It's just a game... it's just a game...

That's what I keep repeating to myself. If you're not a Cubs fan, you just can't possibly understand. If you are, well, I don't have to tell you how it feels. Time has stopped and you're in a fog. The pit in your stomach. Nausea. Diarrhea. Tightness in your chest (hello, there's a goat sitting on it). You don't want to even think about this happening (again), and yet it's all you can think about. How can this be happening (again)? Sorry-stinking-ano. Dempster, are you kidding me? He was lights out at Wrigley. Why in the name of Ron Santo is Fukudome batting with runners at first and third with two outs? Is Sweet Lou out of his mind? Or worse, part of some sinister plot? If only DeRosa could have... or DLee didn't... or Rami...
Arrrrrrgh!

Still, I'm hopeful. I feel better than I did after Thursday's train wreck. We can do this. All we need is to win the game tonight and then do it again tomorrow. This abysmal play can't continue, we had the best record in the NL for Pete's sake. The Dodgers aren't this good. It's not so bad, teams down 0 - 2 have come back before (13% of the time). Thirteen's my lucky number. We're not out of it yet. Remember, THIS is the year. I hope we get the Red Sox in the World Series, that's who I want to beat for the Championship. That will be sweet, Caroline.

Good Fortune

Girls, the winds are changing. Can you feel it? For 100 years the Cubs have broken our hearts. But that's all about to change. Don't believe me? Need proof? The Cubs are in LA for a four game series against Joe Torre and the Dodgers and Thursday night the score was tied 4 - 4 after eight innings. In the top of the ninth, The Riot scored on a ground ball to right field by Fukudome. Cubs are up 5 -4 with Wood coming in to close. Life is good.

The Dodgers' Lowey doubles to lead off the home half of the ninth and then DeWitt fans for the first out. Chin Lung Hu (Hu's on first? No, he's actually the SS) flys out to Edmunds in center. Two outs. With the count 1 - 2 Wood drills Tiffee for his NL-leading sixth hit batter to send Tiffee to first. Wood then has Pierre on the ropes 1- 2 throwing 97 degree heat. One more stike and we take the first game and extend our lead over the rest of the NL Central and all of baseballdom. But remember, this is the Cubs and nothing comes easy, so Wood throws three straight balls to walk Pierre and load the bases with two outs. Facing Kemp and struggling to get out of the inning with a save, Wood plows the first pitch in the dirt and then misses again outside for ball two.

So, bottom of the ninth leading 5 -4, two outs, bases loaded, and a 2-0 count. In heartbreaking days of old, this is where Wood gives up a grand slam home run and the Cubs are left licking their wounds with yet another crushing loss. I can't even count how many times we've had victory in our grasp and then found a way to completely implode. Too many times. The goat. The black cat. 1985. San Diego. The Bartman Game. It all comes back in a torrent of pain. It goes on and on an on. I must admit that from years of conditioning, like Pavlov's dogs, I heard the bell and my faith faltered just a smidgen. Not again?

Then, glorious rays of light, and here's where the karma shifts. Here's where Providence deems we've suffered long enough. Here's where I now truly know things are going to be different this year. Wood doesn't give up a walk off grand slam. No sir. He throws three straight 96 mile an hour laser strikes. Cubs win. Cubs win. Cubs win.

Somewhere, Harry is smiling.

Sha-la-la-la-la-la

So Sandy told me this morning that I'm not a man that lives for today. I was sitting at the kitchen table enjoying my second bowl of Cocoa Dino-Bites and calmly mentioned that the Cubs are in first place and actually have the best record in baseball. A comment like this usually elicits a response like, "You don't really believe that they are ever going to win another game in the history of the whole world, do you? Moron." from Sandy (while rolling her eyes). She is not a True Believer. Right on cue she said, "You don't really believe that they are actually going to make it to the World Series this year and then not get thrashed by Jackson's Little League team, do you?" Or something along those lines.

Ouch.

Well, it's a beautiful, sunny Saturday morning, I'm eating my favorite breakfast treat, things are pretty good. I usually see the world as a glass half full kind-of guy, so I said, "Hey, all I know is, the Cubs are in first place and have the best record in baseball today." That's when she hit me with the "The End is Near" comment.

She left the room laughing and shaking her head to go pick up Mugsy from her sleepover. I thought I heard the word "delusional" as she closed the front door. I came downstairs and looked for my old Grass Roots record.

Haylie called a couple of minutes ago and asked, "Can you do a favor for Mom?"

"Sure".

With the rest of Cubby Nation, at least for today, I'm (quoting from the website) "...enjoying the good time as Cubs roll on, because according to Elias Sports Bureau, the last time the Cubs had the best record in baseball entering June was 1908, the year they won the World Series."

It's going to be a great day.