My dad has been following the Cubs for over 70 years. When Dad was a kid growing up in Beardstown, Illinois, he mowed lawns for two bachelors who owned a sporting goods store. The store had a radio, and the owners let Dad swing bats and pound balls into gloves while listening to the Cubs' games. Dad says that his family's favorite outing was to drive to St. Louis to see the Cubs play the Cardinals in a double header.
Dad's dad, Pete, was handy with a baseball. By age 16, he was pitching in a semi-pro league and was even offered a minor league contract by the Yankees. But an arm injury, a job on the railroad (in the Depression), and marriage to my grandma ensured that the family name was only associated with the Cubs.
By the way, Dad grew up and met Mom. Her people were Cardinals, but they let her marry him anyway.
My grandpa, Pete, in 1982.
My grandma, Nelda, with Dad, circa 1938.
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"People ask me a lot about the values I got from playing for the Cubs for so many years. The value I got was patience. A lot of people these days are not very patient." ~Ernie Banks
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