Sunday, November 19, 2006

A Post I'd Usually Reserve For My Cubs Page

http://mydamncubbies.blogspot.com That's my Cub page if you want my Cub thoughts, but this was too good to pass up.

For the first time in my lifetime, the Chicago Cubs have signed the top free agent of the free agency class. Still in his prime, still worth a damn, today the Cubs (pending a physical) have signed 2B/OF All-Star Alfonso Soriano. Since the off-season began the Cubs have hired a new manager in Lou Piniella. They've got themselves a new president in John McDonough who on the first day of the job his first words involved winning a championship, and soon! On top of that they re-signed All-Star 3B Aramis Ramirez, back-up C Henry Blanco and flame-throwing Kerry Wood to come out of the bullpen. They've signed utility man Mark DeRosa who can play 2B, SS, 3B, LF and RF. And now they've signed Alfonso Soriano to a big money contract. The best free agent coming to the Cubs. I never thought I'd see the day. Makes me think about other things I thought I'd never see in my lifetime.

So why would Lu post this Cub-intensive post in the "Let's Blog It Out..." blog is what you're probably asking. Well, here it goes. When I found out about Soriano I was @ the SIU/Murray State game checking out ESPN.COM on my phone. I texted my mom to confirm it. She called me later and confirmed it. She didn't like the idea of $136 million dollars on a ballplayer. And even though my mother admits to not being able to hit a 99 MPH fastball 400 feet (though knowing her if ya gave her the opportunity to work at it long enough she'd be able to hit one 500 feet) we both agreed that the addition of Soriano (along with some other parts) might be able to do something that very few people can do, and that is make Lu happy. Seriously, how often does that happen. What do you get more often here: the depressed Lu blog or the happy Lu blog. And as interesting and comical as depressed Lu is, happy Lu is better. And nothing would make Lu happier than a World Series for the Chicago Cubs.

Call me a loser, call me what you'd like but that would make me a happy person. Some people have their nice cars that make them super happy and no one laughs at them. Some have comic book collections that make them happy, no one laughs at them. Others have video games that keep them happy, some laugh at them, but those people usually have big money. Some people have their significan others and the elusive idea of "love" that make them happy. Well I don't have a nice car. I don't have a car at all. I don't have a comic book collection worth millions of dollars. I'm not amazingly skilled in video games (but I'm don't sleep on me in a game of Madden.) And if you've read this blog long enough, I don't have the love of my life to keep me happy and grounded. The only love I've always had and will always have is my love for the Cubs. All I have is the hope that one day I can hear the words "World Champion Chicago Cubs" and not from a video game for once.

Sounds sad, but I didn't care about not having a girlfriend when the Cubs were 5 outs away in 2003. And that was the last time I was completely happy. I'm not saying that women are the devil (though it'd be tough to convince me other wise) but certain things fall behind the Cubs. This coming from a man who was possessed to ditch his senior prom to see the return of Mark Prior. This coming from a man who was upset with his mother for having her wedding on the same day as game 5 of the NLCS. This coming from the man who one day wants to get married at Wrigley and possibly have his ashes spread on the field. Coming from the man convinced by all his friends that he'd fall for a White Sox fan or a Cards fan when he went south to SIU.

Everyone that knows me knows that I love the Cubs. But for years the Cubs haven't loved me back. Of the people that know me, they kinda liken me to the 40 year virgin cross-bred with Jimmy Fallon's character in Fever Pitch. In Fever Pitch, Jimmy Fallon found his love, and the Red Sox broke the Curse of the Bambino. Maybe in 2007, Lu finds his true love and the Cubs break the Curse of the Billy Goat. One can only hope!