Maybe This Week

OK. So last week's Season Opener for the Cubs wasn't a stellar event. Today is their Home Opener and hope springs eternal ...

Opening Day

Today is Opening Day for the Chicago Cubs (they're away - next Monday is their home opener).

The picture below, showing the 1908 Cubs team photo, is from the Chicago History Museum's Timeline of Significant Chicago Events. The 1908 team is significant because it is the last time the Cubs won the World Series. Yes, I know, that's 101 seasons since they won the World Series. Heck, it's been 64 seasons since they won the National League.

I'm thinking THIS is the year!

Eamus Catuli

Was able to go to a Cubs Game last week, which gave me the opportunity to document the current year in "Cubs Time":

AC0063100

• The AC stands for Anno Catuli, which is Latin (loosely) for Cubs Year. (Oh, and Eamus Catuli loosely is translated to Let's Go Cubs.)
  

• The numbers are updated at the end of the baseball season so these figures are as of the end of the 2008 season.

• The first two digits (00) are the number of years since the Cubs won their division. So "00" means they won last year. So far so good.

• The next two digits (63) are the number of years since the Cubs won the National League. So "63" means they last won the National League in 1945.
  

• The last three digits (and, yes, they had to ADD a digit last year), represent the number of years since the Cubs won the World Series. Gee, has it really been 100 years? Somewhere, Steve Goodman is still watching and singing The Dying Cubs' Fan's Last Request.

It was a Crosstown Classic (Cubs vs. White Sox) make-up game from an earlier rain-out. It was a beautiful day but, as a Cubs fan, not such a beautiful outcome (Cubs got trounced).

But Cubs fans are kind of a special breed (hey, we're still fans and they haven't won in 100 years). This is the shirt that the guy in front of me was wearing.

Opening Day

Technically, yesterday was Opening Day for the 2009 Baseball season. Today is opening day for the Chicago teams. Well, one of the Chicago teams. The Chicago White Sox were supposed to play their home opener today. The weather forecast (snow and 30s) resulted in the game being postponed. (I didn't understand that at first - postponing the game because of a forecast. It may not actually snow. The early decision was made to get the make-up game quickly rescheduled for Tuesday April 7).

The Cubs' season opener is today in Houston. Their home opener will be next week. Cross your fingers there won't be any snow delays. (Wouldn't be the first time: It happened in 2007, 2003, and 2001.)

The Virtual Waiting Room

Cubs tickets go on sale today. Always a sign that Spring is on the way. (Of course, there was that time that the Cubs' Home Opener was called due to snow, but that's beside the point.) This picture is for all of us poor Cubs Fans who sit in the Chicago Cubs Virtual Waiting Room all day, always stay through the last inning, always throw the ball back, and always wait 'til next year.