I may get a lot of hate for saying this, but as a writer I feel as though it is my job to be honest with you; I’ve never really liked baseball. Now before you jump to conclusions and pin me as one of those girls who simply isn’t into sports, you should know that I grew up watching hockey. Understandably, going from three 20 minute periods where it only takes a second to score a goal and men are absurdly aggressive to a sport that has nine innings of men running from base to base wasn’t exactly my cup of tea. Still, I am from Chicago, and when I heard that the Cubs were going to the World Series, I did what any individual who has a deep love for their city does. I rooted for the Cubs.
Although I may not be the biggest baseball fan, I certainly have been surrounded by my fair share of them, especially in my immediate family. My sister and her fiancé in particular worked tirelessly all summer trying to help me learn the rules of baseball and make me as much of a fan as the two of them are. At first, it didn’t go too well. However, after spending a weekend at home, watching the game on TV and actually going to another game with them, the true baseball fan in me started to come out, and that’s when I realized that the Cubs winning the World Series was so much more than just a trophy and a title.
Baseball is without a doubt one of the biggest past times of America. Perhaps that is why so many people enjoy the greasy food and surplus of beer you can grab at a game. It reminds us all of a tradition that was started years back, one that we have maintained as a society even with all the change that has occurred over the years. Moreover, it is a sport that allows a surplus of people to come together and root for- what the Cubs could be called- the loveable underdog team.
As I said though, times change, and the Cubs certainly are not the underdogs anymore, they are the World Series Champions.
While I watched the game at one of my college campus pubs, I realized something about baseball- and sports overall- that I had never really recognized. It’s not about whether or not you’re a die-hard fan, or even if you know the rules of the game. It’s about coming together with a group of people and cheering for a team that represents your city, and the pride that you feel for it. Better yet, it’s about watching a miracle happen right in front of your eyes, and knowing that it is something you will always remember and those will be the people you will remember it with.
It seems only right to me that I take the time e to thank the Chicago Cubs for this epiphany. To thank them for being a team that inspires and strives for greatness. To thank them for being a team that will always be loved and respected. Most of all, to thank them for being a team that makes me proud to say I am from the city of Chicago, and for reminding us all that anything is possible.
My generation has seen a great deal of things: gay marriage becoming legalized, the first black president of the United States, and now, a 108-year streak be shattered for the Cubs to win the World Series. Regardless of whether or not you are a baseball fan or even a sports fan, I can guarantee one thing:
This win is going to go down in history forever, and we are lucky that we were able to be a part of it.
The pride that I feel for the city of Chicago existed long before this historic win, but now it is even stronger. As I speak with family and friends about the event, I am reminded of how incredible it is that something as small as a team of 25 men has the power to move so many to tears- including the hockey-obsessed college student writing this article.
Who knows, perhaps the 2016 Chicago Cubs World Series win will have to share a place in my heart with the United States Olympic Ice Hockey victory from 1980, and honestly, I’m willing to make room.
