Dreaming of glory at 'Wrigley Field South'

I was in Shea Stadium on Sept. 25, 2004, visiting our oldest son in New York City. The Cubs seemed to have a playoff spot in their grasp. The place was filled with chanting Cubs fans. The Cubs led by three runs. Two on. Two outs. Two strikes. Bottom of the ninth.

We were on our feet, cheering the Cubbies and annoying the Mets fans greatly, when … LaTroy Hawkins served up the 3-run homer that became another infamous moment in Cubs history. The Cubs ended up losing in 11 innings and started a tumble that kept them from making the playoffs.

With that in mind, I was watching the Cubs on WGN Thursday, first in my office then in my living room, about 25 minutes from downtown Cincinnati. I watched DeRosa strike out in a key situation. I watched Dempster groove a home-run pitch down the middle in the bottom of the eighth. I watched the Cubs get swept by the Marlins, the team I hate and envy the most.

Then, to my wife, I voiced the weird thought that every passionate Cubs fan must think at times as they contemplate the ways of the baseball gods -- a thought no odder than the notion that the flapping wings of a butterfly in Brazil can affect the climate in Chicago. I mean, have you ever watched a game on television and had the thought that maybe, just maybe, if you turned off the television it might help the team win?

I recited my memories of what I will always call "The LaTroy Hawkins Game."

"So, maybe it's my fault," I pronounced, prompting a laugh from her and a like-totally logical question from my 15-year-old daughter: "How can you care so much about a baseball team?"

My mindless fear then prompted another thought: "Should I stay away from the ballpark this weekend?"

But how could I stay away? Cincinnati's Great American Ballpark, a fine place as modern ballparks go, is Wrigley Field South this weekend. Cubs fans have poured into town.

No doubt some are from the West Side neighborhood where we lived when I was little or Hoffman Estates, where I grew up. (I'm so old that I remember when Roselle Road was two lanes.) They'll be standing, cheering and annoying the Reds fans, who will be more polite than Mets fans.

And here's a tip for Cubs fans making the trek: The Cincinnati region has a lot of good qualities, great people and things to do when you're not at ballgames, but the local food passions do not stack up to Vienna hot dogs, Italian beef or deep-dish pizza. The bratwurst is precooked and the chili is odd. Make sure you know what goetta is before you consume any. Just thought you should know.)

Cub fans can take comfort that my tickets are for Sunday. With the Cubs having clinched already, my presence can't be the cause of failure, So now, we're thinking about the playoffs. Give me the Padres. I hate them, too, and can't wait to exorcise the Ghost of Steve Garvey.

Now, don't get me started on the Bears and Ron Turner's play calling.