Magic #4 and #79

So after a Saturday and Sunday where the Cubs won and the Brew-crew lost, the "magic number" is down to four. This means that any combination of Cub wins and Brewers losses which equal 4 has the Cubs clinching the Central division and a playoff spot.

Mary Kay and I were there on Saturday and the atmosphere is that of 2003, 1998, 1989 and 1984. It's happiness heaving from every aisle. It's people of all types being friendly to each other and leaving their worries at the turnstiles (although those aren't used anymore).

Mary Kay was amazing in attending the game. Given that she's constantly tired from the pregnancy and everything that comes with that (frequent bathroom runs and the newly found gestational diabetes), she was a trooper and still wanted to see the Cubbies on their way to post-season folly. Thanks to one of the best friends' in the world, Richard Owen, we were able to swap our season tickets (Upper Deck Box) for his "other" set of season tickets down in Field Box so that MK didn't have to walk the ramps up to our seats in the UD. Saturday's "magic number" was 79, which meant 79 days until Baby Lo's birth.

So it's looking like playoff baseball (again) in the year that my son will be born. It IS only fitting as this kid already has two Cubs jerseys, a Cubs winbreaker/pants combo, his "my first Cubs hat" hat and sipper bottles and other things bought for him. So the only question left is whether or not the "curse" is passed on, or, he's born the prodigal son of a championship team. Either way, his very own personalized paver brick will be bought upon his birth and placed into the walkway around Wrigley for the 2008 season. (Hopefully close to mommy and daddy's brick which is in the Mark Grace section, 3rd column from the right and just under some asian sounding named folks).

The Cubs have gone to a four man rotation at the moment, getting these guys ready to pitch frequently as is known to happen during the limited amounts of playoff games. Given our record we likely will not have home field advantage at any stage of this campaign although the wild card race is getting a bit dicey. This means the first playoff games since 2003 will be on October 6th and 7th. Based on all the talk amongst our season ticket group, Richard and I will likely be going on the 7th (also Bears v Packers that day). That would be game 4 prior to heading back to the other teams' city (if we haven't won it by then).

Hold on to your hats folks, the ride is going to be worse than a roller coaster.