You’ve watched it, you’ve read about it, but did you experience the sensation of being in Wrigleyville when the Cubs won the world series? No probably not, however I’m going to tell you a little bit about the life changing experience that occurred that night.
Wednesday night I’m sitting in room 304 of DePaul University’s Seton dorm building. I’m watching the game with a few guys, my roommate, and one of my closest girlfriends. The Cubs are killing it since the minute they started at 7:00pm. Hi fives were being tossed around, screams from the lounge down the hall could be heard. The big question of the night is “when are we going down to Wrigley?”
It’s the bottom of the eighth inning, we get off at the Belmont stop on the red line and start walking towards the field. Fans are going crazy, cops on every street corner. The crowd starts sprinting down the streets, so me and all my friends start running. I, being the over excited one, am sprinting as if I’m back in my High School track meet running the 100m dash. I’m yelling at my friend “c’mon Jenny you can do this, let’s go baby, fly the W.”
All the sudden the crowd stops running, “what’s going on?” everyone is saying. A man then comes up to me and goes “the Indians just tied the game.” The streets are suddenly filled with sadness, and anger. How could this be possible?
We arrive outside Wrigley Field where many barricades were set up to not let people near the field. I’m standing in a mob of a bunch of excited but anxious people awaiting to hear the next update of the game.
My friends Andrew, Jenny, and I then start walking towards a house that we notice everyone is standing at. There happened to be a house that had set up two flat screen TV’s outside and were letting people watch the game from outside their fence. We push our way up to the front of the crowd. I’m hanging on for dear life hoping no one pushes me and slams my face into this 5-foot tall fence.
The Cubs score 8-6, the crowd goes wild, Andrew kisses me and Jenny on the head as we all group hug. Keep in mind Andrew is from Minnesota, and Jenny is from Nebraska where they have no professional sports.
There’s a commercial break, people behind us with speakers start blasting "Collard Greens" by Schoolboy Q. We’re all dancing and having a good time. The excitement in the area is unreal.
The Indians hit the ball, the cubs catch it and throw it to first base, the player is out. The Cubs have just won the World Series.
Fireworks go off, horns are honking, music is blasting, champagne bottles are being popped open and squirted everywhere. People are climbing on top of trucks, and climbing light posts, and street signs. Everyone is rushing towards the field.
I will never forget the day the Cubs made history. Not only was it a momentous moment for them but it was a momentous moment for me. I’ve never experienced the amount of excitement and love that was in the community that night. I wish I could go back to that night and do it all over again.
