The Chicago Cubs welcomed a lot of new fans on the bandwagon during this historic season who don’t really understand the kind of perseverance required to love the team.
We’re talking about a team that hadn’t won it all in 108 years – a team that hadn’t even been to the World Series since 1945.
Folks who just started pulling for the Cubs this year because Chicago seemed to be a team of destiny have no idea of the heartbreaks associated with pulling for a team that considered itself cursed.
Zack Richardson isn’t one of those fans.
The ever-present Cubs baseball cap has always been a sign that the Yazoo City business owner is faithful to the team, but Richardson is more than a casual fan.
His oldest son is named Wrigley after Wrigley Field, and his youngest son is named Riley Banks, as a tribute to the late Cubs Hall of Famer.
“Wrigley has no choice but to be a Cubs fan,” Richardson said. “I tried to name Riley Ernie Banks, but my wife wouldn’t let me.”
When his business sponsored a local little league team, it was of course known as the Cubbies. He helped coach the team, and his son Wrigley was an all-star second baseman.
He even has a Cubs tattoo.
Many men have trouble remembering the exact date they fell in love with their wife, but Richardson doesn’t hesitate when asked when he became a Cubs fan.
“July 16, 1991.”
That was the day Richardson traveled to Atlanta with his family to see the Cubs take on the Braves at Fulton County Stadium.
Like most baseball fans in the Southeast, his family was pulling for the Braves, but something happened during that game that changed Richardson forever.
“Ryne Sandberg hit a home run in the third inning,” he said. “Even though the Cubs lost, I saw my first home run. I’ve been hooked since that.”
Richardson has many great memories of the team over the years, and he can easily recall the year that memorable moments happened.
“One of my favorite memories was in 1998 when Kerry Wood came up and struck out 20 Astros,” he said.
Wood was a 20-year-old rookie in that game, and it is considered by many to be the best single-game pitching performance of all time.
In addition to Ryne Sandberg, some other players Richardson loved to watch over the years included Shawon Dunston, Andre “The Hawk” Dawson and Mark Grace.
He fondly remembers the home run race between Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa and St. Louis Cardinal Mark McGwire in 1998.
Richardson travels to Chicago to catch a game at Wrigley Field at least once a year.
“The first game that I ever went to at Wrigley was with a friend who was dating the daughter of the team’s general manager so we got tickets right behind home plate,” he said. “The Cubs beat the Cardinals at my first game at Wrigley.”
Richardson and his friend Matt King took a train from Yazoo City to Chicago just to soak in the atmosphere. They didn’t think they would be able to get tickets.
“We just wanted to be there, but once finally arrived I finally said, ‘We didn’t come this far not to go,’” he said.
Fortunately, ticket prices dropped significantly after the Cubs lost two games, and Richardson found himself experiencing a dream come true. He was actually watching the Cubs play in the World Series at Wrigley Field.
“I always said that if they made it I would go, but I never really thought it would happen,” he said.
When the Cubs found themselves having to win both games at Cleveland, Richardson still had high hopes, but as a veteran Cubs fan he was prepared for the worst.
“I figured it was a good season, win or lose,” he said. “Of course I wanted them to win, and I thought that they could pull it off.”
It seemed appropriate that the Cubs had to win the World Series the hard way. It took all seven games, and an Indians rally forced an extra inning. A rain delay prolonged the game past midnight.
Richardson admitted he was a little sleepy at work Thursday, but it was a burden he was glad to bear.
The best part is that he’s confident that the Cubs will be serious contenders in the years to come. This team is no one-hit-wonder.
“The team’s main nucleus is 26 and under,” he said. “Those kids are all going to be around for several years at least. We’ll have to pick up a pitcher here and there, but they’ve got the talent in the farm system to make the trades to get what’s needed. With the guys who are running things, I think success is here to stay.”
And while many longtime Cubs fans seem to resent some of the new fans who didn’t join the party until good times arrived, Richardson sees it as a good thing.
“When you have fair weather fans, that means you’re doing something right,” he said. “It means your team is doing good.”
