Has it really been a quarter of a century?
On June 23, 1984, an introverted, converted shortstop and third baseman–now playing second, turned a Saturday afternoon, nationally televised game against his team’s biggest rival into a coming out party for the ages.
Ryne Sandberg didn’t just demonstrate his gifts to the world that Saturday, he gave us all the first glimpse that this perennial losing team had a little something special in them. As fleeting as it might have been, the 1984 Cubs are the standard by which every good Cubs team will be judged until one of them finally wins a goddamned World Series.
I was 11 years old on June 23, 1984, and I had lunch at the McDonald’s across the street from the park. My parents and I were an hour and a half into the Bataan Death March of family vacations, a car trip to Washington DC via Canton, Ohio and Gettysburg, PA. We were there, so I was told, to try to get tickets to the game–but mom and dad really just wanted to get going, so it was an attempt made with only half of their asses. We got in the car and headed east and the most ludicrous, spectacular, mind-blowing, mystifying game unfolded on the radio with Harry Caray, Vince Lloyd, Milo Hamilton and Lou Boudreau keeping us abreast of what was happening.
Willie McGee had a day that is now remembered as being almost as good the other guy’s, just not quite.
On this day, the Cardinals had a lot, including spectacular days from McGee and Ozzie Smith and others. They had a Hall of Fame closer.
But they didn’t have Ryne Sandberg.
[Youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4CinZ3Fh4c]
How come it’s not the “Dave Owen Game?”
Wow, Larry Bowa looks a lot like Artie Ziff, doesn’t he?
http://www.simpsoncrazy.com/content/pictures/regulars/ArtieZiff.gif
I wonder to this day if that ball four to Dernier would have been called a strike if the catcher catches it.
That’s a nice Youtube. Chuck_Richie_99 has a nice sound to it.
A new star emerges in Detroit, 25 years later!
Same Detroit that would have faced the Cubs in… ah, fuck it and fuck this team.
Ryne never had anything shot up his butt like I did.
That was the summer I graduated from high school. I had to work my summer job at the lumberyard that afternoon so I didn’t get to see the game. When my dad picked me at the end of the day the first thing he said was, “You won’t believe what Sandberg did today.”
if only the McDonalds was still Franksville in 84 w/ the foot long vienna hot dogs and the do it yourself relish bar. Yes Vienna, still the best hot dog on the planet made a 12 inch version back before vhs and internet porn.
BTW you for a car trip you went to the pro football h.o.f and the greatest battlefield in US history and you still moped. I bet you’d have complained if they got you a Lisa Whelchel doll for the car that it was the fat Blair. Stfu and enjoy the blair doll or we get you a Mrs Garrett instead.
Oh btw, there is nothing more putrid than Dolan waxing sentimental.
Dad bought me the Art Donovan doll at the Hall of Fame, so it was like having the “Natalie” just not the “Blair.”
The good news is that I was less than 500 feet from you, inside said park, sitting on my whole ass.
The bad news is that my whole ass was pouting, because we were getting stomped early, I wanted to go somewhere else and drink, but my date did not want to leave until the end of the game.
I finally talked her into leaving, just when the catcher dropped strike three on Dernier.
All in all, I’m glad I stayed.
This game is what put me into Die-Hard Cubs Fan mode. Storytime: Growing up with my Dad involved with the church I always hung out with the old guys who counted the collection plate in between and after masses and they always turned Harry on the radio during the Cubs day games on Sunday. That’s where I became a Cubs fan, because my parents had no interest in following sports.
One day 25 years ago on the 23rd of June (I was 7 years old), my best friend’s dad decided to take us to a game, one that happened to be my first game ever at Wrigley. We had seats in the upper deck, right behind the plate. I wish I would have saved my ticket stub and scorecard that I was in the process of learning scoring with, but at least the memory lives on and I have it on DVD with the Cubs greatest games collection.
At that time, I found how special of a team the Cubs are and what potential they have. I’ve been looking for that potential to come to total fruitation ever since…it’s coming…
That’s how I would describe last nights game.
#11 Thanks for the spell check Fruitation -> Fruition
anyone notice that Webby took down his account of wha’ happen?
http://webbyfiles.blogspot.com/
Your mom’s a fruition.
Me for everyone!