HR0715 93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0715 LRB093 21431 HSS 48179 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Chicago's National League Ball Club has been a part of the city's fabric for over a century, playing continuously in one city longer than any other baseball franchise; and

WHEREAS, Known back then as the Chicago White Stockings, the team played their first game on April 25, 1876, and went on to win the National League Championship that year; and

WHEREAS, The nickname "Chicago Cubs" was officially adopted in 1907, at a time when the Cubs fielded some of their best teams ever, and some of the best teams in the history of baseball; and

WHEREAS, During their tenure as Chicago's most popular sports franchise and one of the most storied in all of major league professional sports, the Cubs have fielded some of the best players in the history of the game; from the famous "Tinker to Evers to Chance" trio that recorded the game's first-ever double play in the 1902 season, to "Mr. Cub" Ernie Banks to Ron Santo, who redefined the term "sports hero" both on and off the field, to "Slammin" Sammy Sosa; and

WHEREAS, The Cubs popularity on the field was equaled by that of their legendary broadcasters in the booth, Jack Brickhouse and Harry Caray, who made the phrases "Hey Hey!" and "Holy Cow!" an integral part of the city's vocabulary; and

WHEREAS, In the 1907 and 1908 seasons, the Chicago Cubs became the first team to win back-to-back World Series; and

WHEREAS, Since that time, fate has not been kind to our beloved Cubs, denying them even a single postseason series victory between 1945 and 2003; and

WHEREAS, For almost six decades, Cubs fans have been forced to endure heartache and dashed hopes to an extent unknown by fans of any other sports team on this planet; and

WHEREAS, The defeat of the Atlanta Braves in five games in the 2003 playoffs marked the end of that cruel and unjust 58 year streak; and

WHEREAS, The residents of the proud city of Chicago recognize that a certain foul ball that shall remain nameless was not the beginning of the end, but rather was a mere detour on the Cubs return to glory; and

WHEREAS, A new day has dawned in Chicago, and hope has returned to the bricks and ivy that are belovedly known as the "Friendly Confines"; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that as of today, February 27th, 2004, the Cubs Curse shall be no more and that "next year" has finally arrived; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Chicago Cubs and their fans across the country and around the world can look forward to many future winning seasons.