How did you become a Cubs fan?

[David]

I was short on cash one day, and I really needed the money, so I sold my soul to the devil. Apparently, this (being a Cubs fan) is his version of hell.

 

 

In all seriousness, I was a tweener (like I would imagine most suburban kids without direct parental allegence to one team were). I followed the Sox a lot in 1994-1995. Then at the end of 1995, I'm not sure if anyone remembers this, but the Cubs were hovering a few games over .500, but still in the Wild Card race. I think it was between the Cubs, Astros and Rockies. We were playing the Astros the final weekend. We needed to basically sweep and have the Rockies get swept. Well we won the first game in dramatic fashion and the Rockies lost. That game brought so much drama in me that I was hooked. I watched the second game, which we lost to be eliminated, and was disheartened. But still, I made my mom take me to the last game of the season. I'm pretty sure we lost that game, but I do remember Harry saying something during the 7th inning stretch to the effect of 'Well I know we say this every year...but I mean it this year. Just wait til next year!' and the crowd went nuts.

 

I never went back to tweener status

 

That's basically my exact story... except I got hooked earlier on in that season. I was more of a Sox fan (except I didn't really care about sports) prior to 95. The Jordan comeback got me really interested in sports and after the Bulls lost to the Magic, I needed a new sport to watch. Eventually, I was watching the 95 Cubs...They were way outta the division race.. Cincy had it in the bag.. But they were in the wild card race till that final weekend. I remember having tickets to the last game of the season, and I had made a sign that said GO GIANTS, because we needed the Rockies (I think) to lose to the Giants... When we were eliminated, I was so disappointed that I almost didn't go to the game.

[wekse]

god hates me, that's why i'm a cub fan

[E.J.]

Grew up in SW Michigan.

 

Where? I am from Niles.

 

Wow. I'm from Dowagiac. Grew up there until I was 14.

[ltb]

born into it

[Butterscup1679666578]

Lost a bet.

 

 

Actually my grandma made me one at a very young age, despite my father's attempts to make me a Dodgers fan.

[CDBears1259]

My Dad and WGN in the afternoons after I got home from school. Watching Jody Davis, Leon Durham, Ryno, the Sarge, Shawon, Ron Cey and listening to Harry butcher names all game long. My Dad still complains about one of the most boneheaded trades ever. Ahh, the memories.

[da bears]

My dad and grandpa are huge Cub fans, so naturally, it rubbed off on me. Actually my neighbors had season tickets to the Sox when I was younger, so I went to a bunch of Sox games in the early 90's. I actually asked my dad why he took us, and he responded it's baseball, although he wouldn't take us there if he had to do it again. All I remember is Mark Grace was my favorite player and I wanted to get my hair cut the same exact way he did.

[Cubzfan64]

Grew up in SW Michigan.

 

Where? I am from Niles.

 

Wow. I'm from Dowagiac. Grew up there until I was 14.

 

Lived in a little town called Eau Claire - near Sodus and Berrien Springs - not far from Benton Harbor. Moved to Wisconsin at age 13 and have missed it every day from there on. Spent my childhood wandering the fields, woods, ponds, creeks, apple orchards and grape fields. Worked 2-3 summers at U-pick strawberry fields and spent many wonderful summer days at Warren Dunes swimming in Lake Michigan and climbing the sand dunes.

 

Been to Dowagiac many times (one of my friends moms worked for Sunstrand which I think was there). We had a little cottage on a lake near there (Sister Lakes or Twin Lakes - can't recall exactly) where I learned to fish. Also been to Niles but not as often.

 

My goal is to keep building up my 401K and IRA's so that when I retire I can afford a nice home as close as possible to the shores of Lake Michigan near Sawyer, Union Pier, Bridgeman etc... I can't imagine a more wonderful area of the U.S. to retire to!!! The beauty of a freshwater lake that looks like an ocean without the threat of hurricanes, great sandy beaches to rest and relax all summer and lots of beautiful snow in the winter (as long as I'm retired and don't have to worry about plowing out in order to get to work on time). And of course close enough to make road trips to Chicago for Cub games.

 

Good to hear from you guys - I haven't been back but twice in the last 30 years or so and it's almost bittersweet because there's enough things to remember to make me "homesick" but so much change as well that it just isn't "the same" you know?

[snoodmonger]

birth

[MeatampPotatoesMan]

I liked the color blue.

 

It seems like a steep price to pay for liking the color blue at 3 years old. :D

[JC]

The confluence of Wrigley, WGN, Harry, and Ryno.

 

Not necessarily in that order.

[USSoccer]

I also have to give credit to my father, who has been taking me to games since I was 6 months old. This past May, I finally took my father to a game. It was a great game, a great sunny day, and it was nice that I was able to treat him to something I've always loved, thanks to him.

 

Thanks, Dad.

[NewUserName]

Larry Biitner, Rick Monday, Steve Swisher, Pete LaCock, Manny Trillo, Bill Madlock, Jose Cardenal, Tarzan joe Wallis, Mick Kellerhall, jBobby Murcer, Dave Kingman, Bill Buckner, George Mitterwald, Rick Reushcal, Dennis Lamp, Mike Krukow and of course bat above his head Jose Moralas. With players like that how could someone cheer for another team in the mid to late 70s when I was a growing boy. It may also be that they were on TV everyday.

[UMFan83]

I liked the color blue.

 

It seems like a steep price to pay for liking the color blue at 3 years old. :D

 

Should have been a Mets or Blue Jays fan. At least they've won titles recently.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Mainly my mom and uncle - my mom just told me I couldn't root for the Sox (since my dad was a Sox fan). She actually tried to steer me towards the Dodgers when we moved to LA, but it was too late.

 

I got my family into the Bulls before the 1990s run, they get me into the Cubs. I don't think I got a fair bargain here.

[Soul]

My Dad, and of course the afternoon ballgames on WGN. I grew up watching bad Cubbie baseball-----players like Ivan DeJesus, Steve Swisher, Rick Reuschel, Billy Buck, Bruce Sutter, Jerry Morales....

 

Jack Brickhouse called the games back then.

 

My Dad passed away recently. Raising me a Cub fan sure did teach me some lessons on how to handle losing gracefully. Dad was part of an entire generation of Cub fans who never got to see the Cubs win a World Series. It's gotten so bad, many of these guys & gals fought in WWII (or worked to produce the weapons of war in the case of many of the ladies). Now they're passing away, and still the Cubs organization doesn't care enough to field a winner.

 

For shame. Shame on this franchise.

[Yeti]

Why did I become a Cub fan is what I want to know.

blame WGN its all you can do

[MPrior]

I collected baseball cards a lot as a kid, and so, growing up in North Carolina (hence the Tar Heel love) without cable, the teams I liked were based primarily on which players I liked. Among my favorites were Ryne Sandberg, Andre Dawson, Mark Grace, and Rick Sutcliffe. So I became a Cubs fan. At the time, though, I was also rooting for the Mets (my uncle, who was a big role model, was a lifelong Met fan), the Red Sox (I was born in Boston and my parents were fans) and to a lesser degree, the Braves, just cause they're the only team in the Southeast. About the time the strike came along, though, I lost interest, and my collection sat in a dark corner of my closet. Then I went to Northwestern for college, and being in the presence of Wrigley field and the Cubs - not to mention the 2003 season - not only reinvigorated my love for the Cubs, but also for baseball as a whole. Since I have become pretty diehard.

[rabidawg900]

Pretty much born in to it.

 

I've been a Cubs fan for as long as I can remember.

[CubinNY]

My Dad, and of course the afternoon ballgames on WGN. I grew up watching bad Cubbie baseball-----players like Ivan DeJesus, Steve Swisher, Rick Reuschel, Billy Buck, Bruce Sutter, Jerry Morales....

 

Jack Brickhouse called the games back then.

 

My Dad passed away recently. Raising me a Cub fan sure did teach me some lessons on how to handle losing gracefully. Dad was part of an entire generation of Cub fans who never got to see the Cubs win a World Series. It's gotten so bad, many of these guys & gals fought in WWII (or worked to produce the weapons of war in the case of many of the ladies). Now they're passing away, and still the Cubs organization doesn't care enough to field a winner.

 

For shame. Shame on this franchise.

 

Right you are.

[J.R.]

In all seriousness, I was a tweener (like I would imagine most suburban kids without direct parental allegence to one team were). I followed the Sox a lot in 1994-1995. Then at the end of 1995, I'm not sure if anyone remembers this, but the Cubs were hovering a few games over .500, but still in the Wild Card race. I think it was between the Cubs, Astros and Rockies. We were playing the Astros the final weekend. We needed to basically sweep and have the Rockies get swept. Well we won the first game in dramatic fashion and the Rockies lost. That game brought so much drama in me that I was hooked. I watched the second game, which we lost to be eliminated, and was disheartened. But still, I made my mom take me to the last game of the season. I'm pretty sure we lost that game, but I do remember Harry saying something during the 7th inning stretch to the effect of 'Well I know we say this every year...but I mean it this year. Just wait til next year!' and the crowd went nuts.

 

I never went back to tweener status

 

That's basically my exact story... except I got hooked earlier on in that season. I was more of a Sox fan (except I didn't really care about sports) prior to 95. The Jordan comeback got me really interested in sports and after the Bulls lost to the Magic, I needed a new sport to watch. Eventually, I was watching the 95 Cubs...They were way outta the division race.. Cincy had it in the bag.. But they were in the wild card race till that final weekend. I remember having tickets to the last game of the season, and I had made a sign that said GO GIANTS, because we needed the Rockies (I think) to lose to the Giants... When we were eliminated, I was so disappointed that I almost didn't go to the game.

 

That was an awesome September that you never hear about anymore. That stretch run was so dramatic that it moved Harry break down in the booth on the season's last day, and motivated Sandberg to get back into the game.

 

If only we hadn't sleepwalked from June-August.

 

The confluence of Wrigley, WGN, Harry, and Ryno.

 

Not necessarily in that order.

 

It was Wrigley, WGN, Dawson, Harry and the Superfriends for me, not necessarily in that order.

[larhur]

Born is Cook county hospital, Dad was a Cub fan, guess that meant I was born into it.

[Bergy92]

I was short on cash one day, and I really needed the money, so I sold my soul to the devil. Apparently, this (being a Cubs fan) is his version of hell.

 

 

In all seriousness, I was a tweener (like I would imagine most suburban kids without direct parental allegence to one team were). I followed the Sox a lot in 1994-1995. Then at the end of 1995, I'm not sure if anyone remembers this, but the Cubs were hovering a few games over .500, but still in the Wild Card race. I think it was between the Cubs, Astros and Rockies. We were playing the Astros the final weekend. We needed to basically sweep and have the Rockies get swept. Well we won the first game in dramatic fashion and the Rockies lost. That game brought so much drama in me that I was hooked. I watched the second game, which we lost to be eliminated, and was disheartened. But still, I made my mom take me to the last game of the season. I'm pretty sure we lost that game, but I do remember Harry saying something during the 7th inning stretch to the effect of 'Well I know we say this every year...but I mean it this year. Just wait til next year!' and the crowd went nuts.

 

I never went back to tweener status

 

That's basically my exact story... except I got hooked earlier on in that season. I was more of a Sox fan (except I didn't really care about sports) prior to 95. The Jordan comeback got me really interested in sports and after the Bulls lost to the Magic, I needed a new sport to watch. Eventually, I was watching the 95 Cubs...They were way outta the division race.. Cincy had it in the bag.. But they were in the wild card race till that final weekend. I remember having tickets to the last game of the season, and I had made a sign that said GO GIANTS, because we needed the Rockies (I think) to lose to the Giants... When we were eliminated, I was so disappointed that I almost didn't go to the game.

 

awesome game - one of the best I ever attended. When we one that first game, if I remember correctly, we were down in the ninth and came back to win. Then the next day were down again and made a huge comeback and Dunston struck out with the bases loaded. But that one that we won was hysteria.

 

Oh - for me ---WGN! Growing up in Indiana, playing baseball all summer, not much else to do during the day - swim and watch the Cubs!

[soapy]

WGN and Ryno.

[CubmanPi]

I'm related to Fred Hornkohl.