A math question you won't find on the SAT
Complete the following series:
1984, 1989, 1998, 2003, ?

The answer of course is 2007. The pattern is, in which years have the Cubs made the playoffs since their 1945 World Series loss?

I'm trying hard to maintain some emotional distance. October 2003 was one of the most stressful months I've ever experienced. I remember driving to Homecoming at Alma on a Friday night, listening to the game against the Braves. We hastily checked in to our hotel and turned the TV in the room on to catch the end. The Cubs won that game, and looked good doing it, and I got teary-eyed and sobbed, "We're going to the World Series!" But then the Marlins series happened, and Bartman, and Gonzales's error, and Sammy's monster home run, and after being up 3-1 we lost the next three in a row. I cried when we lost, but about five minutes later felt this huge weight lift off me, like the sun had come out and I suddenly had my life back. It's too bad that weight wasn't lifted by a WS win but oh well.

We don't know who we're playing in the first round because the National League is all up in the air. We'll just wait and see, because other than (for some unknown reason) the Marlins, every NL team is beatable. That Cubs-Red Sox series we've dreamed of is a definite possibility (though our affectionate kinship with the Sox has faded since they had to go and break their winless streak!).

GO CUBS!


- posted by Diane @ 9:48 AM