So I finally got around to watching This Old Cub on WGN just now.
It’s a funny thing. I don’t cry much. I have been known to get depressed, and to get sad, but those things don’t make me cry.
But I had a very hard time getting through this movie without crying. Actually, that’s not true. I didn’t get through it without crying. And I don’t know why.
I think it’s the nostalgia. I think it’s thinking about all the history. Seeing the 1969 Cubs fail to win the pennant due to the Miracle Mets. Hearing Santo’s “Oh NO!” when a dropped fly ball cost the Cubs the Wild Card in 1998. Being reminded of 2003. It was tough.
It also made me really kind of think about how I feel about Ron Santo. I get annoyed with him on the radio sometimes – I listen to Cubs games on WGN to find out what is going on, and occasionally Ron bugs me. But the more I thought about it, and the more I saw of his career and his personality, the more I realized that Santo really personifies what the Cubs are about. He represents what I want out of the Cubs – I want them to win, I want to believe that they will win, and Ron Santo does those things to. Pat Hughes said that after the game against the Brewers in 98, he saw something he’d never seen before – the manager of the team trying to cheer up the broadcaster.
Hey hey, Ronnie. You’re a strong man, and one day, we’ll see you in the Hall of Fame. But until then, I’m happy just seeing Number 10 flying over left field.