I Love Beating the Cubs

You know, I have written for this site for the past year and a half.  During that time, I have found myself taking fewer and fewer opportunities to just sit back and enjoy the little things.  In the past, I would indulge in these literary rants and they would get people upset with me.    Usually because they were written out of anger.  That is my fault.  This time though, I am indulging in something positive and will only piss off Cubs fans.

First, I do not hate Cubs fans, or the Cubs.  I hate the Cardinals.  That is something we can all agree on, I think.  But there is something so sweet about beating them.  And not just beating them…I am talking, smashed into a delicious cream cheese potato concoction my wife makes at Thanksgiving.  Even if it is during Spring Training, it just puts a big old grin on my face.

As a kid, I grew up in Kenosha, WI.  Which is smack dab in between Milwaukee and Chicago.  As a kid, you had to pledge your allegiance one way or another.  Not that it matters for this story, but I was Brewers, Packers, Jazz (don’t ask), and Notre Dame.  What is different about baseball though, is that Chicago has two teams.  You really had three teams you could blindly give your trust, love, and future ulcers too.  Robin Yount and Paul Molitor were it for me.  It never got better than that as a kid.  Once those two were gone….

The team was so terrible that at times, I would follow the Cubs because of 3 people: Grandpa as a kid, my pal Adam as a juvenille, and my best HS pal Chuck.  It was more out of wanting to watch good baseball and making conversation, then really liking the Cubs.  Then something happened.

Things really changed for me when the Brewers moved from the American League to the National League…and were placed in the same division as the Cubs.  Nothing turns a friendly few games a year into a fricking blood bath faster, than putting drunken animals in the same pen.  Thanks to Bud Selig, the gloves were off.

Skip ahead a few years of mediocre baseball on both sides…

The first few years of Miller Park being open, the Cubs fans out numbered the Brewers fans…hmm 3 to1 probably.  I’m sure you will all remember the days of “Wrigley North”.  Cubs fans called our house, “Wrigley North”.  I have a shirt that says “Take Back Miller Park”, to prove how bad it had gotten.  That made it personal, but I never hated you Cubs fans.  You just cut me deep…and that is what brings us here today.

Once Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun started to throw their weight around, the Brewers slowly turned the tides.  “Wrigley North” slowly started to be split 50-50, then down the stretch in 2008 it was probably 65-35.  Although the Crew went 3-4 against the Cubs in the month of September, 2 wins were at Miller Park.  Then last season, it teetered on 80-20 all season long.  That makes me smile too.   

What was I talking about?  See, this is what happens when I go on these rants.  Oh, yes.

Today the Brewers really trounced the Cubs.  And that makes me happy.  Especially after last weeks assassination attempt on Aramis Ramirez. 

It seemed like it was not thrown very hard and both guys cracked a smile.  I like that.  Sometimes I like to know that ball players are just normal guys.  Be that as it may, it made today’s smack down a little sweeter.

Now Aramis Ramirez did not make the trip.  Probably due to a strong security threat…with red facial hair, who was confirmed to be in the area (I’ll give you a hint…it rhymes with Ryan Dempster).  Ryan Braun also stayed behind.  The guy doesn’t travel.  Big whoop…wanna fight about it. 

Even with out the power duo, the Brewers beat the Cubs 10-2.  George Kottaras went crazy today, going 2-for-4 with 5 RBI’s.  Randy Wolf went 2-for2 and drove in a run.   He pitched pretty well too; 4 innings, 4 strikeouts, 5 hits, 2 runs, and 1 walk.  The runs Wolf allowed, were the only scored by the Baby Bears.  Mat Gamel…starting to make a believer out of me.  Had another double today and drove in a run. 

I know that it is Spring Training, and that it really doesn’t matter…or does it.

This article only came to be because of all the love I saw on Twitter from Brewers fans.  To date, the Twitterverse has been quiet in the way of Brewers dialogue, unless it involves “That which shall not be discussed”.  I had forgotten how cool it was to feel the warm embrace of Brew Crew Nation.  Today’s game had people out in full force, and they were excited.  Spring Training is not anything to get too excited about, but it’s the Cubs.  And it makes us all feel good.

I started to prove a point and I intend to.

Cubs fans, if you are reading this, thank you and know that I respect you…but am still really mad that you took Dale Sveum.  However!  I love Dale and you could not have picked a better dude.  That does not change the fact that I take joy in your anguish.  As, I would expect, you take joy in ours as well.  If you didn’t, I would be insulted.  What I am saying is, I think we have a good thing going.  And I can’t wait until it counts.

We are going to take you to # town.

Go Brewers!!