By David Stanczak
In the movie, General Patton tells his friend General Omar Bradley that when a Roman general was victorious in a campaign, he received a triumphal parade in Rome. As he rode in the chariot toward his meeting with Caesar, a slave by his side would remind him that “all glory is fleeting.”
As it is in the military, so it is in baseball. After 108 years of futility, the Chicago Cubs are the baseball champions to the delight of millions of long-suffering fans. The Cubs have already had a parade and rally which at about 5 million, ranks as the 7th largest gathering of people in recorded history; they’ve been on Saturday Night Live, and will go to the White House. The sale of Cubs gear, paraphernalia and memorabilia is through the roof, and Cubs fans are savoring once-in-a lifetime (so far) satisfaction as the reality that the Cubs really did do it soaks in.
But time marches on. Even if the Cubs repeat as champs next year, it will be different. They have now become un-historical, and lost their claim to uniqueness. My 97 year old father has lived long enough to see one championship; another one won’t have the same meaning.
Already, we know that the 2017 Cubs roster will be different. David Ross hasretired. The Cubs have let starting pitcher Jason Hamill go, the Yankees are interested in getting Aroldis Chapman back, free agent Dexter Fowler rejected the Cubs’ initial salary offer, and doubtless others are to follow.
There is ample reason to be grateful to the 2016 team, apart from the title. They gave fans a full season of entertaining baseball. Their post-season games were exciting, consisting of 3 series’ against formidable opponents, culminating in a World Series Game 7 which couldn’t have been scripted to be more exciting. There is another reason to thank them: their playoff run going into November helped distract everyone from the most miserable election campaign in my lifetime. You don’t have to be a Cub fan to be grateful for that.
It is hard to imagine a season as satisfying as the last one. But then after 108 years, it was hard to imagine that season.
David Stanczak, a Forum commentator since 1995, came to Bloomington in 1971. He served as the City of Bloomington’s first full-time legal counsel for over 18 years, before entering private practice. He is currently employed by the Snyder Companies and continues to reside in Bloomington with his family.
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