Joe Stevenson: Looking for a good omen, Cubs fans? Here he is

Pittsburgh resident Keith Reynolds thinks Dos Equis might have picked the wrong new actor for its “Most Interesting Man in the World” advertising campaign.

Reynolds considers his friend Brooks Marzka, who has seen more good fortune from his sports teams this year than, well, maybe anyone, far more interesting.

Change one word, and Marzka certainly would deserve the title: “Most Interesting Fan in the World.”

Marzka, who lives in Pittsburgh, gained some notoriety Sunday night when he snagged the home run hit by the Cleveland Indians’ Jose Ramirez in the second inning of World Series Game 5 at Wrigley Field. The former NCAA Division I outfielder chucked the ball back onto the field. It went all the way to Cubs shortstop Addison Russell, but Marzka claimed he missed his target.

“Some fan reached for me the second I [threw] it. I think he saved Ramirez,” Marzka said. “I wanted to do some skeet shooting.”

In his column about the Cubs’ thrilling 3-2 Game 5 victory, which cut Cleveland’s Series lead to 3-2, the Northwest Herald’s Tom Musick wrote about the Cubs’ fans tradition of throwing back opponents’ home run balls. “About three seconds later, a fan angrily heaved the ball back over the wall. Cubs shortstop Addison Russell caught it on the fly. Thousands of strangers cheered in approval,” Musick wrote.

Musick was dead-on about the “angrily” part.

“I felt bad (about throwing to Russell),” Marzka said. “I was trying to hit Ramirez.”

Marzka graduated from Coastal Carolina in 2000, where he played right field for the Chanticleers. This brings us to the start of his amazing sports year.

Marzka, 39, was there with his 10-year-old daughter, Sophia, when the Chanticleers won the College World Series in Omaha. Then he was there when the Pittsburgh Penguins won the Stanley Cup. And, he was there when the Cleveland Cavaliers won the NBA Finals.

Marzka, an oil and gas abstractor who has season tickets in the bleachers (it’s the only place he will sit at Wrigley Field) is 3 for 3 in 2016. If you’re looking for an omen, Cubs fans, here is your guy.

So how did a kid from Erie, Pennsylvania, become a Cubs fan? As Marzka says, there is a story with all his teams.

Living in Pittsburgh for 15 years, becoming a Steelers fan was an automatic. The same with the Penguins. For the Cavs, it was Marzka’s uncle Ron Shilling, a huge LeBron James fan. A couple of years ago, they went to games together, and when Shilling died of cancer, Marzka took over his season tickets.

One afternoon in 1984 at his grandfather Fritz Marzka’s house turned Brooks into a Cubs fan. He watched Ryne Sandberg drive a ball onto Waveland Avenue and listened to Harry Caray’s, “It might be … it could be … it is!” and he was hooked.

“It was the coolest thing I ever saw in my life,” Marzka said.

Brooks and his father, Terry, drove from Erie to Chicago and sat in the stands. Brooks met Caray once.

“He was larger than life; he was jovial and cool,” Marzka said.

On one afternoon, about 25 years ago, Terry got someone to toss Brooks a ball in the bleachers during batting practice. Brooks threw it all the way to the infield grass. Sandberg tossed it back and forth with him a few times.

“It was one of my favorite moments there,” said Marzka, while driving to Cleveland for however many games are remaining in the Series.

Marzka starred at Coastal Carolina, leading the Chants in hits, doubles and homers in 1999, and again in hits and doubles in 2000. He was named to the Big South Conference’s All-Decade team for 1990 to '99.

Cubs fans look at starting pitchers Jake Arrieta (2015 Cy Young winner) and Kyle Hendricks (possible 2016 Cy Young) and find hope despite trailing, 3-2, in the Series.

They also can look at The Most Interesting Fan in the World with his incredible winning streak.

“I can’t (believe it),” Marzka said. “When the Pens won, I told everyone it was going to be my year, and I’m 3 for 3 so far. I got a shot with the Cubbies. There is hope again.”

• Joe Stevenson is a senior sports writer for the Northwest Herald. He can be reached by email at joestevenson@shawmedia.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @nwh_JoePrepZone.