Well, this is it. In about ten hours (from the time I'm writing this) I won't be able to say this so I'm going to say it one last time. Then I'll shut up about it until November 2017 when hopefully I'll be able to say it again...
The Kansas City Royals are the World Champions.
For about ten more hours.
I'm not really emotionally involved in this year's World Series. I'm glad to see two long suffering franchises getting a shot.
I'm going for the Cubs simply because that was the team my Dad rooted for as a kid growing up in Gary, Indiana. One of his uncles took him to Cubs games. Another one of his uncles hated the Cubs and took him to old Comiskey to see the White Sox. But my Dad always rooted for the Cubs although he always had a special fondness in his heart for the Sox. Nellie Fox, after all, was one of his all time favorite players. So was Ernie Banks. Dad had a signed photo of Ernie Banks hanging up in his home office. It's still hanging up there. In fact, it hangs next to a painting of the Cubs logo I made for him in high school art class.
My routine after school in my high school years was to come home, turn on WGN and watch Harry Carey and Steve Stone broadcast Cubs games. I would do my homework while watching the last few innings of Cubs baseball. I liked the Cubs and always hoped they'd win. But my heart was always with the Royals. Still, if I had a National League team to root for, it was the Cubbies. My senior year I had the privilege of attending a game at Wrigley with two of my best friends. It was a fantastic experience. Wrigley is a beautiful ballpark. This was in 1990 and we even got to see Harry Carey lead "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" during the seventh inning stretch. I even wore a Cubs hat from time to time.
The only thing that keeps me from really getting into this series is the sheer number of bandwagon Cubs fans. So ridiculous. Also, Chicago is a huge market and the Cubs have the highest payroll in baseball. It's hard for me to root for a big market team with huge monetary advantages over the majority of the league. The Cubs are in danger of simply becoming a mid-western version of the Yankees. It was easier for me to like them when they were lovable losers.
So yeah, I'm leaning Cubs...with my history I should probably be even more engaged. But I won't feel too badly if Cleveland takes it all tonight. Their fanbase has been through it as well. I'm glad it's gone to seven games. Gonna be epic.
