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Sports See other Sports Articles Title: Salute to Chicago's Cubs Salute to Chicago’s Cubs by Stephen Lendman Other than critical articles on Olympism, I’ve never written about sporting events. Today an exception. A long ago Red Sox fan raised in Boston/longtime Chicago resident salutes its lovable losers no more, winning the World Series for the first time since 1908. They did it the hard way. Down three games to one, they came back from oblivion to become world champs in game seven in overtime. Talk about high drama. I’ll be home writing while Chicago celebrates. A parade is planned for either Friday or next Monday, details so far unknown. Expect a massive downtown turnout, most companies likely giving workers time off for the occasion. Festivities began late Wednesday night after game seven ended. Reports said Chicago’s north side became a roving street party, thousands participating, most wearing Cubs jerseys and caps. The Chicago Tribune headlined “Cubs win! Cubs win! Cubs win” - what Chicago legend/famed sports announcer Harry Carry long ago emoted on air after each team triumph. “Finally,” said the Tribune. “The most epic drought in sports history is over, and the Cubs are world champions.” The overtime win in game seven, interrupted by a 17-minute rain delay, ended with “10th inning heroics…This is not a dream. The Cubs (actually) did it. It was real, and it was spectacular,” said the Tribune. The Cleveland Indians hadn’t won a world series since October 1948, defeating the then-Boston Braves in six games. At regular season’s end, the Indians and Red Sox were tied, forcing a playoff - followed by a heartbreaking loss for a 14-year-old, yearning for a subway series. Cleveland’s team was overpowering. Boston sportswriter Gerald Hern commented on perhaps the only way the Braves could win - by alternating all-star pitchers Warren Spahn and Johnny Sain, no other starters, saying: “First we’ll use Spahn, then we’ll use Sain. Then an off day, followed by rain. Back will come Spahn, followed by Sain, And followed, we hope, by two days of rain.” Witten in September before the World Series began, the battle cry in Boston became “Spahn and Sain and pray for rain.” I saw the sixth and final game on October 11, 1948, Cleveland winning 4 - 3. I was a junior high school student at the time - called into the principal’s office in early afternoon, told my aunt sent a ticket she couldn’t use. I was excused for the rest of the school day to attend the game. I rushed to Braves Field, arrived late, was seated behind first base close to the field. A disappointing ending didn’t surprise. Cleveland had a much better team, while Boston’s potentially winning formula didn’t materialize. Spahn and Sain lacked two days of rain. In the afterglow of Chicago’s World Series triumph, an old Red Sox fan salutes the Cubs. Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III." http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com. Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network. Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread
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