Write Team: Thanks, guys, for the memories

It has been almost a week since the dismantling of the Chicago Cubs took place.

World Series star Anthony Rizzo was sent to the New York Yankees, Javy Baez to the New York Mets and Kris Bryant to San Francisco to join the Giants.

When the Cubs won the World Series in 2016, I wrote the following column, mainly focusing on the history of the Cubs finally winning the World Series after what seemed to be 1,000 years. Here is the column from 2016:

“History that was made in Cleveland, Ohio, when after 108 years, the Chicago Cubs won the World Series, defeating the Cleveland Indians in the 10th inning by one run. It was, as they say, the stuff that dreams are made of.

It was virtually impossible to be an uncommitted fan of the Cubs this year. Oh, there were times when things were looking bleak and fair-weather fans, truthfully like me, gave up hope and moved on to other activities. I ended up watching more football when the series was in Chicago for those middle three games than I watched baseball. But the allure of the magic always drew me back to the Cubs.

One dynamic I was not ready for was how this year’s post season brought my family together. Both kids were home for games six and seven and my oldest daughter pointed out that this was the first time our family had EVER watched a baseball game together, laughing, screaming at the TV, enjoying each other’s company as much as the game.

For those of you who have read my columns over the years, you know that, at the end of the day, I’m not much of a baseball fan. Football is, and will always be, my favorite sport with basketball trailing a distant second. But, as I willfully confessed on social media, I am a willing participant in bandwagon-jumping. Yes, I did scrape my knee jumping on (and off a few times), but in the end, we were together, yelling victorious Bon Mots toward the victorious North Siders.

If you are known by the company you keep, the company of Cubs fans that I know are made up of a list of some good and decent people. Dave Wishnowsky, perhaps the biggest Cubs fan I know and fellow writer here at the Times, kept us all on track with regular and insightful observations that gave both actual and anecdotal facts about the Cubs chances. Dave, as the say, kept me in the game. Congrats, Dave.

Betty McDowell is one of my favorite people in the world and I am thrilled for her after this win. We agonized last year when things didn’t work out as we wished, but her unwavering faith in the Cubs is truly an inspiration. Congrats, Betty.

Likewise, Dave McClure’s wise and sage observations mirrored my own at times and the fact that we were on the same page gave me true confidence that all was well. Thanks, and congrats, Dave.”

To say there was no joy in Muddville the last week or so would be a real understatement. As tends to happen, players we love, we still follow, and so we all were excited when Rizzo hit a home run for the Yankees during his first game in New York. Chicago fans can see Rizzo again when the Yankees travel to Iowa to play the White Sox in the Field of Dreams on Aug. 12. Baez hit a home run in his first game with the Mets, and so did Bryant with the Giants.

Thanks, guys, for the memories. It was quite a run.

• Jonathan Freeburg is an Ottawa transplant for the past 26 years and a regular contributor to 1430 WCMY Radio. His real job is in insurance as a cover-holder for Lloyd’s of London. He can be reached at dbarichello@shawmedia.com.