Local Cubs Fans Savoring The Moment
October 28, 2016 at 4:21 p.m.
Local Cubs Fans Savoring The Moment
By Dale [email protected]
For the past 47 seasons, Locke, like some Cubs fans in Kosciusko County have done for a lifetime, has been waiting for a season as magical as the one the North Siders are currently in.
The Cubs won the National League pennant Saturday night and are playing in the World Series for the first time since 1945.
Chicago hasn’t won a World Series championship since 1908.
Tonight, with the best-of-seven series against the Cleveland Indians tied 1-1, Game 3 of the Fall Classic is scheduled for 8 p.m. EST at Wrigley Field.
Kyle Hendricks will be on the mound for Chicago, while Josh Tomlin is slated to start for the Indians, who haven’t won the World Series since 1948.
The Cubs have broken the hearts of their fans for decades, and have even been referred to as the “lovable losers.”
Locke, who has lived here since 1988, came to be a Cubs fan the same way so many others have ... it was passed down from family, as well as a connection with his hometown.
“I grew up in Marshalltown, Iowa, and I went to Anson Jr. High School,” said Locke. “Cap Anson was born in Marshalltown. He was the first big Cubs player. They were the Chicago White Stockings back then, but they became the Cubs. Anson was the first big Cub, basically.
“There was always that interest in my hometown, so I was connected to the Cubs that way, but really I’m a Cubs fan because of my grandpa. My grandpa always had the Cubs games on. When I was a kid, we always talked about the Cubs.
“My dad was more skeptical because he had bet and lost a ton of money on the Cubs in the 1945 World Series when he was coming home from the war. My dad was more of a Cubs hater than a Cubs fan, and I don’t think he ever forgave the Cubs for that. Me being a Cubs fan definitely came from my grandpa.”
Locke says him being a Cubs fan has a lot to do with his friendship with Dave Hamrick, a loyal fan who grew up in Huntington after moving from Aurora, Ill, and who later moved to Warsaw.
The two met as members of the Rotary Club, and their love for the Cubs has certainly strengthened their bond.
“We’re both in the Warsaw Rotary Club, and we struck up a quick friendship basically because of the Cubs thing,” said Locke. “He and I have gone to a game together for quite a while now. We’ve kind of made that an annual tradition, and we go back and forth about the Cubs all the time.”
The last game Locke and Hamrick were at together was certainly one to remember.
They went to Wrigley Field on Aug. 18, a day after Locke’s birthday, and saw the Cubs beat the Milwaukee Brewers 9-6.
In that win, not only did Chicago sweep the series with the Brewers, but Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant went 5 for 5 and hit two home runs and a double.
“I’ve been to a ton of Cubs games, but it was the greatest game I’ve ever been to,” said Locke. “I was at a game when George Brett hit multiple home runs in a playoff game for the Royals, but the game this year in Chicago, that was incredible. What George Brett did was incredible, but since the game this year involved a Cub, I’d say that was the greatest gave I’ve ever been to.
“And you kinda knew then the Cubs were going somewhere. You just knew.”
Hamrick got his love for the Cubs from his dad.
Hamrick said he remembers going to his first game at Wrigley Field when he was 5 years old, and how his dad, like many fans over the years, was loyal to keeping a scorecard.
“I grew up in Huntington, but how I became a Cubs fans is ... originally we lived in Illinois, in Aurora, outside of Chicago,” said the 50-year-old Hamrick. “My dad was a Cubs fan, and he took me to my first game when I was 5.
“He was an adamant Cubs fan. He would get the program, and he would sit there and keep track of balls, strikes, hits and all that.
“I remember one of my first games, I had to go to the bathroom. I’m a little kid, I’m like 5 years old. I told my dad I had to go to the bathroom, and he says ‘OK, go, I’m keeping score.’ So I just went. Nowadays you wouldn’t dream of doing that, and he caught heck from mom about that, but yeah, I grew up a Cubs fan. We always watched them on WGN, listening to Jack Brickhouse.”
Hamrick said growing up his Cubs heros were Ron Santo, Ernie Banks and Billy Williams.
Being at Wrigley Field when he was 5, Hamrick said one of his early impressions of the ballpark was the size of it.
“What I remember about being there when I was so young was the size of the park,” said Hamrick. “It’s not a huge park, but when you’re a little kid it’s like ‘wow’, you know, just being in such a big place like that. There was a lot of excitement.”
Both Locke and Hamrick admitted they were overcome with emotion Saturday night when the Cubs turned the double play to beat the Dodgers in Game 6 of the NLCS and advance to the World Series.
Hamrick said if the Cubs complete their journey and win it all for the first time in 108 years, that his neighbors have already been warned it’s going to be loud in the neighborhood.
“When they won the NLCS championship game the other night, there was quite a bit of emotion,” said Hamrick. “I warned my friends on Facebook, and my neighbors, I said ‘get ready because it’s going to be loud.’
“I was shooting off fireworks. I had a bottle of champagne. I was ready to go. I’ve already told my neighbors, if they win the World Series it’s going to be chaos.”
For the past 47 seasons, Locke, like some Cubs fans in Kosciusko County have done for a lifetime, has been waiting for a season as magical as the one the North Siders are currently in.
The Cubs won the National League pennant Saturday night and are playing in the World Series for the first time since 1945.
Chicago hasn’t won a World Series championship since 1908.
Tonight, with the best-of-seven series against the Cleveland Indians tied 1-1, Game 3 of the Fall Classic is scheduled for 8 p.m. EST at Wrigley Field.
Kyle Hendricks will be on the mound for Chicago, while Josh Tomlin is slated to start for the Indians, who haven’t won the World Series since 1948.
The Cubs have broken the hearts of their fans for decades, and have even been referred to as the “lovable losers.”
Locke, who has lived here since 1988, came to be a Cubs fan the same way so many others have ... it was passed down from family, as well as a connection with his hometown.
“I grew up in Marshalltown, Iowa, and I went to Anson Jr. High School,” said Locke. “Cap Anson was born in Marshalltown. He was the first big Cubs player. They were the Chicago White Stockings back then, but they became the Cubs. Anson was the first big Cub, basically.
“There was always that interest in my hometown, so I was connected to the Cubs that way, but really I’m a Cubs fan because of my grandpa. My grandpa always had the Cubs games on. When I was a kid, we always talked about the Cubs.
“My dad was more skeptical because he had bet and lost a ton of money on the Cubs in the 1945 World Series when he was coming home from the war. My dad was more of a Cubs hater than a Cubs fan, and I don’t think he ever forgave the Cubs for that. Me being a Cubs fan definitely came from my grandpa.”
Locke says him being a Cubs fan has a lot to do with his friendship with Dave Hamrick, a loyal fan who grew up in Huntington after moving from Aurora, Ill, and who later moved to Warsaw.
The two met as members of the Rotary Club, and their love for the Cubs has certainly strengthened their bond.
“We’re both in the Warsaw Rotary Club, and we struck up a quick friendship basically because of the Cubs thing,” said Locke. “He and I have gone to a game together for quite a while now. We’ve kind of made that an annual tradition, and we go back and forth about the Cubs all the time.”
The last game Locke and Hamrick were at together was certainly one to remember.
They went to Wrigley Field on Aug. 18, a day after Locke’s birthday, and saw the Cubs beat the Milwaukee Brewers 9-6.
In that win, not only did Chicago sweep the series with the Brewers, but Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant went 5 for 5 and hit two home runs and a double.
“I’ve been to a ton of Cubs games, but it was the greatest game I’ve ever been to,” said Locke. “I was at a game when George Brett hit multiple home runs in a playoff game for the Royals, but the game this year in Chicago, that was incredible. What George Brett did was incredible, but since the game this year involved a Cub, I’d say that was the greatest gave I’ve ever been to.
“And you kinda knew then the Cubs were going somewhere. You just knew.”
Hamrick got his love for the Cubs from his dad.
Hamrick said he remembers going to his first game at Wrigley Field when he was 5 years old, and how his dad, like many fans over the years, was loyal to keeping a scorecard.
“I grew up in Huntington, but how I became a Cubs fans is ... originally we lived in Illinois, in Aurora, outside of Chicago,” said the 50-year-old Hamrick. “My dad was a Cubs fan, and he took me to my first game when I was 5.
“He was an adamant Cubs fan. He would get the program, and he would sit there and keep track of balls, strikes, hits and all that.
“I remember one of my first games, I had to go to the bathroom. I’m a little kid, I’m like 5 years old. I told my dad I had to go to the bathroom, and he says ‘OK, go, I’m keeping score.’ So I just went. Nowadays you wouldn’t dream of doing that, and he caught heck from mom about that, but yeah, I grew up a Cubs fan. We always watched them on WGN, listening to Jack Brickhouse.”
Hamrick said growing up his Cubs heros were Ron Santo, Ernie Banks and Billy Williams.
Being at Wrigley Field when he was 5, Hamrick said one of his early impressions of the ballpark was the size of it.
“What I remember about being there when I was so young was the size of the park,” said Hamrick. “It’s not a huge park, but when you’re a little kid it’s like ‘wow’, you know, just being in such a big place like that. There was a lot of excitement.”
Both Locke and Hamrick admitted they were overcome with emotion Saturday night when the Cubs turned the double play to beat the Dodgers in Game 6 of the NLCS and advance to the World Series.
Hamrick said if the Cubs complete their journey and win it all for the first time in 108 years, that his neighbors have already been warned it’s going to be loud in the neighborhood.
“When they won the NLCS championship game the other night, there was quite a bit of emotion,” said Hamrick. “I warned my friends on Facebook, and my neighbors, I said ‘get ready because it’s going to be loud.’
“I was shooting off fireworks. I had a bottle of champagne. I was ready to go. I’ve already told my neighbors, if they win the World Series it’s going to be chaos.”
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