Since the Cubs Won

One hundred years ago, Jack Norworth was riding a subway train in New York and saw a sign that said, "Baseball Today - Polo Grounds." He was inspired to write a poem about going to the ballpark. Later that year, Albert Von Tilzer set the words to music and thus the song, "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" was created, even though neither of the two men had ever been to a game!

Now it is the third most-sung song in this country, behind "Happy Birthday to You" and "The Star Spangled Banner." And to commemorate the occasion, the U.S. Postal Service has issued a stamp for the song, but has also teamed up with an organization called "Pitch In For Baseball" to send gently used equipment - bats, gloves, instructional aids - to them so that underprivileged kids might be able to have a catch and play in a league.

I love their slogan: "Let Your Equipment Play Extra Innings."

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SINCE THE CUBS LAST WON THE WORLD SERIES...

-- Radio was invented. Fans got to hear the Cubs lose.

-- Television was invented. Fans got to see the Cubs lose.

-- Baseball added fourteen new teams. Fans got to see the Cubs lose to more teams.

-- Halley's Comet passed Earth ... twice.

-- The NBA, NHL, and NFL were formed, and Chicago won the championship at least once in each of those sports.

-- Man landed on the moon. No truth to the rumor they found several home run balls given up by Cubs pitchers.

-- Sixteen U.S. Presidents were elected, some of them more than once. None were Cubs fans.

-- There were eleven amendments added to the U.S. Constitution. None of them helped the Cubs.

-- Thirteen baseball players have won the Triple Crown. Several thanked Cubs pitchers.

-- Alaska, Arizona, Hawaii, Oklahoma, and New Mexico were added to the United States, giving Cubs fans more places to watch their team lose.

-- The Titanic was built, sailed, sunk, found, and turned into a smashingly successful motion picture. This gave Cubs fans the hope that something that finishes on the bottom can come out on top.

[thanks to Net 153s Smile A Day, and Go Cubbies!]

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WORDS for YOUR WEEK: "I've come to the conclusion that the two most important things in life are good friends and a good bullpen." (Bob Lemon)

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