End Of An Era

 Very quietly earlier this year (January 2021) one of the longest running fantasy baseball leagues in the country closed operations.  The Cubs Fan Club League (CFCL), established in 1984 by a couple of wide eyed high school seniors, ended its run.

Ten teams chased the trophy in 2019 with the Golden Sombreros coming out on top.  Covid caused confusion for 2020.  Would there be a baseball season?  Would they start the season then stop?  Would players begin to play and then be put on the Covid list for a week?  A month? The season?  Trying to navigate all the moving parts seemed impossible and that was only to be dealt with if we could figure out when to draft (usually mid/late March, but the season didn't start until July) and how? (by the time of the season starting, the country had been shut down and no one in our league was comfortable sitting in an enclosed room with nine other owners some of whom had come in from out of state).  As a league we decided to suspend operations for 2020 and hopefully re-engage in 2021.

A strange thing happened during the 2021 season, at least for the owner of Dem Rebels.  Despite being a member for 36 years (being one of the wide eyed seniors to establish the league) during the 2020 baseball season there was no longing to check box scores or daily standings.  There was no desire to make a trade or make notes on players to draft in 2021.  It was ennui to apathy to torpor for the double play.  

The Rebels had felt it building over the last few seasons.  Lack of energy preparing for the draft.  Drafting a team, managing injuries, making trades to try and make a run only to be torpedoed by outlandish trades of other teams.  Real life interests were pulling their attention away from baseball operations.  And so as all owners in the league voiced their decision to return or resign, the Rebels made the announcement to step away but hopefully watch the CFCL continue under new management.  Four other owners (Ruffins, DoorMatts, Twin Killers and Swing) decided it was time to pull the shutters closed and move on to other endeavors.  With five teams remaining, replacement owners or new blood would be needed to keep the league going.  As of this writing (April 2021) no announcement has been made that new owners had been found.

There have plenty of enjoyable memories over 36 season.  The "Snookie" Incident.  Driving to the draft for many years with DoorMatt and Twin Killer management.  Catching up in person with out of town owners, though the conversations were always too brief.  Staring down the Revenge while I overpaid (.55) for the awesome Andrew McCutcheon.  Tracking each pick every draft trying to figure out not only how am I going to build a champion (didn't happen) but what is going on in the minds of fellow owners with the selections they made.  Sure there were frustrations and ultimately that was a factor in deciding to retire, but 36 years was overall a fun run.

Another interesting observation was made by Rebel management (or, more accurately, Former Rebel Management).  His son Cooper joined an on-line fantasy baseball league.  The draft was held in February and Cooper announced the members of his team (named The Chicken Coops).  Upon hearing the draft process and the roster for the Coops, Rebel leadership felt no longing to be involved in the building of a team.  No jealousy that would stir the pot to want to run a fantasy baseball team again.  All he felt was excitement and pride in his son as he (Cooper) branched out his sporting experience to fantasy baseball.

The 2021 full baseball season will be the first in 38 years that the Rebels will not be drafting and managing Dem Rebels to most likely another low level finish.  But it will be the first full baseball season that will be filled with fatherly pride as he watches Cooper charge towards his first title.

The Evolution of A Cappella In A Young Man's Life

Do you ever think back over your life when you saw or experienced something but didn't realize what it really was?  One example for me was a cappella music.  First time I ever experienced it was watching Rocky and Rocky II.  Rocky starts with him walking at night and comes across some guys just harmonizing standing around a trash can with a fire in it.  In Rocky II he and Adrian were just married and he's carrying her home.  They pass an alley where the same group of guys are standing around a fire singing..  He tells them he just got married and they start singing a song for the newlyweds.  Their harmonies blew me away but I didn't know what I was hearing.  I didn't know a cappella was a thing.  But it planted a seed.

A few years later I saw Huey Lewis in concert and their tradition was to give the  band a break and have Huey and the News sing a few a cappella songs.  I was mesmerized, but again didn't know what I was experiencing.  I knew I loved it, but figured it wasn't really a thing, it was just Huey and the guys showing the audience how they warm up before a concert or something.

Then the lightning bolt struck.  In college I worked for a radio station.  They had tickets to see Larry Gatlin in Aurora, IL.  No one at the station knew anything about country music except me so they asked me to come up with five trivia questions they could ask the listeners so the station could give away five pairs of tickets.  As a reward or thank you the station gave me one of the pairs of tickets.  I love country music so I was totally excited.  I heard the station play commercials promoting the concert and I heard the announcer say "So join Larry and his brothers, Four Guys Standing Around Signing for a great night of music."  I couldn't understand the "four guys standing around singing" comment since Larry has two brothers and being a college student I understood that one (Larry) plus two (his brothers Steve and Rudy) were three, not four.

Fast forward to the night of the concert.  Before the Gatlin Brothers came out, an a cappella group - Four Guys Standing Around Singing - came out on stage to open the show.  Scott McEwen, Rick Vamos, Noah Budin and Darren (his real name) Stevens absolutely killed it.  They sang doo-wop.  They covered contemporary songs.  They sang an original song or two.  They were AMAZING!!!  And I was transfixed forever.  Four young guys who played local bars in Chicago and toured different colleges were the highlight of the night.  They sang  for fifteen minutes and I was disappointed when the Gatlin Brothers took the stage.  I wanted, I NEEDED more of this a cappella thing I just heard.

That started a life long love affair with a cappella music and a four or five year love affair with the 4 Guys.  I still have their audio cassettes (yes, this was back in the day before the internet and CDs and MP3 players).  Bought their t-shirts and with my best friend from high school, David, went to see the 4 Guys perform nearly 35 times.  Knowing almost all their songs and their jokes never, never, never diminished the enjoyment of their shows.

When I worked downtown for a few years, one Christmas the building my office was in had a group called Chicago Voice Exchange sing Christmas carols in the lobby.  Big acoustic heaven for sound and these guys were unbelievable.  I stumbled across them on my morning break, stayed much longer than my allotted 15 minutes, went back down at lunch and just sat there in amazement.  I hated working downtown, but for that morning it was the best thing ever.

After our experience with the 4 Guys, David was always on the lookout for a cappella.  I found the Nylons and he found (once the internet became available) a video.  Oh the video..  He sent it to me saying "I know you like a cappella, here's a group that did an interesting arrangement of the 12 Days of Christmas."  And my life changed.  At first I didn't get it because while it's the 12 Days, it isn't the 12 Days.  Without knowing what I was seeing I thought "Man, they screwed up that song."  They didn't sing it poorly, quite the contrary.  But they didn't sing it the way it was written.  It took a couple of viewings for me to realize the genius I was seeing.  The song was arranged and performed by Straight No Chaser, quite possibly the greatest a cappella group of all time.  I've seen Pentatonix on The Sing Off, their videos and in person.  I've watched Home Free, Committed and various college groups including a very talented one - UC Men's Octet.  But SNC is the platinum standard for a cappella.  Of course that's just my opinion, but believe me when I tell you I'm right.  They cover Motown, hair bands, The Beatles, the  70's, Cold Play, Madonna, Michael Jackson just to name a few areas.  They do EVERYTHING including original material.  Sometimes straight up, most often with their own "twist" to the song.  They will mash songs together in a way that you don't even know you are hearing two songs.

I have had the pleasure of seeing them live 23 times and never leave disappointed.  I have seen the faces of the audience at intermission with looks of "oh my god, I can't believe I just saw/heard that!  What is the second half of the show going to be like?"  With just nine voices (previously ten) and a pitch pipe Straight No Chaser will transport you into a world of harmony, musical creativity and humor in a way that when you walk out of their concert your life is incrementally better than it was the two hours before you sat down.

I am biased.  I've met the guys, received their autographs, taken pictures with them and joked around with them.  Even if I hadn't had those experiences, they would still be the best out there.

Pentatonix is great and adored world wide.  For me, most of their covers are of songs that I just don't connect with.  That being said, they came out with two Christmas albums that combined don't have one bad song among them.

There's a lot of great a cappella music out there, including high school groups like this one.this one.

But there is only one SNC.  Here's how they explain a cappella music.

Cooper and the Brewers

For reasons that defy understanding Cooper, my youngest and currently age 12, is a Brewers fan.  I have been a Cubs fan since 1974.  His mother has embraced both the Mets and the Cubs, though I think her current preference is for the Northsiders.  And yet, there's Cooper - blissfully happy to cross the border, break through the Cheese Curtain and cheer for the Brewers.

Personally I think it's awesome.  At younger stages of his life he has liked the Pirates and Tigers.  But now, since he likes the Brewers and we're from Chicago I am supposed to be upset.  Friends will ask "How do you allow that?"  My simple answer?  I don't care.  He likes baseball.  That is most important in my mind.  It is the sport I grew up loving.  He loves the sport as well.  What could be better?

I'm not sure why but his absolute favorite player is Lorenzo Cain, your starting centerfielder for the Milwaukee Brewers.  But he can talk about the virtues of Christian Yelich, Yasmani Grandal (until he signed with the White Sox), Josh Hader, Mike Moustakis and the list goes on.  But Cain is his fave.

This past summer I decided to take him to his first Brewers game in Milwaukee.  I was looking at the Brewers schedule to see how it fit with my work schedule and the days that Cooper spends with me when I noticed something.  When he was over for dinner I mentioned going to see the Brewers and he got excited.  I pulled up the schedule and said "Well, we could go see them play the Phillies on this day."

Cooper - OK!

Me - Or we could go see them play the Reds on that day.

Cooper - Ehh (clearly more interested in seeing the Phillies than the Reds, but that's when I dropped the decision maker)

Me - Because the day they play the Reds they're having a giveaway.  It's Lorenzo Cain Bobblehead Day.

Cooper - OH HECK YEAH!!!

Like I didn't already know which game we were going to go see.

We drove up and had the greatest time.  Yes a lot of it had to do with watching baseball with my son.  But the Milwaukee experience was amazing.  People in Milwaukee are some of the nicest people around.  When we went to get some hot dogs and nachos, obviously there was a line.  That's what happens at a sporting event.  As we approached the guy who was going to take our order he met us with "Thank you so much for waiting in line."  Then he looked me over and looked at Cooper.  I was wearing a Pirates T-Shirt and Cubs baseball hat.  Cooper had a Brewers shirt and hat on.  The guy says to Cooper, "What's wrong with your dad?  Pirates and Cubs?  Why isn't he cool like you?"

Cooper just shook his head as if in disappointment and said "Yeah, I know" which cracked the guy up.  After we received our food and started to move out of line the guy said "Thanks for coming to the game!  Have a nice day."  This was said in full sincerity.  Truly genuinely nice people.

As for the game itself, well every time Lorenzo Cain came to bat Cooper would set down his phone or food or whatever was in his hand, stand up, cup his hands around his mouth and let out a barbaric "WOOOOO!!!!" arching his back for full amplification and sound distribution.

Yasmani Grandal gave the Brewers an early lead with a homerun in the bottom of the 1st which allowed Cooper to see Bernie the Brewer come down the slide in the outfield and wave a Brewers flag.

The roof was open on a beautiful summer day, which, talking with my friends who have been to numerous Brewer games, is rare.  Not a beautiful summer day in Wisconsin, but apparently the default position for the Brewers is to have their roof closed on the off chance of inclement weather.  I have had friends attend a dozen or more games and the roof was closed each time.

Not that day.  It was beautiful.  Josh Hader came in to nail down the 6-5 win and all was right in the world.

While we stalled going to the parking lot to avoid traffic we stopped in the gift shop and found a Lorenzo Cain shirt.

We then headed back to our car, walking past all the tailgaters and grills with brats and sausages.  Asking almost a rhetorical question, I asked Cooper if he enjoyed himself.  He said yes, he had a great time.  Then, "I LOVE Milwaukee!!  Wisconsin is so much better than Illinois!"

I love the youthful certainty in that declaration, coming from a kid whose TOTAL Wisconsin exposure was I-94 to the Stadium exit ramp and then walking through the parking lot (granted filled with the amazing aroma of brats, sausages and burgers) seeing people playing cornhole, playing music, laughing and enjoying the weather, and then entering the stadium.

That's Wisconsin to Cooper.  And he LOVES it.

When Was The Last Time

Darius Rucker has recorded many brilliant songs since he went solo from Hootie and the Blowfish.  He went down the country music path and has just lit . . . it . . . up.  One song he recorded was "When Was The Last Time".  The title is a fun play on words because the chorus goes "when was the last time you did something for the first time?", reminding  us all that it's good to take chances, expand our horizons, get outside of our comfort zone.  None of which I'm good at, but I do love the song.

One day as I was listening to the song, it got me thinking.  Reversing the question in a way, "When was the last time you did something for the LAST time?"  (Or, I suppose, "When was the FIRST time you did something for the LAST time?"  It basically means the same thing, doesn't it?)

There are occasions in our life when we absolutely know we won't be doing something again.  You resign or retire from work, you know you won't be walking to your desk in that office any more.  If you're a professional athlete and you retire, you know when the last time you will face a pitcher or throw a football (assuming you are able to retire on your own terms).  I would imagine it's a rare occurrence when you know something is happening for the last time as it's happening.

But all of us will have, and have had, experiences for the last time - didn't know it at the time and may not even know it yet.  If you are of a certain age you have probably played on a playground jungle gym for the last time.  Do you know when that was?  Flew on an airplane?  Ate Chinese food?  Saw the ocean?  Kissed your soulmate?  Attended a New Year's Eve Party?

Most of us don't know, didn't know when it happened.  I think there are several reasons for that.

One is I think humans, by nature, are always optimistic.  "Oh I'll do that again." or "We'll have to do this again next year." are common thoughts or comments.  We always believe there will be another opportunity.  Some of it could be a sense of assumption or entitlement that we can have and do what we want, when we want.  Sure.  But unless you are given a diagnosis where you absolutely know there will not be a next time, I think we all believe there will always be a next time.

Additionally, there are so many things going on in our lives, personally, professionally, recreationally, that it's almost impossible to keep track of everything we've done and the last time it occurred.  The last time I cradled my child?  I don't know.  I see them all the time and they're grown, so I've hugged them, but cradled them in my arms?  Years ago and I don't know when was the last time.  Last time I shot a basketball?  Haven't been on a court in years.  Certain body parts are a little more achy than years ago.  I'd like to think it may happen again, but it's been a few years since I took any of my children to a basketball court and played "H-O-R-S-E".

The purpose of this post wasn't necessarily to make you wrack your brain to remember the last time you did some normal routine thing, though that can be an interesting exercise.  But maybe the point was to remind us all that things change, it's important to recognize and appreciate what you're doing in the moment and realize that at some point it won't happen any longer.

Passion

Joe Posnanski posed the question "What is your passion?"  He embarked on a project with a writer friend to identify and write about Passion Across America.  Joe is an award winning national sportswriter, one of the best in the country.  But anyone who has read Joe's work understands he is equally, if not more, astounding when he writes about his family, his passions, everyday ordinary things.  But I digress.

In an article he wrote, he asked what the reader's passion was.  I gave it some thought, turns out it didn't require all that much thought.  Once I eliminated my children - not because they aren't my passion, they are, but that's going to be everyone's answer either because it's true or the respondent thinks that should be the answer.  So I took it a step outside of the default obvious.  What is my passion that is mine and not society's expectation?

At a younger time in my life it would have been baseball and the Chicago Cubs in specific.  They still are an interest, but due to life experiences and changes, they are no longer a passion.

Coming in a close second is the a capella group, Straight No Chaser.  Actually in a tangential way we will soon discover, they are connected to my absolute passion.  A few quick words about SNC.  They are nothing short of incredible, awesome, unbelievably brilliant.  There are a few posts on here extolling the sheer - I don't have the proper over the top adjective to provide right now - of their music and live performances.  After further review I realized that I am obsessed with SNC.  They are my obsession.  And they introduced me to my passion.

Dancing.

"Dancing?" you say?  Yes dancing.  It has completely saturated my soul.  I've tried to figure out why and I'm  not sure I have my finger on it yet.  There are contributing factors to it, but I don't know that I've nailed the single, specific reason.

How did it start?  Well it goes back to Straight No Chaser.  I was watching videos of their tour and while I can't sing to save my life, I watched these guys not only sing but put on an entertaining show full of choreographed moves.  I remember thinking, "Man I would love to move that smoothly and have that rhythm."  That thought moved to "I should take dance lessons."

So I googled dance studios in my area and found that I passed one (Dance Fun USA - Aurora, IL) virtually every day in the normal course of my errands.  Who knew?  So I stopped in, signed up for their introductory package and after the first group lesson I was hooked.

Since I didn't know what I didn't know, we (my instructor Peggy and I) decided to cover a variety of dances instead of learning just one.  We've dug into Swing, Latin and Ballroom.  And while I'm perfectly inept at all of them, that in no way reflects the talent and abilities of Peggy and Amy (another unbelievable instructor I've coerced to teach me).  They are phenomenally talented, creative and supportive in their teaching efforts.  But even they are limited to the abilities of their students.

Dancing is my passion.  I have learned (with the help of Peggy and Amy) how every day things are a part of dance.  It's nothing that they have pointed out specifically but through their instruction and breaking down of dance steps and moves, it becomes so blatantly obvious that much of our day is a form of dance.

In partner dancing you have a lead and follow.  The lead suggests a move and (hopefully) the follow agrees.  So I've noticed similar parallels in every day life.  When I drive and I put on  my turn signal, I'm indicating what I want to have happen next.  That's an obvious one.  But even more subtle, driving in a parking lot if I move my car slightly to the right, I'm indicating to the oncoming car I would like to have them pass me on my left.

If you're standing next to someone and need to reach around them to get something, if you nudge them to the right so you can get around on the  left, you're leading (suggesting) that they move to the right.

I fall asleep with songs running through my head and to those songs I am envisioning the moves Peggy and Amy taught me or I'm trying to create something new.

When driving to a destination for work, I cannot tell you how many times I've gotten in the car thinking "Ok, I need to turn right at the next intersection.  Then a song will come on the radio and I will start dancing the song in my head, thinking of moves I know or moves that I could try.  When I get to the intersection I've turned left instead of right or driven straight through.

One time on a country road I needed to turn right about a mile down the road.  I started dancing a song in my head and eventually I looked around wondering where I was.  Turns out I was about a mile and a half past the road I needed to turn on.

Since I began lessons I have read numerous articles about how dancing helps people on so many levels.  It delays the aging process.  It improves balance, blood flow.  It provides social interaction and human connection.  And I don't care about any of that.  Those are all ancillary benefits.  Certainly huge benefits, but that's not why I dance.

Why do I?  I'm not sure.  I know Peggy, Amy, the other instructors and the environment at the Dance Fun USA studio is a big part of it.  I've been exposed to other instructors briefly and it wasn't fun.  Had I walked into another studio almost three years ago, I may not feel the same way.

Or maybe I would.  Maybe dancing has always been my passion and I would have found the proper, supportive, creative environment eventually.  Fortunately for me it happened on Day One.

Another benefit I've heard about dancing is increased confidence.  I can totally see where that makes sense.  But so far, three years in, I haven't experienced it.  Oh, when a song plays I'm confident I know what dance goes with the music and I know the basic steps to that dance.  Peggy and Amy have taught me well.  But I have not found the confidence to go out to a club and walk up to a perfect stranger and ask them to dance.  Have I EVER done it?  Sure. But not often.  If someone asks me to dance, I'm there and will do my level best to give them an enjoyable experience.  But, so far, I'm not comfortable in my abilities to ask someone to join me on the dance floor with the expectation of having them enjoy themselves.

Every week I work with Peggy and Amy I try to learn something new or polish something I already know.  Often times I feel like I'm regressing instead of progressing.  They insist I'm making strides of improvement, but I'm not convinced.

Yet with the trepidation of asking someone to dance and feeling like I'm getting worse instead of better, I can't get enough of it.  I think about it every day.  I practice in my kitchen, in the parking lot waiting to pick my son up from school, in the grocery store aisles.

What's the end game?  Winning a competition?  No, nothing that easy to identify.  Less than a year into my dance experience I was at a ballroom watching an amazing lead dance with multiple follows, whisking them all across the floor.  The follows all walked off the floor with smiles that would challenge the brilliance of the sun.  At that point I knew my dancing goal.  To make my follow feel beautiful.  Will I ever accomplish that?  Most likely not.  But it's been said that a dog that catches its tail stops chasing.

What's your passion?

Who are you?

My youngest daughter is one of the most caring, thoughtful, quiet, animal loving people I've ever met.  And right there in the first sentence I've insulted her.  Not on purpose.  Until recently completely unknowingly.  How?  The sentence seems complimentary.  Oh, that must be it.  I insulted her with compliments.  Kids HATE when their parents gush over them.

No, it's because I called her my daughter.  After many years of introspection, as many years as a 15 year old can painstakingly and painfully endure on a day to day, minute to minute basis, Kristi has identified that she is transgender.

Yeah, I had to look up the definition too even though it's been in the news because North Carolina has issues,  We live in a country where the current administration is trying to undo all the bridges built with the LGBT communities that previous administrations have established.  I never paid a lot of attention to it because I kind of worked on the premise of "if you're a good person, you're a good person and I will treat you accordingly".  I wasn't up for causes or marches.  I just figured in my little corner of the world I would treat everyone with respect that deserved to be treated with respect.

And then I discovered I was contributing to the "living hell" my little girl had to endure - her words.  This is the last time I will call her my little girl.  Kris (he prefers Kris vs. Kristi) prefers the pronouns he, him and his.  In his words "it just feels right to me."  Apparently his classmates already do this.  Kris would prefer that his mom and I view him and acknowledge him as our son.  I won't speak for my ex-wife, but that's quite a leap for me after 15 years.  My memory tells me I have three daughters.  My verbal and intellectual muscle memory reverts to "Hey girl, how was school?" when I pick Kris up from band practice.

I don't mean anything by it.  I'm not judging.  I'm not trying to change his mind.  I know I don't know much in this area, yet, but I do know it's not a mindset.  Kris identifying as a male is no more a choice than me deciding to be prematurely bald.  I just have 15 years of doing something one way and now have to adjust in another direction.

Kris was never a girly girl.  He would rather run around with the neighborhood kids playing sports or agender activities rather than play with dolls and dress up.  I think I saw him wear a dress once in his life and that was for a grade school project.

Honestly as I watched him grow up I assumed he was gay.  Never wanted to wear girl clothes, preferred boys t-shirts or gender neutral clothing.  But that was my limited understanding of gender issues.  Either you're straight or gay.  The idea of my youngest daughter being gay didn't bother me one bit.  As long as she would be happy, I have no issues.  Little did I know how far I was from understanding what was going on in her mind and how far from happiness she was/is.

Recently I asked Kris if some of the girls from school he hangs out with are just "peeps" or if they were girlfriends.  And I received the most amazing response.  "No, they're just peeps.  I don't even know who I am at this point.  I'm not going to start dating guys or girls when I'm still trying to find out who I am."  I'm paraphrasing.  I mentioned Kris is thoughtful, caring and quiet.  I left off incredibly mature.

As a parent the only thing that bothers me about all this is that I'm discovering the confusion, torture and pain that he is in on what seems like a daily basis.  He doesn't talk much.  For the longest time I attributed it to being 15 where all kids go through mood swings, introversion, wanting to avoid their parents.  But more and more I'm aware that it's also because he's trying to figure out where he fits in - at school, in the world and in his mind.

Additionally I'm concerned for his safety, both physical and emotional.  This world is filled with amazingly open minded, nurturing people.  But it also is filled with the most vile, crude and abusive people.  The second type is usually pretty easy to spot and avoid.  But there's a third type.  The type that thinks they're the first group but really are the second group.  They'll make off hand comments about a person's appearance, race, background or intelligence.  They won't deliberately try to put another person down, but it's so ingrained in their DNA that they are somehow superior to everyone else, they just can't help themselves from being obnoxious, rude and belligerent.

Those are the ones I'm concerned about for Kris.  His (and anyone's) path of self-discovery is tough enough without having to navigate past the clueless lunks who think they are all that.  Basically from the time he was able to walk, Kris has marched to the beat of his own drum.  Appropriate since he's taken such a passionate interest in becoming a very accomplished trumpet player in band **.   I have seen and heard him be exposed to comments about his wardrobe when he was younger (always wearing t-shirts and sweatpants) or befriending the "uncool" kids.  When I talked to him about the comments he would receive he would shrug it off and say "it doesn't bother me".  Maybe it did, maybe it didn't.  But he always stuck to what he believed in.

**  When he was in 5th grade the opportunity to play an instrument in the school band presented itself and Kris knew that he wanted to play trumpet.  Right around that time, either just before joining the band or soon after, as his oldest sister was exploring college options, Kris stated with complete conviction - "I am going to go to U of I on a music scholarship."

As parents often discover, we learn as much from our kids as they learn from us.  From the time he could talk, Kris has always been the helpful, thoughtful, put others first individual the world needs more of.  He was quiet, yet when he would comment on a subject it was obvious there was logic, truth and a belief in what he was saying.  Kris is one of the few young adults I've known who does not get trapped with over reaction.  His response to things is always measured and level-headed.  If adults could act the same way, there would be so much more harmony in our lives.

These qualities are still there in him, but they've been muted as he has focused what seems like every waking moment of his life recently to identify who he is and where he fits in this world.

I do know that if anyone on this planet is strong enough to figure it out, it's Kris.  And I couldn't be prouder of my son.

Bryant vs. Ryno

This past Monday (June 27, 2016), Cubs phenom Kris Bryant had a game for the ages.  He set a record for a franchise that has been around for 140 years.  No one in the history of the Chicago National League Ball Club had ever accumulated 16 total bases in one game.  No one.  We're talking about team wonders:  Dave Kingman, Mark Grace, Hank Sauer, Stan Hack.  We're talking steroid cheats:  Sammy Sosa, GlenAllen Hill, Marlon Byrd.  We're talking about Hall of Famers,  Ernie Banks, Ron Santo, Billy Williams, Cap Anson, Andre Dawson.  And we're talking about Ryne Sandberg.

In the game on Monday (won by the Cubs 11-8 over the Cincinnati Reds), Bryant went 5 for 5 with THREE, count'em three homers and two doubles.  Drove in six runs, scored four times.  Bryant had a pretty good week on Monday.

Thirty two years and four days earlier, Ryne Sandberg had a game for the ages.  He went 5 for 6, two homeruns, drove in seven runs and scored twice.  Accumulated 11 total bases.

Now just looking at the those simple numbers you can make arguments.

Bryant had a better game:  Didn't make an out.  16 Total Bases.  Scored four runs.  Hit three homeruns.
Sandberg had a better game:  Drove in seven runs.  Well, based solely on the numbers, that's about the only argument you can make for Sandberg.

Yet the game Sandberg played in on Saturday, June 23rd 1984 (I didn't have to look up the date or the day) has endured historically for going on thirty-three years.  It has become LEGENDARY.  It launched an icon, an entire team and possibly a Hall of Fame induction.

Bryant's game was superior yet my belief is that it will fade into the franchise history to be mentioned along side of Tuffy Rhodes hitting three homeruns on Opening Day, Monday April 4, 1994 (I DID have to look up that day and date) off of Dwight Gooden.

Why?  Why would a historic performance like Bryant's not be considered THE GAME of the decade?  I have some thoughts.  I could be right (possible), I could be wrong (probable).  I'll let you decide.

Who Was Watching:  June 23rd, 1984 the Cubs played the Cardinals at Wrigley Field on NBC's National Game of the Week.  Bob Costas.  Tony Kubek.  This was before the MLB channel.  This was before ESPN picked up a baseball contract.  You either watched NBC's Game of the Week on Saturday or you watched your local affiliate to watch your local team.

Monday, June 27th, 2016 was a night game in Cincinnati.  To my knowledge the only live broadcast would have been the local Chicago and Cincinnati affiliates, and possibly a broadcast on the MLB package, if you subscribed, but even then you would tap into the Cincinnati or Chicago broadcast teams.

Expectations:  At the time of the game in 1984, the Cubs were in third place, one and a half games out of first - which for them was quite an accomplishment, and a record of 37-31, also quite an accomplishment.  Ten days earlier the Cubs acquired Rick Sutcliffe in a move that ultimately would launch them into the playoffs, but on June 23rd, no one knew that.  This still was a team that Dallas Green and Jim Frey were hoping would finish at .500.  Sandberg is in his third full season, and while most of Chicago can see he's something special (whether they are seeing it with their eyes or their heart at the time) he hadn't become RYNE SANDBERG to baseball . . . yet.  So this was a bit unexpected.

2016 the Cubs arrive anointed World Series Champions, even though they haven't sniffed a World Series game in 71 years and counting.  Kris Bryant is coming off a Rookie of the Year season last year and came to the Cubs as a very highly touted prospect.  Both he and Sandberg are 24 at the time of "their games".  Bryant is expected to do amazing things on the field, in the dugout and quite possibly in his sleep.

Context Of The Game:  After one and a half innings the Cubs were down 7-1*.  On National TV.  Against the rival Cardinals.  An emotional place many, many Cubs fans have been before.

*There are many interesting story lines aside from Ryne Sandberg's coming out party in the June 23rd, 1984 Cubs/Cardinals game.  We'll get to those below.

Sandberg hit his first homerun leading off the bottom of the 9th tying the game at 9.  Prior to that the Cubs had never led or been tied in the game.  Pretty good?  Yeah.  But why so great?  Wait for it.

He hit his second homerun of the game in the bottom of the 11th with two out and a runner on base to re-tie the game, this time at 11.

Bryant hit his first homerun in the 3rd inning putting the Cubs up 3-2.  His second homerun was in the 4th and gave the Cubs a 7-3 lead.  His third homerun was a solo shot in the 8th inning extending the Cubs lead to 8-7.

So while Bryant was having an amazing game and it turned out the Cubs pretty much needed every bit of offensive output he could muster, (final score 11-8) his last two homeruns gave the Cubs some scoring cushion.

Without Sandberg in the bottom of the 9th and again in the bottom of the 11th, Cub fans go home having watched a loss.

Hit It Off Who?:  The thing that elevated Sandberg into the stratosphere is that he stepped into the batter's box in the bottom of the 9th inning and faced Bruce Sutter.  Five time All-Star, Cy Young Award Winner, Four time league leader in Saves.  World Series Champion (with the Cardinals in 1982 where he won one game and saved two including Game 7).  Sutter was on his way to a career high of 45 Saves in 1984 and another (would be his 6th) All-Star appearance.  And Sandberg parked Sutter's pitch in the leftfield bleachers.

Then Sandberg came up in the in the 11th inning with two out, one on and his team trailing by two and faced . . . Sutter again.  And again he knocked it out of the park.

Bryant hit his homeruns off of Dan Straily, Dan Straily and Ross Ohlendorf.  Doesn't really have the same cache.

How Old Are You?:  Back in June of 1984 I was an impressionable, naive 18 year old.  Everything was bigger when it came to baseball and especially the Cubs.  My world revolved around them.  I certainly didn't have to concern myself with girls or a wide circle of friends as a distraction from absorbing everything about the Cubs into my soul.

June 2016 I'm 49.  Still a big Cubs fan but with a career and children, the Cubs don't absolutely dominate every part of my being anymore.  So on a personal level, the Sandberg game will always have a more lasting impact.

There could be other factors as well, but those are the one's that come readily to mind as to why Sandberg's game endures and Bryant's may well become a footnote.

As I mentioned, in 1984 the Cubs/Cardinals game had numerous story lines.  Some well documented, some not so much.

Something that was often overlooked immediately after the game but has since been mentioned consistently years after the fact - Willie McGee hit for the cycle.  In fact by the 7th or 8th inning it was customary for NBC to name a Player of the Game.  And so with the Cardinals leading and to that point Sandberg "only" having three singles in four at bats, NBC named Willie McGee the Player of the Game.  Not really a big deal since I think it was tied to some sponsorship thing and didn't really impact the players.  But after Sandberg's second homerun Costas commented to Kubek that they may need to rethink the Player of the Game honors.

Bruce Sutter, as the Cardinals CLOSER, entered the game IN THE BOTTOM OF THE 7TH INNING!  No one inning closing for Sutter.  This was before Tony LaRussa "invented" the 9th inning closer and Sutter, Gossage, etc. were closing games as early as the 7th inning.  Sutter pitched three and a third innings that day.

And perhaps my favorite story line.  The starting pitcher for the Cardinals that day was Ralph Citarella.  If you watch the broadcast and hear Tony Kubek say his name but you're not really paying attention it almost sounds like Ralph Cinderella.  But this wasn't a Cinderella story.  Citarella was staked to a 7-1 lead after two innings.  He pitched 5.1 innings, giving up five earned runs.  Not a great outing, but he did last long enough to qualify for the win.  And until Sandberg faced Sutter in the bottom of the 9th, Citarella was going to get the win.  But the Cardinals lost and Citarella received a No Decision.  Big deal, happens all the time right?  Starting pitchers lose win opportunities as often as the sun rises and sets.  But the point here is that Ralph Citarella NEVER won a major league game.  He appeared in three seasons for a total of 21 games and didn't record a win.  I often wonder if he thinks about this game and how close he came to winning a major league baseball game.