Footprints

by Budd Glassberg

Reprinted with permission from the Zionsville Times Sentinel on March 19, 2008

The Missing Ingredient

"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."
- Albert Einstein

“Maybe the Cubs should try playing soccer.” – Kevin Anderson, D.C.

Late in the month of October of this year the Chicago Cubs may reach a milestone in the annals of professional sport. This landmark which, seemingly once viewed as so impossible, is now within their grasps. Unless this year’s team makes it into and eventually wins the World Series, their franchise will have made it an entire century (yes that is one hundred years) without reaching the pinnacle of their sport. There is probably no one alive today who actually witnessed the last Chicago Cubs World Champions in 1908. It is a streak of ineptitude so grandiose that no other franchise in any sport comes within several decades of matching it.

In the off-season this last winter, Cub General Manager, Jim Hendry and field manager, Lou Pinniella have made several acquisitions which should make this year’s team very competitive. I have seen this happen several times in my lifetime, only to watch the Cubs manage to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Fate has dealt me the unkind hand of becoming a die-hard Cub fan since the first time I saw the team play in 1956 (they lost that game). Trying my best to do what I could to change their fortunes, I would change the places in Wrigley Field where I would watch games, move to California and root for the Cubs at the old Candlestick Park, and try other venues such as watching them play in Cincinnati and Milwaukee. All of these changes did nothing to alter Cub destiny. A rational person knows that an individual’s habits, routines and changes to his viewing of the sporting events should have no bearing on the outcome of the season. Still, 99 years of frustration calls for drastic changes a person’s life just to cover all the bases (besides, no one ever accused me of being rational).

The reasoning behind my plan is quite basic. Though I have attended more than a dozen opening day games that the Cubs have played in, I may not be getting to them early enough. Perhaps they need my support as they prepare for the season. I have been selfish for too many years, allowing others to prop up such immortals as John Bocabella, Dave Veres and Cuno Barrigan while I stay away from their desert spring training home in Mesa, AZ. No longer can I rely on others to carry the load of getting this year’s version of the boys of summer over the hump and into the World Series. As you read this column, I will be on the road heading toward HoHoKam Park to fulfill my small place in the team’s destiny.

With the company of Allan Rachles, longtime fellow sufferer (Allan goes way back to the teams of the 40’s) and respected Zionsville resident, we plan to watch eight spring training Cub games in eight days. The first six will be in the Phoenix area and the final two in Vegas (where I may have to put some money where my mouth is with the Cubs odds at 12 to 1).

I am convinced that Allan and I have the missing ingredient in the recipe for a Chicago Cub world championship. The sacrifices we are making for the team will be coming too late for my Grandfather, Steve Goodman, Mike Royko and Harry Carey all who have passed on without the Cubs satisfying their aspirations. However, we hopefully will help the Cubs win it all and end the misery of fans such as my Dad, Bill Murray, Ernie Banks and Ron Santo.

I am so excited to finally experience the friendly confines of beautiful HoHoKam Park. There, I expect to cheer on many of last year’s National League Central Division winning team along with their new acquisition, right fielder Kosuke Fukudome. Harry Carey would have had a field day with that name.

My next two columns will be ones from the road. Expect them to have a certain bias.

For all the times I have said, “Wait till next year”. This is next year!

Budd Glassberg is a 23 year resident of Zionsville who works and volunteers in the community. Visit www.runz.com for reprints of all his columns. You can reach him by email at budd@runz.com.