Cubs Blog: A Day 108 Years in the Making

Five minutes before 2:00 a.m., my phone alarm sounds. I shut it off right away, it's not like I really slept at all anyways. The Cubs have a World Series Championship to celebrate today, it all still feels like a dream and I'm not ready to wake up yet. I grab my bag that I packed the night before and head out the door. It's only about a couple of hours drive to Chicago from my home in Eureka, IL; this November morning it only felt like a few minutes.

4:45 a.m. at a train station in Downers Grove, IL. A large group of Cubs fans wait for a train already loaded with other Cubs fans. The open seats are sparse, the smiles aren't. Strangers of all ages and backgrounds high-five and share stories. Every stop headed to Chicago more passengers load, more smiles and stories. Seeing train-car after train-car unload at Union Station in downtown Chicago, I know what I saw didn't happen in just my car.

It's almost 6:00 a.m. CT as I walk downtown and already thousands are beginning to gather along Michigan Avenue. Fans gathered at gates on Jackson Drive and Congress Parkway, ready to wait for hours. People cheered and chanted as WGN and ABC broadcasted live on-location. Fans with speakers played "Go Cubs Go" on repeat. Brave souls climbed traffic lights and pillars to fly their W flags. This city had waited 108 long painful years to celebrate their North Siders, they didn't want to wait any longer.

Hours passed and thousands more joined us at the gates as the sun began to rise. The gates opened at 9:00 a.m. and the rush began. Cubs fans sprinted through the paved trails of Grant Park and into the open fields leading up to the stage. The fields were soaked and muddy from the rain earlier in the week. Nobody cared. The thousands from the streets in the early hours of the morning multiplied into tens of thousands, reaching an ultimate sum of over 100,000. Images of the parade were broadcasted over projection screens stationed around the park as WGN anchors described the scene, nobody could've expected what was to come next. As the parade worked from Lake Shore Drive to Michigan Avenue the images of the parade showed just how many people were ready to celebrate this historic team. The WGN anchors turned silent, the thousands of fans packed into Grant Park watched in awe as the images of the estimated 5 million people flashed across the screens. The sound of applause grew louder, until the images started to show the players unloading the 42 busses. The champions; our champions had arrived.

Gary Pressy, the fantastic Wrigley Field organist of nearly three decades took the stage and began to play the music Cubs fans were so accustomed to hearing at the ballpark. Chicago Cubs radio play-by-play announcer and celebration MC kicked off the celebration by introducing Wayne Messmer to sing The Star Spangled Banner. Pat proceeded to introduce Cubs legends Ryne Sandberg and Billy Williams, followed by the Ricketts family. Tom Ricketts spoke to the packed crowd and thanked them for their patience and support while enduring the rebuild of the Cubs organization; both on the diamond, and around Wrigley Field. Ricketts introduced the business office of the Cubs organization and President of Business Operations, Crane Kenny. Ricketts then turned the podium to Theo Epstein, who as well thanked Cubs fans for their patience during his 5 years as President of Baseball Operations. The usually stoic Epstein cracked jokes and let his emotions show while speaking about the journey this has been. Theo then introduced Cubs Manager Joe Maddon, who carried the Commissioner's Trophy up to the stage like it was his own newborn child. Maddon spoke of his journey from a scout, to a a hitting instructor, to a minor league manager, to bench coach, to Manager of the Tampa Bay Rays, to Manager of the World Series Champion Chicago Cubs. Maddon thanked Cubs fans for their acceptance and support over his tenure as Manager of the Cubs. Maddon handed the microphone back over to Hughes; it was time to introduce the players. Pat Hughes introduced the players one-by-one. Some players stopped by the podium to speak a few words; free agent-to-be Dexter Fowler spoke a few words of thanks, Jon Lester dropped a line, World Series MVP Ben Zobrist also chimed in. Anthony Rizzo was introduced and walked to the podium. As he approached, he pulled a ball from his back pocket.

"I got a text message from my friend yesterday, that there's a piece of history that's going for 3 million dollars, and that's this last out of the World Series," Rizzo said as he extended the ball over his head. "Everyone came here to do one thing, and that's win the World Series. The man that really made this happen is our owner, Mr. Tom Ricketts. He sacrificed everything for the Chicago Cubs and this city, and it only feels right for me to hand this ball over to Mr. Ricketts."

Rizzo then changed tones and began to speak about David Ross. Rizzo spoke about the influence Ross has had on his life as a ballplayer, and a person. Rizzo put his emotions on full display as the crowd chanted "Grandpa Rossy." Ross hugged Rizzo, thanked him for his kind words, and walked to the podium.

"Look what the guys got me!" Ross shouted as he motioned to the Commissioner's Trophy. Ross thanked the Cubs organization, the city of Chicago, and the fans for bringing him in and letting him leave a champion. Ross had one final request; a selfie with all of Chicago.

Country music singer Brett Eldridge took the stage to lead an acoustic rendition of "Go Cubs Go", sung by 100,000 strong. World Series highlights followed, fireworks and confetti cannons fired, "We Are the Champions" played on repeat. Cubs fans young and old hugged, high-fived, laughed, cried, and took pictures; this was the center of the Cubs universe and nobody wanted to leave. Eventually the crowd began to disperse; the rally was over, the party was far from it.

It was early afternoon and I wasn't ready to call it quits yet. I worked my way through the crowd and to the Red Line on my way to Wrigley Field. The streets were packed. Crowds streamed out of every business in the neighborhood. People old and young gathered by the famous marquee that read "World Series Champions" to get their picture taken. W flags flew on top of the stadium wherever there was a pole to hang it from. Names written in chalk covered the sidewalks and walls of Wrigley Field. Wrigley Field has often been described as a ballpark lost in time. As the sun began to set in northern Chicago, I began to think it resembled more that of a dream; a dream no Chicago Cubs player, employee, or fan ever wants to rouse from.