07 Nov World Series Champs!!!!!!!! + Matador Playlists 10/27/16 + 11/3/16

Today, Gentle Reader(s), is a truly beautiful day. It is a day the likes of which long-suffering fans of a certain Midwestern baseball club have not known for 108 years. It is with almost giddy incredulity that Your Humble Narrator reaffirms to himself that the Cubs have won the 2016 World Series. This is a day that I had longed hoped for but perhaps never quite allowed myself to fully believe would actually arrive. But last night, at exactly 10:47 PM Mountain Standard Time, in the bottom of a rain-delayed 10th inning, rookie Cleveland infielder Michael Martinez tapped a soft ground ball off of Cubs reliever Mike Montgomery to third baseman Kris Bryant who tossed the ball straight and true to Anthony Rizzo on first to seal the deal: Cubs win, 8-7. Just like that—over a century of angst, frustration, curses (imaginary or otherwise) and ‘woulda coulda shoulda’ second guessing, banished. This. Actually. Happened. It was a moment I’ll never forget.

 

Of course it wasn’t quite ‘just like that.’ It was an exceptionally fraught series for the Cubs. After splitting the first pair of games on Indians turf they only managed to win one of the middle three at Wrigley Field and found themselves in the unenviable position of heading into the final two contests in Cleveland down three games to two. Jake Arrietta pitched a masterpiece in game six and Cubs bats knocked the Indians around badly to force a deciding game seven. The Cubs were favored in the Series overall but Indians pitching, particularly that of their ace Corey Kluber, had confounded the Cubs in games one, three and four. Terry Francona had stated his intent to start Kluber three times in the Series, meaning Kluber’s second and third starts would be on short rest (three days instead of the usual five) while the Cubs’ co-ace Kyle Hendricks would be starting game seven on full rest. The entire core Cubs pitching staff was in the bullpen for the final game indicating that Cubs manager/guru Joe Maddon would not be holding anything back. Anything could happen, and quite a bit of it did.

 

A lead-off Cubs home run from Dexter Fowler, several maddening fielding errors, the early exit of Kluber in the top of the fifth inning, a wild Jon Lester pitch that knocked catcher David Ross flat on his keester and allowed the Indians to score two runs in the bottom of the fifth, a crucial solo home run from Ross in the sixth, a two-run homer off of Cubs fireballer Aroldis Chapman to even the score at six in the bottom of the eighth inning, an extra innings rain delay, clutch RBI hits from Ben Zobrist and Miguel Montero in the top of the tenth, one more run for the Indians to cut the Cubs lead in half in the bottom of the tenth, and then… then it happened. It actually happened. It still seems like a dream.

 

Somewhat lost in the wild party after the final out were the strength of Hendricks’ start and Francona’s ill advised decision to pitch around Anthony Rizzo and Addison Russell to get to Zobrist and Montero. That is where the depth of the Cubs’ roster came back to bite the Indians. Zobrist is solid contact hitter and Montero had clobbered a grand slam off the bench to break open game one of the NLCS against the Dodgers back on October 15th. Walking the Cubs’ big bats to get to these guys was a calculated bet by Francona that went totally wrong. Like most sluggers, Rizzo, Bryant and Addison Russell tend to strike out a lot. Zobrist and Montero, not so much. They may not connect for the long ball with the regularity of the Cubs big bats but they make contact and get on base reliably and, in the end, that’s all it took. Small ball carried the day.

 

For me the takeaways from this historic season are the depth and dependability of the Cubs roster, their humility and likability, Joe Maddon’s stoic hipster sagacity, and Theo Epstein’s genius backed by the Ricketts’ family’s faith and deep pockets. Theo will undoubtedly go down in history as one of, if not THE, greatest general manager ever. No one has ever achieved anything to rival his rebuilding and resurrection of two of the oldest, greatest, and most legendarily snake-bit franchises of all times: the Red Sox and the Cubs. His place in the Hall of Fame is an absolute lock. I will never forget Anthony Rizzo and Jason Heyward snatching David Ross from the middle of a post-game television interview to hoist him on their shoulders and carry him off the field. Game seven was Ross’s last as a player—he announced his retirement at the beginning of the season—and it was a remarkable and beautiful ending to his 15-year, 21-team journeyman’s career. Ross was the heart and soul of the Cubs for the past two years, beloved of his teammates and fans alike, and I have no doubt that he will continue on to do great things in baseball—very likely as a manager for some lucky franchise (starting with the Cubs farm system, perhaps?) and, after that, perhaps as a commentator.

 

Speaking of commentators, I listened to the Cubs radio broadcast of game seven with a headphone in one ear and the television call in the other. Cubs radio Play-by-play man Pat Hughes has been with the team longer than anyone on the field or in the front office—21 years—and he has felt the ups and downs as acutely as anyone. Listening to Pat call the winning game was something I could not miss and I appreciated his color man, Ron Coomer, taking the time to ask his broadcast partner what the championship meant to him. Pat said it was a dream come true and he evoked his prior Cubs radio co-pilot, the late, great Ron Santo, and the other Cubs legends who didn’t live to see the day: ‘I’m sorry Ronnie wasn’t here. He would have loved it. So would’ve Ernie Banks and Harry Caray. There’s a long list of those guys, who are no longer with us. But a lot of them are and this is for them.’

 

The evening of November 2, 2016, was one that I had been waiting for since my grandfather took me to my first professional sporting event—a Cubs game at Wrigley Field in the summer of 1968. I don’t recall who the Cubs were playing that afternoon but I remember with great clarity the awestruck feeling I had when when we emerged from the tunnel to glimpse the intense green of the expanse of grass and the ivy on the outfield wall. I remember the taste of the popcorn, the soda pop, and my general incomprehension as my grandfather patiently tried to explain what was transpiring on on the field. For many years I kept the scorecard that my grandfather diligently filled out in his spidery script. The souvenir Cubs batting helmets and miniature Louisville Slugger bats that my grandfather bought for my brother and myself were displayed prominently on shelves in the bedroom we shared throughout my childhood. My grandfather was eight years old the last time the Cubs won the World Series—the same age I was when he took me to Wrigley—and he never saw them win another throughout the 98 years of his long life. That particular circle has at last been closed.

 

Final word goes to fellow true blue believer Bill Murray:

 

You believe in something that is true and beautiful, and the whole city, all its fans, they’re sort of validated. Their dream came true, it’s OK, dreams come true. People believed in it, and the great thing about it was we became such great losers. Good sports, good losers—I just hope we’re good winners.

 

Amen, Brother Bill!

 

Oh, and here’s some Matador Playlists! Only 106 days until Spring Training!!!!

 

Matador Playlist 11/3/16

 

Grammar of Life – Charles Bukowski
Only Shallow – the Jesus & Mary Chain
Coal Miner’s Daughter – Loretta Lynn
You Never Can Tell – Chuck Berry
I’m Bored – Iggy Pop
If I Didn’t Love You – Squeeze
Blast Off – the Birthday Party
Clean Up Woman – Betty Wright
Evil Hoodoo – the Seeds
Sabrosa – the Beastie Boys
No Time to Be 21 – the Adverts
Dominos – the Big Pink
Change the Locks – Lucinda Williams
Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me – the Smiths
66 – the Afghan Whigs
Candy – Morphine
Here I Am (Come and Take Me) – Rev. Al Green
Be Mine – Alabama Shakes
Are You A Boy or Are You A Girl – the Barbarians
Black Egg – Snake & Jet’s Amazing Bullit Band
Friends of Science – Galactic
Carnation – the Jam
Talking Loud and Saying Nothing – James Brown
Black Moon Spell – King Tuff
Can’t Get Enough of Your Love Babe – Barry White
Honey Bucket – the Melvins
Honky Tonkin’ – Hank Williams
No Matter What – Badfinger
Red Light Indicates Doors Are Secured – the Arctic Monkeys
Song for Len Shackleton – Chumbawumba
Bad Art & Weird Ideas – Beach Slang
Little Girl (feat. Julian Casablancas) – Danger Mouse & Sparklehorse
Gratitude – Beastie Boys
Busy Bein’ Born – Middle Class Rut
I Hate Danger – Bikini Kill
Stagger Lee – Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
Lightning Strikes (Not Once But Twice) – the Clash
You Really Got Me – the Kinks
Dime Western – Screaming Trees
Sound and Vision (David Richards remix) – David Bowie
Unilever – Chumbawumba
Enola Gay – the Hillbilly Moon Explosion
On A Plain – Nirvana
Alcohol – Dropkick Murphys
Fried My Little Brains – the Kills
Custard Pie – Led Zeppelin
Strange Baby – Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
Bottle of Wine – the Fireballs
El Fusilado – Chumbawumba
Private World – the New York Dolls
American Valhalla – Iggy Pop & Josh Homme
Rockin’ Bones – Flat Duo Jets
Tunic (Song for Karen) – Sonic Youth
1959 – Patti Smith
Voodoo Stomp – the Gore Gore Girls
Africa – the Meters
Tony Adams – Joe Strummer & the Mescaleros
Gouge Away – the Pixies
Communication Breakdown – Led Zeppelin
Look Back & Laugh – Minor Threat
She Watch Channel Zero?! – Public Enemy
Ball and Chain – Social Distortion
Who the Fuck? – PJ Harvey
Dirty Boys – David Bowie
Red Shadows – TSOL
Counting Sevens – White Hills
Rough Boys – Pete Townshend
The Hungry Wolf – X
Amphetamine Blue – the Vibrators
I Fought the Law – the Clash
Y.A.L.A. – M.I.A.
I Gotta Getta – the Undertones
Tubthumping – Chumbwumba
I Was A Teenage Werewolf – the Cramps
Down on the Street – the Stooges
Little Lovely – Three Blue Teardrops
Demon To Lean On – Wavves
Interstellar Overdrive – Pink Floyd
God Save the Queen – the Sex Pistols

California Uber Alles – Dead Kennedys
Burn In Hell – Two Cow Garage
Are You Lonesome Tonight? – Elvis Presley
Love Song – the Damned
World Without Tears – Lucinda Williams
Buona Sera – Louis Prima
Happy Trails – Roy Rogers & Dale Evans (feat. Trigger on True Blue Kazoo)
Taxi – Bryan Ferry

 

Matador Playlist 10/27/16

 

Grammar of Life – Charles Bukowski
I Have the Touch – Peter Gabriel
Hey, Good Lookin’ – Hank Williams
Suedehead – Morrissey
Faster Pussycat Kill Kill – Bosstweeds
Bad Girl – New York Dolls
One Step Beyond – Madness
(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay – Otis Redding
Pocket Knife – PJ Harvey
Surf Beat – Lobos Negros
Go! – Tones on Tail
Haunted House of Rock – Whodini
Cherub Rock – Smashing Pumpkins
I Need You – the Kinks
Bodysnatchers – Radiohead
Happiness Is A Warm Gun – the Beatles
Werewolf – the Frantics
Statik Electrik – Vaz
Celebration Day – Led Zeppelin
Like the Angel – Rise Against
Jungle Man – the Meters
Gonna Hitchhike Down to Cincinnatti and Kick the Shit Out of You – Nashville Pussy
Fatback – Link Wray
I Cut Like A Buffalo – the Dead Weather
Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag, Pt. 1 – James Brown
Go n’ Go – 18th Dye
I Can See for Miles – the Who
On A Rope – Rocket From the Crypt
Tarnished Angel – Silkworm
Regret – New Order
Well Oiled Machines – the Koffin Kats
Kashmir – Led Zeppelin
I Got It (What You Need) – Galactic
I Want to Take You Higher – Sly & the Family Stone
Super Stupid – Funkadelic
Little Cream Soda – White Stripes
Never Said – Liz Phair
I Can Only Give You Everything – MC5
Shitlist – L7
Love is Lost – David Bowie
Tyler – the Toadies
Dancing the Night Away – the Motors
Hologram – Urinals
Vicious – Lou Reed
Better Off Alone – the Black Angels
Shake Your Rump – Beastie Boys
To Have and to Have Not – Lars Frederiksen & the Bastards
Come Back to Me – X
Lark’s Tongue In Aspic – King Crimson
Sun Medallion – King Tough
Fascination – David Bowie
Hyperpower! – Nine Inch Nails
Lithium – Nirvana
Battery Acid – Queens of the Stone Age
Rise – Public Image, Ltd.
A Message to You, Rudy – the Specials
The Act We Act – Sugar
Gangsters – the Specials
Suffer – Leiana
Now I Wanna Be Your Dog – the Stooges
Club Foot – Kasabian
The National Anthem – Radiohead
World Without Tears – Lucinda Williams
Buona Sera – Louis Prima
Happy Trails – Roy Rogers & Dale Evans (feat. Trigger on Bilious Triangle)
Taxi – Bryan Ferry