An October for the ages

J's World, by Jeremiah Bartz

October is always a great time of year. We are right in the middle of the National Football League season and college and professional hockey have just begun.

And most importantly, October means Major League Baseball playoffs.

This October is even more special.

As a life-long fan of the Chicago Cubs, I have never had the opportunity to enjoy October quite this much. Baseball playoffs normally mean watching the teams in October that stormed past the Cubs in July. It seemed as if every year I was watching the Yankees, Cardinals, Braves or Dodgers.

But this year is the season of the Cub.

It is almost surreal.

As long as I knew what baseball was, I have closely watched and followed the Cubs. Even before I was old enough to step onto a little league field, I proudly wore my Cubs hat and watched as many games on WGN as I possibly could.

You could say that I bleed Cubs red and blue. The team is truly in my blood.

As long as the Cubs have taken the diamond at Wrigley Field, the Bartz family has closely followed the team. I come from a long line of fans. I am the first of four generations not to be born in Chicago. My father, my grandfather and his father were all born in the Windy City.

My grandfather was born in Chicago in 1908, the last time Cubs won the World Series. He grew up watching the likes of Hack Wilson and fondly told stories of his favorite player, Gabby Hartnett.

And my father spent his youth at Wrigley Field with my grandfather watching Ernie Banks, Billy Williams and Ron Santo.

And I have grown up watching my generation of Cub stars, like Ryne Sandberg, Andre Dawson, Rick Sutcliffe and Mark Grace.

I have spent most of my life in Colorado and Alaska, and have unfortunately not set foot in Wrigley Field. The closest I have come, so far, is O'Hare Airport.

I have always jokingly said that if the Cubs ever make it to the World Series, I am going to quit my job, sell everything I own and fly to Chicago to see the Cubs win the title at Wrigley Field.

With a 1-1 tie after two games in the National League Championship series and Kerry Wood on the mound tonight (Friday), this is the closest the Cubs have been to advancing to the World Series in not only my lifetime, but my father's lifetime.

I cannot deny that I would consider selling it all to see the Cubs in the series, if they were to advance.

While I am not sure that I would hand in my two-weeks notice, I may check hell to see if it has indeed frozen over. The Cubs in the World Series has always been the unattainable goal in sports. Five years ago, nine people out of 10 would tell you erasing the national deficit, or electing an Austrian actor as governor of a major state would be more plausible than the Cubbies winning it all. If Arnold can be the Governator, maybe the Cubs winning the World Series is not that

unrealistic?

If the Cubs do win the series, they would be not only rewarding one of the most historic organizations in professional sports, but the most loyal fans in sports.

Through moments of joy and pain, the Cubs fans have been there. The average Cubs fan resists the temptation to jump on the bandwagon of Major League Baseball's flavor of the month, or story of the year. For the most part, the nation of Cub supporters does not include the fairweather fan that only dons the Chicago blue and red when the team gets the win.

The nation of Cub supporters does include families of fans, with generations of support. Much like my family.

Jeremiah Bartz is the Frontiersman sports editor.