil' Cardinal teams I had coached.
So what did a New York Yankee fan, who coached a team called the Lil'
Cardinals, who doesn't even like the Cubs think of the trophy presentation?
For me, this wasn't just an event to celebrate the Cubs World Series Championship,
it wasn't even about baseball. It was about family, friends, and
time. Generations of people from completely different backgrounds coming
together for a singular cause, belief, or idea. That's powerful and meaningful.
I felt fortunate to be at an event that was so significant to so many people for
so many different reasons. Seeing grown men weep when they looked at the
trophy or mothers hugging their daughters while they were adjusting their
Cubs hat on their head was certainly a sight to behold. At the end of the day,
I was glad I attended an event that had the power to impact that many people,
one way or another.
Even if the trophy presentation was meant to be about the Cubs, that's
good enough for me.
GO YANKEES!!