Cubs' appeal stretches far and wide
PHOENIX -- There's a certain pocket of Chicago, let's just call it the South Side, where the Cubs are detested.
But from Connecticut to California and all points in between, the Cubs are cuddly little creatures.
It's the reason they were the prime-time TV game on Wednesday, even though they had the fewest wins (85) of any team in the baseball's postseason.
Why are the Cubs so wildly popular?
Start with their home field, venerable Wrigley Field, and add in their longtime presence on superstation WGN-TV.
And don't forget about late announcer Harry Caray, perhaps the most popular Cub ever, and the laundry list of curses and ill fortune.
But the real topper behind the Cubs' mystique might be the number 99. That's how many years it's been since the North Siders won the World Series, and as each season passes, more and more champions of the underdog seem to hop on the Cubs' bandwagon.
"Yeah, I think that's possible," said Ted Lilly, who is completing his first season with the Cubs and will start Game 2 against the Diamondbacks. "There are a lot of people out there that root for underdogs. The Cubs haven't won a World Series in, it's been 99 years I think, so there are a lot of people out there that would like to see it.
"When Boston won in (2004), I think that was good for baseball. But even if that's the case, I think that we all know that just because we have support throughout the country, we're going to have to compete harder than we ever have."
As usual, there were plenty of Cubs supporters in the crowd at Chase Field in Game 1 of the NLDS.
Back in 2003 -- their last playoff appearance -- there seemed to be more Cubs fans at Turner Field in Atlanta in the first round and at Dolphin Stadium in Miami for the second round.
Chris Young, Arizona's standout rookie center fielder, doesn't mind all the attention being heaped on the Cubs.
"Actually, I love it," Young said. "When you play the Cubs, no matter where it's at or if it's the regular season or the playoffs, you know there is going to be a lot of energy in the stands. That makes the game a lot more fun. It gets me going. I don't even care if most of the people want the Cubs to win. It's just a great atmosphere."
Lilly pitched for another popular franchise, the New York Yankees, and the left-hander sees a similarity with the Cubs.
"It's a lot of fun," Lilly said. "I remember with New York, a lot of the fans traveled, or if they didn't, it seemed like when you went on the road there were a lot of fans, and that's how it is here.
"Throughout the country, there's a lot of support for this club and there's a lot of people that would like to see us have success in the postseason. We'd certainly like to make them happy."