In the movie “Back to the Future, Part II,” Marty McFly gets transported to the year 2015 from 1985. In the 30-year difference the writers of the movie created robotic servers in restaurants, flying vehicles, and those ever-so-cool Hoverboards.
They also appeased their sense of humor by saying that the Cubs had defeated a team from Miami to win the World Series. At the time the movie was made, I couldn’t tell which was more fantastic.
The Cubs had not been in the World Series since 1945. When the movie was released in 1989, Miami had no Major League Baseball team. Now, the two will meet tonight in the National League Championship Series after both upset perennial postseason teams.
I’ve been a Cubs fan ever since I tried on a baseball glove. It’s been a true test of loyalty: often frustrated by midseason, rarely rewarded with a postseason, but always faithful.
The uniqueness of the past week has been something special. Each day that the Cubs played I had nervous energy in my stomach. I reworked my schedule as much as possible to catch every minute possible.
One week ago tonight the Cubs stormed into Atlanta and “stopped the chop” with a two-hit performance from Kerry Wood. The flamethrower also knocked in the winning runs with a double to the fence.
It had been 100 years since a Cubs pitcher had done that in postseason.
When I couldn’t rework my schedule, I was thinking about the games. After class I sprinted across campus to my car, book bag flopping up and down, to rush home and see them lose Wednesday.
Unlike spoiled Braves fans that didn’t sell out Turner Field, Cubs fans traveled from all over to watch a team they believed in. Because arrogant Braves fans didn’t buy tickets, over 10,000 Cubs fans made an invasion Atlanta had not seen since Sherman.
Atlanta has now won 12 division titles in a row, but has just one World Series title. The division series has become just a part of the regular season for Braves fans.
On the other hand, the Cubs have not had back-to-back winning seasons since 1971-72 and have made the postseason three times in my life.
Dominant pitching and a few timely hits have enabled the Cubs to postpone the “Wait til next year!” mantra that has followed the team since its last title in 1908.
Wood shut down the Braves in games one and five, with a hand from teammate Mark Prior. Wood had to borrow Prior’s glove because he forgot his in Chicago. Thank goodness for teammates.
No matter the end result of the Marlins-Cubs series, seeing the Cubs in October has been a trick and a treat.
Now, I only have to wait for a Hoverboard.
Craig Peters is a sports communication and teaching/coaching major. He can be reached at [email protected].