baseball

The Dodgers might not want to come to Chicago if it means facing the Cubs, or rather the thousands of dedicated Cubs fans.

The Cubs didn't install lights at Wrigley Field until 1988, but they were on the cutting edge of baseball technology tonight, as the instant replay made its Major League debut at the Friendly Confines.

And baseball may never be the same.

With the Cubbies pounding the competition on a regular basis at Wrigley Field, tickets are harder to come by than ever before.

Gone are the days when you could show up to the park at 1:19 and catch an afternoon ballgame in the shaded comfort of the upper deck. Even the worst seats in the house were sold out by April this year.

What a weekend for Cubs fans! The South Side three-game invasion of the Friendly Confines included two rollercoaster rides, one walk in the park and an unexpected rap duel.

Welcome to Nearly Next Year! I hope this blog will help Cubs fans gain a deeper appreciation for their team, their fellow fans and the traditions and culture associated with bleeding Cubbie blue. After all, this is the year! And if not, there's always next year. (But so far, so good!)

To kick things off, I want to delve into an issue that has been bothering me since the beginning of the baseball season.

Stepping out onto the lush, green grass at Northeastern Illinois University for the first time this spring, it suddenly occurred to Chris Beacom just how much of an impact baseball could have on a community.