Why I am a Cubs Fan

Photo of Sutter Home Park, Sacramento by Stephen Leonardi

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The Cubs have boarded a plane for Sacramento to play the A’s. That is a weird statement in and of itself, especially since the A’s are technically not claiming a city for the time being. This second series of the season prompts me to answer a question I hear often; So, why are you a Cubs fan?

On the surface, it’s not that deep of a question. Pat Hughes and Ron Coomer often comment that Cubs fans travel well, when they explain the amount of cheers for Chicago in faraway ballparks to their radio audience. The truth is, that Cubs fans are just everywhere. You can call it the WGN effect. For years and years, the only teams you could watch on TV were the Cubs and the Braves. Couple that with the history of the franchise and Wrigley Field, and you have Cubs fans all over the place. When I wear a Cubs hat our and about in my hometown of Tucson, Arizona it’s typical to get positive comments from fellow Cubs fans. So, a lot of people are Cubs fans and have been for a long time. I am not one of those people.

Recently I was sifting through some old photos and keepsakes that my mom packed in a black and gold gilded trunk from my childhood room. She bound together my writing, artwork, and significant school projects from kindergarten through my senior year of high school. I came across a classic photo of me, doing something that makes little sense. I was playing music on a keyboard. This is not something I practiced for long. I have never been much of a musician. What’s classic in the photo is the outfit. I am decked out in OAKLAND A’s gear. Did you notice my emphasis on OAKLAND? I was a sold-out fan of the A’s. It started at a little sports card shop on Pima and Country Club, in midtown Tucson. In a thick glass case, priced far out of my range, prominent within the showcase was a Jose Canseco rookie card. I remember asking about it, and about him. He looked strong and confident, everything this skinny little white kid with misaligned protruding ears wanted to be. Jose Canseco was an Oakland Athletic.

Not only was Canseco on the team; the whole team was the epitome of cool. Jose hit massive homers, but so did his battery mate Mark McGwire and together they were the Bash Brothers, clashing their forearms together after every behemoth of a blast. The leadoff man was Rickey Henderson, the fastest man in baseball, who wore amazing shades, ran like the wind, and spoke in the third person. Who’s pitching? Well, that my friend is Dennis Eckersley. Eckersely looked as if he’d ridden a Harley to the Oakland Coliseum, shot some pool and threw back a shot of whiskey before he strolled to the mound. The Oakland A’s were legit, and I loved it. So, I bought the merch and started collecting every single Jose Canseco card I could find. One day I would get the pearl of great price, that simple black and white Topps rookie card.

This obsession with Oakland lasted for some time. I found evidence of the exact moment when it ended. In the spiral bindings my mother preserved a paper I wrote for English class, in which I detailed the Spring Training game when I finally got the chance to see my hero in person. He went 1 for 3 in the game, which I found very unimpressive. I expected a moon shot into the nearby city zoo! That though, was not the worst of it. I knew where to go, to wait for the players to exit the stadium after they showered up after the game. Getting an autograph, to me, was the ultimate fan to player connection. In my paper I chronicle the event in detail. The door opens, and there he was…strong, confident, Canseco! I approached him with tact and sincerity. “Mr. Canseco, may I please have your autograph?!” He walked right past me. He didn’t say a word. He didn’t look down. To him, I was a nobody.

This is not why I became a Cubs fan. I did, however, have a very different experience with the Cubs of that era at Spring Training. My buddy Jimmy and I compared notes while watching a game at old Hi Corbett Field (where we lived during Spring Training in March) and we remembered a particular game well. The Cubs were in town, and the stars were all leaning up against the little four-foot chain link fence that separated the field from the bleachers. The fans crowded around them and they just hung out while they chatted and signed autographs. I still have ball with Ryne Sandberg, Sammy Sosa and a smattering of other players on it. It was one of the best experiences I can recall as a kid. I even moved to Chicago! It’s the only other city I have lived in, and I went to the most magical game I have ever attended! I saw my first live grand slam, ate the best hotdog ever, and won a Billy Williams autographed ball with my $10 ticket! I bought my favorite two shirts ever, one for me and one for my friend Sam, from a vendor on the street. They simple said “Wrigley Field” and “Chicago” in yellow letters on a slate blue tee. But none of that is why I became a Cubs fan.

Sam Zawada on guitar — Flatirons Church stream

I became a Cubs fan in 2021. I had just decided to start listening to baseball games again. I had caught a few, here and there. I did watch the 2016 World Series, thank goodness! But in 2021, the world felt like it was imploding. As a leader, I felt like my relationships were all in jeopardy and I was stressed to the max. Listening to the 2020 playoffs and World Series was a nice break. So, in 2021, one day when I was doing some work on my roof, I decided to get back into baseball and the question occurred to me; You’ll need a new favorite team. I knew the answer immediately, because one team was going to help me remember and talk about my best friend Sam. That team is the Chicago Cubs. So, every time you ask me why I like the Cubs, my mind wanders back to hearing the games on the radio at Sam’s house, to him telling me I HAD to go to a game at Wrigley and make sure to get him a shirt. Every time I wish I’d had the chance to celebrate the 2016 World Series with him.

So, thank you for asking.

Sincerely, Andy

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Why I am a Cubs Fan was originally published in 2,000 Miles to Wrigley on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.