Baseball season

Spring is here which means that baseball season has begun. By now most teams have had their home openers and many fans are already making predictions for their team to win the division. Growing up I enjoyed watching baseball and going to games with my Dad but I was no means a huge baseball fan.

Ever since I met Drew I have had my eyes opened to the world of the Chicago Cubs fan. And I don't think fan is the appropriate word for Drew, Cubs fan-atic is more appropriate. I have found that Cubs fans (no offense, and this is just an observation) are not always the most logical fans. (But don't get me wrong they certainly have heart). For example, one of Drew's Cubs quirks is that he has to purchase Old Style (and lots of it) during the baseball season. In Drew's "cubs-fan-mind" he thinks that by purchasing Old Style (the beer sold at Wrigley field) he is directly supporting the Cubs. I have tried to explain to him many times that a percentage of beer profits do not go to the Cubs, but he still seems to think that by drinking a can of Old Style he is increasing the teams odds of winning. In the summertime in the Chicago-area Old Style does produce special cans which display the Cubs label on them (but again a percentage of the profits don't go to the Cubs). When these come out or if we are in a store that has them we HAVE to purchase them. It doesn't matter whether we have a fridge full of Old Style already, we have to have the cans with the Cubs logo on them! I'd hate to think what would happen if we didn't!

And for a man that refuses to wear logos or t-shirts with store names on them, one brand Drew proudly displays is that of the Chicago Cubs. Like most Cubs fans he's got the t-shirts, the hats and sandals. Then there is also the superstition that most Cubs fans have. Whether its the goat, or something else, most of them have some kind of superstition. Last year Drew had something with one of his t-shirts, I forgot what exactly it was but he had to wear a certain shirt on game days until they lost - something silly - because obviously (dare I say it?) they didn't win the World Series.

And then last but not least Cubs fans are special because they have their own song, and their own flag. This past Christmas Drew got his very own "W" flag. He recently installed hooks above our window so that the flag can be displayed.

So now after every victory, not only do we have the Cubs song blasting in our apartment (as the husband does a little dance and sings along), we now also have a flag to display in our window. Drew is very diligent in his flag duties. The flag is proudly displayed the moment the game is over (considering we are home) and it is taken down the morning of the next game. Because the Cubs were off today, and they won yesterday, this was the image outside our apartment today...

Drew is not just a Cubs fan he is also a huge sports fan (but I think I would have to say his love for the Cubs is his biggest sports obsession). Unfortunately being on a budget we don't have cable, but even when we did Drew often watched ESPN while reading ESPN.com. But now that we don't have cable he has to settle for keeping up to date on his sports online and through the radio. Being that we don't have Chicago tv stations we do not get most of the Cubs games on tv. However, we still participate in every game (that Drew is home for) by sitting on the couch and listening on A.M. radio, while the laptop displays MLB.com's pitch-by-pitch.

And then there are special days in which there are multiple important sporting events going on. These days Drew can hardly control his excitement. An example of one of these days would be when the National NCAA championship game was on during the Cubs game. Now the average college basketball/Cubs fan might decide to watch the Championship game because it is The Championship game. Not my husband though. But don't you worry, we didn't miss the Championship game. We had the Cubs game on the radio, and watched MLB's pitch-by-pitch, and watched the NCAA Championship game on mute on the television.

Although I tease of Drew's crazy sports and baseball obsessions, I am glad he enjoys it while he can, I know that this is the last full baseball season he will get to enjoy (therefore a World Series would be nice). Next summer (in residency) the closest he'll get to sports is checking the scores on his phone when he has a free second.

I wish a very Happy Baseball season to all of you baseball fans (and those of us married to them)!

This post brought to you in Cubby-bear blue for all those Cubs fans out there.