Trying to Soak In the Memories of a Cubs Title
It is taking a while to sink in. The Cubs are World Series Champions! I keep saying that to myself, but I don’t know if I believe it wholeheartedly. Yes, I watched them win. Yes, I watched them celebrate. And yes, I stayed up until 1 a.m. watching interviews. I think it will finally sink in for me this weekend.
I did not read anything of what other writers wrote on any other blogs or sites Thursday morning. I just got up and went to work like any other day. Late that afternoon, I turned on the radio in my truck on the way home and listened to some revelry. I watched CSN Sportstalk Live just before supper. I was happy, obviously, but I don’t think the gravity of the moment had hit me. It still hasn’t. I see things happening before me, yet I cannot fathom that they are actually happening.
The Cubs have now made the playoffs 10 times in my life. If you would have asked me 10 years ago if the Cubs would ever win a World Series in my lifetime, I would have said no. Even in 2007-2008, I felt that the Cubs could make it to the postseason but they didn’t stand a chance once they got there. Think about how good the 2000’s were for the Cubs. They made the playoffs 4 times in 6 seasons. It was the winningest period for the Cubs in my lifetime…until now.
In the past two years, the Cubs have averaged 100 wins a season. That is just staggering to me. However, those wins in the regular season don’t mean a thing. On opening day next year, they will get what it don’t mean a thing if you ain’t got: that ring. They, too, will be glorious!
I thought I might try and put together the top plays of the postseason at some point in the next week. I scrapped that quickly. Let’s see, the ground ball from Bryant to Rizzo is etched in my brain. I close my eyes right now and that is all I see. I don’t see Grandpa Rossy’s home run, Addison’s grand slam, Dexter or Javy’s bombs, or even Schwarber’s reemergence in the Series. There were a lot of moments to pick from, but I just cannot quantify or evaluate which one is greater than the other(s). That final out was so gratifying that no other moment comes close.
In reality, I think those types of posts are still far away. At some point, Cubs Insider will take a look at the 2017 roster, the bullpen, IFA’s from Japan, starting pitching, and the bench. We will explore trades, free agency, and the Rule 5 Draft, but now is not that time. In fact, it is way too soon. I think you will see a post about giving thanks to and for the Cubs before we start to look at next season. Don’t laugh, Thanksgiving is less than three weeks away. This playing into November stuff creates a short offseason. I will take that.
For now, though, I want to soak in these feelings. I want to give them their due diligence. I want to revel in the revelry. I want to feel like I am flying through life, that this high should never end. That’s what I want. That’s not too much to ask.
I just want to let the feelings wash over me…I want the memories to be a part of me.
As I start to bask in them, James Earl Jones’s speech from Field of Dreams comes to mind:
And they’ll watch the game and it’ll be as if they dipped themselves in magic waters. The memories will be so thick they’ll have to brush them away from their faces.
That pretty much sums up what I want for myself.
