This Just In: Cubs Not Involved in World Series

Pity the White Sox and their fans. And believe me, I don't mean "pity the White Sox and their fans" in a "I'm a Cubs fan and therefore I look down on the other team in my city" sense, though it's not a surprise you might think that considering where you're reading this. I'm serious -- I actually feel bad for the White Sox right now. Here they are, in the World Series, and I keep seeing tons of articles talking about how Cubs fans feel about them being there. Are we glad? Cranky? Should we root for them? Against them? Madison Street (not Avenue, you Fox nitwits) has been fetishized into a baseball Hyujeonseon (look it up). Tomorrow, maybe someone will dig up Ray Rayner's old two-logoed hat and place it in the middle of State Street and people can take pictures straddling it like they do on the Prime Meridian. This is wrong. Believe me, I'm as self-obsessed about the Cubs as they come. Everything that happens in the baseball world goes through my "how does this affect the Cubs" filter. I pore over every story about Manny Ramirez for the remotest crumb of news that might show he'd be interested in a trade to the North Side. I read that Billy Wagner has ddecided to test the free agent market and I think, "well, they did just re-sign Dempster, but he could pitch the 8th instead." But when it comes to the Sox in the World Series, it's gone too far. Here are just a few of the Cubs-related articles that have popped up on my Google News tracker over the last few days: * The Root of the Problem For Cubs Fans, from the Houston Chronicle. At least this one talks about the fact that the White Sox' opponents are rivals of the Cubs. * Title Would Upset Pathetic Harmony in the City, from the Sun-Times. Actually, Telander wrote that one so I guess I shouldn't be too surprised. * Even Some Cubs Fans Are Willing to Root For the White Sox in the World Series, an AP story that showed up on a TV station website in Jonesboro, Arkansas. * Cubs' Fans in World Class Dilemma, from something called * Cubs Fans Struggle With White Sox Success, a Reuters story published in the Daily Times (of Pakistan!) that checked in with Chris Yarbage and Al Yellon but not us. The unspoken assumption in these articles, and so many more, is that what Cub fan think about the White Sox is somehow newsworthy. It isn't. I know these reporters are just looking for a fresh angle, and I commend them for not writing the 34,239th article about Shoeless Joe (hey, did you know he hit .375 in the 1919 Series??!?), but there's gotta be something else worth writing about other than how the fans of a team not even in the World Series feel about the teams that are there. I don't remember any articles last year asking Mariners fans how they felt about the Cardinals being in the Series. Hell, I don't remember too many articles talking about how Yankees fans felt about the Red Sox being there, and that's an actual rivalry between two teams with more than a century of history. I know, I know, there's more to Cubs-White Sox than there is to Mariners-Cardinals, or even Yankees-Red Sox. But contrary to what many may say, there's nothing in the Cubs Fan Handbook that says you have to root against the Sox. The two often go together, and it can be serendipitious when they do, but it's not like you have to swear an anti-Nellie Fox oath in order to get your first Old Style in the bleachers or anything. True, some might go too far the other way (like my Mom, who suggested last week that since I wasn't rooting for her White Sox, I wasn't a real baseball fan) but the truth of the matter is that, like any other large diverse group of people, Cubs fans have a lot of different takes on this issue. We're not all obnoxious 25-year-old management consultants who care more about scoping Trixies than what's happening on the field, you know. Some of us are 35, and haven't worked for a management consulting firm in a decade. So the answer to "how should Cubs fans feel about the Sox being in the Series" is, simply, you should feel how you want to feel, and you shouldn't let anyone else tell you to feel a certain way. Are you jealous that they made it when our boys didn't? That's valid. Happy that someone is finally representing our city in the Fall Classic? Also good. There is no wrong answer. But here's the thing -- no one should really care. Personally, I'm rooting for the Astros, but not out of any sense of anti-loyalty to the Sox -- I'm doing it because I can't stand AJ Pierzynski. It's as simple as that. I'm happy that guys like Biggio and Bagwell are getting their shot, but really it all comes down to hating AJ. Because I do. A lot. Rather than focusing on that hate, though, I'm trying to focus on some more positive emotions, like being happy for the people I know are feeling really, really good right now. I'm happy for Vince Galloro, the writer of the best White Sox blog out there, Exile in Wrigleyville. He has put up with my taunting (and, I imagine, much worse taunting from lots of other people) with grace and wit. I'm happy for David Schaffer, a family friend who is Senior Director of Park Operations at Comiskey Park, and lots of other White Sox employees who remember Bill Veeck, the South Side Hit Men, Winning Ugly, and even the Go-Go Sox. I'm happy for my Mom, because I'd be a bad son if I weren't. I'm happy for all the White Sox fans out there, even the ones who feel the need to come by TCR occasionally and talk about how much the Cubs suck. I'm happy for all of them. Honestly. Do I wish my team was in the World Series? Absolutely. But when that does finally happen, I'll have the chance to bask in that success without the media constantly reminding me about some other team's issues. Fans of every team should get the same chance. So go Sox. Or Astros. Whichever. Just pay attention to those two teams for the next week or so. They deserve it. Except for that bastard Pierzynski.
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I think there are so many articles and discussions about how Cubs fans are reacting to the White Sox because there are so few people actaully interested in the WS this year (As I predicted, it will have the lowest ratings ever for a WS) that anything to get some interest from other means will be used.

Nobody outside Houston or Chicago, besides die hard baseball fans can give a shit about the WS this year. Both teams have little to ZERO national fan base, so the writers need to tap into the markets that acually have a fan base to get somekind of story (and that's the Cubs market I guess). If it wasn't for another big umpiring blunder (foul tip called HBP) and the fact that MLB is making such a big issue about the dome being closed/open, there would be very little to no talk about the WS.

Go Stros!!

Just my opinion...

I could not agree more with your article. Everytime I turn on the TV or read the paper it's always about the Cubs and the White Sox. What does the Cubs have to do with any of this? The biggest kicker is all the anti-Cub banner I keep seeing in "The Cell" on TV during the games. Our W.Sox fans that obessesed with the Cubs? I don't get it and never will.

It is clearly an inferiority complex. In 2003, the White Sox were the farthest thing from my mind and I don't recall seeing one sign in the entire stadium saying anything about the White Sox. And I recall very little if any banter on the blogs about the White Sox.

Thanks for the post, ruz. Nick of time, too - I've been having a crisis of faith.

A Sox fan friend invited ppl over to watch Game One. Most of the other guests were Cub fans who were rooting for the Sox, but I just couldn't bring myself to join them. So I sat there, gritting my teeth, betraying no emotion for either team.

I started asking myself if I was a jackass for this. (It didn't help that the Sox fan in question was unreservedly pissy throughout the 03 postseason, actively rooting against the Cubs, even when surrounded by the very Cub fan guests he had in his home that night.)

Anyway. My plan is to watch the rest of the Series in private, where I can rejoice or seethe in my own fashion.

How can a Cub fan want the Assho's to win? It's beyond comprehension.

You gotta love Houston having to keep their roof open. The NOISE! It's the secret to their success. But thanks to their OWN RULES and an assist from MLB, they've lost most of their home advantage.

During the regular season, the Astros were 36-17 at home when the pressure cooker was closed, 15-11 when you could see the stars.

The White Sox are in the World Series? The hell you say.

That Anti Cub sign....

If the Cubs were in the Series, the White Sox, and I hate the White Sox, would be the furthest thing from my mind.

I have been noticing the exact same thing. This is ridiculous how much the Cubs have been mentioned in coverage of this series that they aren't a part of. I was torn as to who to root for and I've just decided not to root for either. I don't dislike the Sox necessarily, it's more that I dislike their fans because they seem more worried about how the Cubs are doing then how their team is doing. Other then six games a year, I really don't care how the Sox do.

It's not just the fans either, it's the players and their jibberish-speaking manager. How many times have you heard them mention how maybe they'll finally get the respect they deserve and maybe they won't be overshadowed by the Cubs.


Mesa Solarsox playing a double header against Peoria

Matt Murton-Hitting Machine

1st game cublights: Mesa 7 Peoria 5

Murton 0-3 but one run scored, 1 BB, 1 K
Koronka got his 3rd save, 1 IP, 1H, 1BB

2nd game cublights: Peoria 12 Mesa 6

EPat 2-4, 2R, 1 RBI, 1 Triple, 1K; BA .267
Coats 1-4, 1 RBI; BA.294
Sing 1-4, 1 HR (solo), 1K; BA.303
Murton 3-4, 1R, 1 RBI (10); BA.392

I just love all the sneering jackasses who sneer about the low ratings of the series. So, the series isn't somehow legitimate or exciting because fewer people are watching it? Does a game need to draw a certain number of ratings points before it counts? There have been low rated series before.

Tell you what. Let's have two trophies next year: one for the world series winners, the other for the most popular team of the year.

im not so much rooting for the socks success than i am for asstros failure. frankly have nothing against the socks, but DEFINITELY have PLENTY against the asstros.

now if it were the brewers, i wouldnt mind nearly as much, but if it were the mets, who arent even in our division anymore, it would exponentially increase my hopes for the socks, cuz i hate the hell out of the mets. basically, who do i hate more, the socks, or the nl opponent, and the answer is, i really dont care about what happens to the socks.

one strange thing though, with "Chicago" emblazoned across the jersey, albeit in socks colors, it makes it that much harder for me to be against them, dammit to hell.

I'm pulling for the White Sox. I'm a not-in-Chicago Cubs fan and I don't know or ever expect to run into a White Sox fan, so I think that's why. I HATE the Astros. I know I'm supposed to hate the White Sox, but not being a Chicagoan I just don't feel it. It's definitely a lesser of two evils thing.

Somehow I think the White Sox winning might be a motivation for future Cubs teams. The Red Sox, the White Sox -- the Cubs would have to be next, right, and the players would have to believe if it can happen to those franchises it can happen to them to.

I love the lack of coverage on this blog. Go Cubs (2006)

Well the Whitesox are 1 win away from winning the World Series. must have linked here...lots of Sox talk still.

I've given a lot of thought to this post-season and even tried to root for the Sox in some moderate way, but I couldn't do it. I've just taken too much crap from the Sox fans over the years that I just don't want them to have more ammunition, and the greatest ammunition of all - a world series title.

I find myself more than anything, angry at the Cubs. Their continual failure has put us in this position. If they had won, or even been in the world series in my lifetime it wouldn't be so bad. But to now stand alone as the greatest failure in all of sports and with the Sox just about to win the championship - this is unbearable. It would be easy if we could ignore all of this, but its in our face everyday. It will be many times worse over the next year as it will be thrown at us over and over again. Who is to blame - the Cubs!

First, I'm rooting for the Sox. My reasons include growing up in the south burbs and having lots of Sox fans around me growing up. I'm happy for them. In fact, I imagine there's some geek with a spreadsheet who projects future Sox payroll and possible FA acquisitions in the same way I do for the Cubs. I'll be insanely happy for him and happy for my city when the Sox win this thing.

Second, this whole ratings crap: the World Series won the night for game 1 and only trailed "Desperate Housewives" for game 2. I haven't heard about game 3, though I imagine folks dozed off as the night wore on. Anyway, my point is that this is accomplished when many people have 300 channels of programming to choose from. Comparing this series to earlier eras when there were 3 channels to choose from is silly. And what does it mean, anyway? If I were the only one watching all season, I'll still want the Cubs to win every game.

World Series? Meh. Wake me in February, if I stop sulking first.

Heard a Sox fan on the radio this morning using that same old line: "The Cubs fans are a bunch of sushi eating yuppies." Sushi eating yuppies? Where's this guy from, 1985? The Sox fan neighbor of a friend of mine was also talking the yesterday about how all the Cub fans have cell phones. As he was saying this his cell phone rang. He found no irony in this saying, "I need it for my work. I mentioned a recent story in the Sun Times that had the details of a survey saying Cubs and Sox fans' average income is less than $1,000 apart per year and that each team's fan base is 23% working class. He said he just wouldn't believe it. Sox fans are real working class fans and Cub fans aren't.

I tell ya, it's hard being a Cub fan in Chicago right now. I hope the Sox just win it tonight and the whole thing gets dialed down a notch by the second week of November.

I agree with Tom, if I were obsessed enough I would organize Cub fans to go to Wrigley Field the day after the Sox victory and nail the Trib headline to the outside wall of Wrigley. All though it will bring no change it would drown out all the Sox media.

If anyone see this as a motivator for the Cubs/Trib they are also filling out their gift wish list to Santa.

If you don't live in Chicago, or more importantly were not raised in Chicago, you may never know the dynamic of the rivalary between the fans.
The teams I believe could care less, but the fans are the ones who live and die by this.
Sox fans are a strange creature but the true ones are really not Anti-Cub, but there is a majority of "fans" who are just Anti-Cub and are White Sox fans because well they are not the Cubs.
You can go into the whole class thing but it does show the economic level of the fans are about the same.
I believe when you become media darlings for not acctually accomplishing anything you may rub most people the wrong the way. This is where the hate comes from.
That said the World Series win by the Sox is on par with the Black Hawks winning the Stanley Cup. I would rate the Bulls winning champsionship higher, the Bears winning the Super bowl higher than those two and finally the second coming of Christ defeating Satan because I believe we will see that before the Cubs winning the World Series.

What is truly amazing is that up until the last week of the season, the Sox were reeling. Now...they've won 18 of 19 games when it mattered most. That is incredibly clutch. Historical? Perhaps. I recall the Yankees in, 98 maybe, just dominating like this in the playoffs but I think they sucked it up the last week of the season. The Sox are playing crazy winning baseball and its pretty cool to see, even as a Cubs fan.

It is odd though how much many SOx fans are so concerned with the Cubs. I have received so many elaborate time-consuming newspaper cut-outs and doctored images at work from Sox fans rubbing it in that I just - your team is playing so fantastcially and is about to do something it hasn't done in almost 90 years and this is what you spend your time doing? Odd.

But Go Sox.

ruz, how come you hate pierzynski? could it be this story?

"One of those now-it-can-be-told stories the White Sox, A.J. Pierzynski's new employer, surely haven't heard: During a Giants exhibition game last spring, Pierzynski took a shot to his, shall we say, private parts. Trainer Stan Conte rushed to the scene, placed his hands on Pierzynski's shoulders in a reassuring way, and asked how it felt. "Like this," said Pierzynski, viciously delivering a knee to Conte's groin. It was a real test of professionalism for the enraged Conte, who vowed to ignore Pierzynski for the rest of the season until Conte realized how that would look. The incident went unreported because all of the beat writers happened to be doing in-game interviews in the clubhouse, but it was corroborated by a half-dozen eyewitnesses who could hardly believe their eyes. Said one source, as reliable as they come: "There is absolutely no doubt that it happened.""


The Cubs are not the greatest failure in all of sports. They have brought joy and happiness to millions of fans all around the world. It's not all about the championships (though they are nice too). Look at Ernie Banks. Never went to the World Series, yet absolutely loved what he did.

The greatest failure in sports is the team that no one cares about and that no one goes to see. The Cubs are not that team.

I agree with Tom.

It's funny, I saw an article by Dave Kindred the other day with a title that was something like "Sox have World Series, Cubs have BEER." It infuriated me. I thought, well, every ball park has beer. But the special treat that we Cubs fans REALLY have is an inept ownership/management team.

These past few weeks have been hard to take.



That was beautiful. I don't know if truer words have ever been said.

Great article, Ruz! Sums up my feelings well. Although I do not hate AJP and I'm not rooting for the Astros. I've been kind of indifferent - my usual stance towards the Sox - and hoping for a good series. It's turning into a sweep.

Jacos --

I planned on emailing the front page of the Sun-Times (duh!) to Hendry the day after the series clincher, but I like the idea of doing it at wrigley.


Lets go Martin Luther on their asses.

"could it be this story?"

Nobody has yet validated that story. I can't imagine it happened and nobody reported it until a year later - which is the purported sequence of events.

Smells like media bs to me. There had to be dozens of cameramen and beat writers around when that happened - and nobody reported it.

Jacos, I loved your first post by why did you have to dumb it down with post #28. But major props for the clever post.

Scott D.B. "The greatest failure in sports is the team that no one cares about and that no one goes to see. The Cubs are not that team." so you mean the White Sox right?

sportswriters gotta make a story sometimes...especially on the national level.

sports talk guys gotta fill an hour+ a day 300-ish times a year.

you're gonna naturally attract distracting stories like wsox vs. cubs class wars and other stupid stuff.

to open up an old wound and pour salt in it...the bartman incident. yeah, he screwed up, but it seems like most cubs fans got over it after a day or 2...but the media wouldnt let it die. the national media, to this day, refuses to let it die. it shouldnt totally go away, it was a curious sidenote to the game, but it wasnt worthy of having helicoptors and dozens of national media outlets surrounding his house the next day to the point of him having to flee the city. some in the media actually had the balls to blame fans insted of themselves for him going into hiding.

you can bet every dollar you have next time the cubs make it to the postseason you'll see Fox showing the bartman incident over and over and over and over again. you won't see the agonz wont see the cubs blowing 2 shots at a victory in the games following the incident.


All I can hope for is a Bears Super Bowl to shut up the White Sox chatter.


Did anyone watch the ESPN show "5 Reasons you Can't Blame..."

They did one for Bill Buckner one for Mitch WIlliams and a few others too. But did anyone see the Steve Bartman? I had a panic attack and turned it off after 6 minutes. My wife was in tears and I couldn't breathe.

Chad, I saw that when it first aired... i can't remember exactly but I think the 5 reasons were:

1. Alex Gonzalez error
2. Dusty Baker
3. Kerry Wood & the Cubs losing game 7
4. Bernie Mac jinxing it (singing "root root root for the champs")
5. The Marlins were a better team

I don't care about the Sox any, but it's so gratifying to see the Astros fail and fail miserably. A bunch of head-hunting, broken-bat throwing, fake hit-in-the-head claiming, open-roof whining asses. Oswalt: "it's not fair - they've been playing in the cold and rain all year." Huh? Is it the Nome White Sox?

It's almost like every overhyped bad call or break for the Sox makes their suffering worse, which is a good thing. Don't live in Chicago, so I'm not subject to the obnoxious Southside fans. I guess that makes it easier.

And Ruz, loved the Trixie-watching non-denial. Great writing.

Re: "root for the champs." I barely remember this... What was the story? Is Mac a Sox fan who couldn't bring himself to say "Cubbies"? Or what?

And along those lines... I think it was Game One where they showed the actor who plays Tony Almeida in "24" in the stands briefly. His cap was just out of the picture, but I thought I saw the bottom of a "C" on it, and he lifted his hand to it for the moment he was on screen. Was he wearing a Cubs cap? (His character on "24" always had a Cubs mug in his office.)

i think the Bernie Mac thing was that he sang "champs" prematurely instead of "cubbies" because the cubs were 2 and a half innings away from going to the World Series, not because he wasn't a Cubs fan. Should they have had Bill Murray do it again, perhaps?

That five reasons things had Alou's reaction as one of them, I think. Which is preposterous. Out of that entire incident, that was one thing I just couldn't understand. What was Alou supposed to do? Laugh it off?

I will never forgive Bernie Mac for singing champs. When he did that, I jumped up out of my chair and screamed. I was so pissed. DAMN YOU MACMAN!!!! And I don't care what anybody says, its all Steve Bartman's fault. If that play doesn't happen, Cubs go to the series.

Red-ass Moises deserved some blame too. If he didn't throw that 10 year old tantrum (which obviously rattled the team), things might have been different. He threw a ridiculous shit-fit and amplified what *could have* been a non-factor.

True. If he walks away, no one would have thought anything of it. However, there would still be one out. I am convinced to my core that if Bartman doesn't interfere, then the out would have been recorded. That would have changed the whole dynamic of the inning.

"but it seems like most cubs fans got over it after a day or 2"

Fans still went to Harry Carry's for the destruction of the ball...then one year later to buy the spaghetti sauce made from the ball. He is still brought up here. The name Bartman is still tossed around all over - and it isn't just the media. Maybe the fans who know the game got over it after a few days, but that's a small chunk of us Cubs fans. The sheep haven't yet, and never will - and they are a large majority of the fans and the $ spend.

"not because he wasn't a Cubs fan"

Not sure why Bernie Mac did it. But I am sure he is not a true Cubs fan. Bernie is a Sox fan. He was at the Sox game on Sunday in full Sox glory. He's a bandwaggon jumper - a Cubs fan when it was cool, and soon to be a Sox fan again.

Just like 2/3 of the celebs who have sung TMOTTBG, he has no real ties to the Cubs and is only there to promote his newest movie/show/tour/etc. They really need to put an end to that soon. Get a good clean tape of Harry in his prime and play that... Stop this guest conductor crap.

"amplified what *could have* been a non-factor."

The manager and coaching staff didn't help do anything to calm anyone down either.

true enough, X - if Bernie Mac was a true Cubs fan he wouldn't have felt like it was OK to sing "champs"

Still, I don't buy into the superstition. I'd blame Bartman before I'd blame Bernie Mac, and I don't blame Bartman.

Bernie Mac is from Chicago. Born and raised. His whole routine (and subsequent show) comes from his taking in of his two nieces and nephew for the Robert Taylor Homes. Since he was from the South Side, I assumed him to be a Sox fan. He claims to be a Cub fan but then shows up in Sox regalia. Also, since when is George Wendt a Sox fan? I always thought he was a Cub fan. But have no fear, while Joe Mantegna holds Sox viewing parties at his "Taste Chicago" hot dog stand here in L.A., he still is a devoted North-Sider.

Don't forget about the ultimate celebrity Cub fan, the one and only Billy Corgan

I read an interview with him where he advocated getting some one like Jeff Kent on this team to be a team leader. HA!

I think we should make a celebrity Cub fan list.

Tom Dressen
Steve Goodman
Jeff Garlan (Curb Your Enthusiasm)
Eddie Vedder

Just to get started.

Billy Corgan
Bill Murray
Joe Mantegna

Wasn't John Belishi a Cub fan?

I read a quote from when he heard Mantegna was writing "Bleacher Bums." Something like, "If you have the Cubs lose, I will kill you."

(They do, btw.)

I guess Jim falls into this category too. Wasn't he in a Cubs-win-world-series movie or something?

Jim Belushi is definitely a Cubs fan. It's too bad, because he annoys the sh!t out of me as an actor. Did anyone see Blues Brothers 2000? Ugh. He's nowhere near the legacy of his brother.

Dennis Farina and Dennis Franz

Don't forget Jeff Gordon!

If Steve Goodman's on the list then we might as well add another deceased fan: Al Capone.

As far as live fans, after Murray, Corgan, George Will (a clown but a fan) and maybe John Cusack, there's one hell of a drop in celebrity. Here's one rule: If you have to put the name of the TV show someone's on next to their name then they aren't a celebrity. And they have to show up to games on their own, not just to sing Take Me Out To The Ball Game. The list is short.

am i an idiot? who is "Steve Goodman"?

Steve Goodman

folk singer, wrote "A Dying Cubs fans last request"

the answer then is yes, i am an idiot.

I didn't know who he was either, had to look it up

Goodman's probably bes known nation-wide for the song "City of New Orleans" that Arlo Guthrie made a minor hit. He was a true Cub fan and also a huge fan of DePaul basketball. One of the best shows I ever saw was Goodman and John Prine at as I remember, the Earl of Old Town. And I'm not even much of a folk music fan.

Steve Goodman wrote and sang "Go Cubs Go" remember that song? Go Cubs Go, Go Cubs Go, Hey Chicago whadday say? The Cubs are going to win today.

And while I never thought about Al Capone, was he a Cub fan? I mean he is the reason the South Side of Chicago is the South Side of Chicago.

Gary Sinese Jeremy Piven and William F Peterson

Right, Jeremy Piven! He's probably my favorite celebrity Cub fan.

Who else was in "This Old Cub?" Did we get everybody?

I heard bernie Mac interviewed once and he said he was a Sox fan because he couldn't afford to the the EL to Wrigley.

More celebrity Cub fans: Pat Sadjak (although now he is claiming he was always a fan of both, something he never had said before this year), Vince Vaughn, Tom Dressen, Ronald Regean (in the dead category), Supreme Court Justice Stevens, Chris Klein (American Pie) and Bonnie Hunt.

I know I'm a sexist, but I don't count woman as fans. Sure there are some exceptions, like the women who post here, but otherwise...

And let me explain myself. I'm talking about Cub fans. Its very cute and easy to call yourself a Cub fan. This is a pheomenon that I would only attach to Cubs fans or Yankee fan.s

A big celebrity Cub fan has been missed so far and that is the actor John Cusack, who is an enormous Cub fan. He usually sits behind home plate and wears his home Cub jersey even when he is not throwing out the first pitch or singing during the seventh inning stretch.

ARM Please see #55

I mentioned Cusack earlier. Capone was a Cub fan. He had box seats around the Cub ondeck circle. There's a famous picture of him posing with Hack Wilson or Gabby Hartnett.

I actually know several of these people mentioned here and I can tell you, most of them aren't real fans (as in knowing even the starting lineup from season to season) If you want to call them fans because they show up once a year, sing Take Me Out To The Ballgame and talk about watching Cub games on WGN when they were younger, then yeah, I guess they're Cub fans.

For what it is worth, Cusack got turned down by Jerry Reinsdorf when he requested tickets to the ALDS.

"I saw him (Al Capone) at the games many times. He was a Cubs fan. Those were rough days in Chicago." - Billy Herman

From the Baseball Almanac

Tbone, I totally believe you. I would love to see any pictures of Capone in Wrigley. Lemme know of any sites you may know where they are.

To answer the question from way back, the knee-to-the-groin incident is one of the reasons I dislike Pierzynski. The "I'd rather do my crossword puzzle than go over batters with the starting pitcher" incident is another. But truthfully, he's just one of those guys who rub me the wrong way. I tried to work up a "ove to hate him" feeling earlier in the playoffs, and it almost worked, but then I saw his smug face on the TV again and I was right back to the hate.

Don't tell Batgirl.

speaking of media hype over nothing...

seems ESPN has dug up some nearly month-old comments by dusty baker to prod ozzie with.

file under "who gives a flying fuq"

i dont blame baker or ozzie for saying what they said, but geez...espn...way to remain 20 steps behind the times. if they didnt have nyy/bos shoved up their asses maybe it would have been a topic back when it was timely.

some fella on some message board claims Conte confirmed the groin kick story on the radio.

Anyone else hear when Conte confirmed the AJ incident in spring training last year on Ralph & Tom's show on KNBR yesterday? When asked whether or not AJ had really punched/kicked him in the groin, Conte confirmed it. FWIW, I thought Conte came off as very classy in telling the truth yet not making a big hairy deal out of it.

They did talk about "what happens in the clubhouse stays in the
clubhouse" as a reason they wanted to suppress it at the time and Conte didn't want to make a big deal about a guy behind his back after he's moved on, but to me an incident like this just steps over too many lines for the guy to be protected. Add to that the fact that AJ later offered a half-assed and insincere non-apology and we have here what seems to be just one Grade-A a-hole

for what it's worth....

Great post Ruz.

One addition to Cub Celebrity Fan List: Steve "Mongo" McMichael. Who in my view wins the Best TMOTTBG Performance for getting tossed in 2003 for telling off the umpire over the PA system.

And scratch George Will from the list. He owns Orioles season tickets right behind the plate.

Myself, I am rooting for the Sox, more in the way I kinda-sorta root for other (non-Illini) Big Ten teams when they play out-of-conference games. It feels a little like sibling rivalry.

I wouldn't count Will out as a fan simply because he goes to Oriole games.... he does a lot of work in D.C. so naturally, up until this year, Baltimore was the place for him to watch baseball.

Living in West Virginia, I go to a great deal of Reds games. I hate the damn Reds. But being that Cincy is 3 hours away and Chicago is almost 9, you will find me at Great American the majority of the time I take in a major league game.

And I'm just a college student with a lot of free time on my hands, not a guy with deadlines, speaking arrangements, etc. to keep me tied down.

Everytime you hear Will speak about baseball he always brings up the Cubs. I'd say put him on the official list !

And for whats its worth, Mark Walberg, not Marky Mark, but the host of the old Fox show Temptation Island, is a Cubs fan. Whether he counts as a celebrity is a totally different question....

Pie's #'s so far in the DWL:

7/18 .389/.476/.823 1 HR, 2 2b, 1 3b, 2 bb, 5 k,

I had the pleasure of working with Mark L. Walberg during the very temultous 2003 season on a show that was unrelated to baseball. I wouldn't call him a real big fan. CFINO (Cub Fan in Name Only) Or, "Hey, is that guy a Cub fan?" "Hell, see if I know! (CFINO)"

Yeah and if I had the cash, I would have season tickets behind the plate for the Dodgers.

Yeah, Will says he comes in for two or three Cub series a season. And if Mongo McMichael is a celebrity then the word needs a new definition. Good Lord, who's next, Pinky Gentry? Dennis Hull?


I just sat in front of Walberg and a couple of the producers in the Summer of 2002 and he told me he was a big Cubs fan.

Of course that was probably after we all had pounded 6 or so tall ones... so I guess around that time everybody is a big Cubs fan.

Not sure if we are counting fellow athletes as "celebrities" but if so, count Chelios as a big Cubs fan... he takes in a lot of games when the hockey season is out.

Uh...I think the late John Candy was a Cubs fan.

The guitarist from Cheap Trick for sure (I never met the other members of the band and didn't ask him about them, so I don't know).

good article. i personally hate the white sox

but even more


If a Martian were to ask me about baseball, I could do worse than point him to this year's playoffs. And yes, to the White Sox: a team that while it doesn't have the greatest talent in the world (none of the position players are Hall-of-Fame calibre, for example), they played smart, strong baseball: good defense, strong fundamentals, very few mental errors, strong managing that let each player use his strengths to best advantage, and a killer instinct. All things that the Cubs lacked last year, and which I don't see them acquiring any time soon. They are truly a champion.

And here's a prediction: the World Series rings will be handed out during the Cubs series at The Cell.

Hot damn. Congrats to White Sox Nation. I'll even tip my hat to Kenny Williams. My beloved Cubs are officially the suckiest baseball team in history.

Yup, congrats to the Southside and the Sox Fans. 11-1 run through the playoffs is a pretty awesome feet...they earned by making every break play out in their favor.

I just hope we know what their fans are feeling sometime in the not so distant future. I was watching tonight thinking about what I would be going through if it was the's hard to imagine.

Until '06.

Hmmm....Lidge got the loss again.

Well, many of Cubs Nation was rooting for the White Sox thinking it will motivate the Cubs to do better, well we will see if that thinking was flawed like I predict.

Congrats to the White Sox!! I will now go into my offical 3 day mourning....

cold day in hell before i'm rooting for any AL team, but WSox dominated. the short series #1. kinda neat to see a team willed a bunch "who that?" guys go all the way.

#86 SuperDave:

That would be a mistake. They'd get booed. If they're smart, they'll hand them out at the home opener.

Dear Jim, Andy -

Please bring us a winner in 2006 - or die trying...

I really thought it would be tough to watch this. It actually didn't feel any different than any other year. The fact is they did everything right this year--which is what they needed to happen.

I must also say it is refreshing to see a team perform like this. I am not a big Ozzie fan (um, 2003), but I liked seeing starters go deep in the games. For all those who think pitchers get burned out going deep into games (4 starters over 200 innings w/ numerous complete games in the postseason), look at the 2005 South Side White Sox.

Also, congrats to Dusty Baker who was steadfast in not backing the Sox either.

What a great night for Chicago. Champions of the World!!

One curse down. One to go.

The big one.

I can't believe this. It looks like the Sox are really enjoying this. I want a Cubs World Series win.

Count me in on the "Worst Night of My Sports Life Since Game 6" side of things. I hate the White Sox and I hate Sox fans. We should have shipped their sorry asses to St. Petersburgh when we had a chance. Yes I am bitter. The only reason I will be able to get out of bed tomorrow is knowing that if we win one soon, no on in Chicago will even remember this night. I hate Houston for absolutely sucking. Any one want to tell me there is no such thing as clutch? F Ozzie. F Reinsdorf. F everybody south of Madison. Get over this? Not any time soon.

All I know is that if I were playing LF that night, I would've been royally pissed off. The people to blame for Bartman's infamy are (1) The Sun-Times, the first place to print his name and (2) the rest of the media for following suit and not letting it die. Alou had every right to "throw a fit" or whatever you want to call it.

Far as the Sox, I have to tip my cap. My dad is happy. For me, I went to bed last night, and I realized that I'm still not over 2003. I thought I was over it completely, but the Sox winning it all just made me feel that pain all over again.


Alou had every right to plead his case and try to get the umpires to rule fan interferance.

He didn't have the right to throw a temper-tantrum like a 4 year old who can't have a lollypop.

Maybe if he acts like the professional he's supposed to be, the rest of the Cubs take it like any other foul ball and don't start pressing, trying to make perfect pitches, or trying to rush routine ground balls.

Unfortunatly, he acted like a child, and it turned out to me the signature moment of the "it's not my fault" era of Cubs baseball.

I have many family members from the south side, & grew up there in the early 60's. I know most of the Sox fans are jerks, but my family members have been true die-hards their whole life. I'm very happy for them, but would still like to experience what they have JUST ONCE. I'm to the point where a pennant would be enough.

No, he had the right do it, whether you agree with it or not. The notion that his reaction somehow led his teammates to press is ludicrous. If he had done nothing, it doesn't change the fact that everyone on the field and everyone in the park knew that was out #2 gone to waste.

"Alou had every right to "throw a fit" or whatever you want to call it."

The "RIGHT"? Sure, I have the "RIGHT" to behave like a moron, provided you don't violate the laws in the process. But just because you have that "RIGHT" doesn't mean it is either good for you, your team, your reputation, etc. Umpires won't rule against him just because of that - but if there is a boarderline call, Moises image will forever be that of a pouting child throwing a tempertantrum in LF in the NLCS. That can't help him one bit. It surely didn't help settle down a young pitcher watching his veteran leader throwing a hissyfit. It certainly didn't calm the fans down. It certainly didn't show poise, composure, or anything else.

It was stupid, juvinille, infantile, moronic and bufoonish. But you are correct, he has that "RIGHT".


No, absolutely not.

The reason people knew the out was gone to waste was because Moises threw a temper tantrum.

The reason the crowd reacted like it did was because Alou wanted to make sure everyone in the park know that he was robbed. And to further that point, from the part of the park I was sitting in that night, you couldn't see exactly what happened with the ball, but you sure could see Alou's reaction.

That play turned the momentum and to say that other players didn't react to it is silly. Its human nature.

But on a technical level, yes Alou did have the right as a legal resident of the U.S. to act like a crying toddler. But as a veteran leader of a professional baseball team within 5 outs of a World Series, he had the responsibilty to act like an adult, and he failed miserably.

I disagree. As soon as he saw the play (and not Alou's reaction), Prior was calling fan intererence. I was on the other side of the field, and I could tell that Alou was going to catch the ball.

And, it's also human nature to react in an emotional way, a la Alou. To ask a competitor to just shrug his shoulders and go, "Ah, no problem," is silly.

Off the subject of Alou and back to comment #1:

For every Cubs fan who has tipped a hat to me since the Sox won the World Series (including the one who sent me the link to this story), another has tried to get in a final dig. Among other things, one topic has been TV ratings during the series and the insistence that the Sox still have fewer or less loyal fans than the Cubs. To the last guy who mentioned this, I blurted, "You're really talking about Wrigley Field fans." Then I spent the next day trying to figure out how to get these people to shut up. We're WS champs; if you can't be happy for us, for your city, at least shut up and live with it. So here's my question to these covetous Cubs fans:

If the White Sox and Cubs were to switch fields, would you still be a Cubs fan?

If you call yourself a Cubs fan and you can't immediately answer yes to this question, SHUT UP. SHUT UP NOW. SHUT UP NEXT YEAR. Repent for all the times you've tried to bring a Sox fan down this season.

If you answered yes, think again about whether you really mean it. We're talking Cubs at 35th and Shields. Would you even care anymore? Are you loyal to your team or to your park, your lifestyle? Do you even really care about baseball? Do you ever actually watch the game? You'd probably become a Sox fan in short order. You'd probably go to Wrigley to watch just about anything.

Conservatively, I'd guess that at least 50% of so-called Cubs fans couldn't honestly answer yes to the initial question, and probably more like 99% if you consider only the ungracious trash talkers. Ask that question to a Sox fan, and it's a no-brainer. Some may despise everything north-side, but we all love our TEAM.

GO SOX!!!!

In response to Brian (Vegas) and Dustyís ìI got no one to root for (in the playoffs). I sure as heck ain't rooting for the White Sox or Cardinals.î It just goes to show you what a bitter, self-centered, waste of flesh Baker is. The guy has a team that consistently underacheives every year, and he blames the media, the fans, the announcers who he later helped run out of town ñ EVERYBODY BUT HIMSELF for managing like sh*t and his players for playng like sh*t. Where was Baker when he should have been restoring order and calming everybody down after the Bartman interference? Hiding in the dugout until the game had slipped away!

When the guy should be setting the tone and restoring order, heís either treating his players like prima donnas and letting THEM run the ship (Sosa), or making racist comments and pointing fingers to fit his own distorted view of reality. Note to Dusty: shut up and manage!

But I STILL supported the Cubs in the 2003 NLCS. And to those of you who wouldnít return the favor in the World Series: Iím glad it hurts. The more you guys complain ñ the happier I am! Youíll NEVER win a championship with Baker, and heíll probably blame YOU for it when he leaves town. Thereís only two kinds of people in this town now: Sox fans and f*cking LIARS!

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