August had finally arrived for the Cubs and it came with a winning streak. The Cubs were different ball team than they were before the All-Star break and it was pitching that was getting the job done.  All the pitchers in the starting rotation were doing well.  Ryan Dempster had only lost 3 games so far in the season and had a perfect record at home.  Lilly had only lost 5 games – he had won all of his games after the All-Star Break and overcame a 1-5 record. He was perfect on the road.  And Big Z, well, he was dominating everybody with his fastball. As the Cubs pregame was getting underway on WGN with Len and Bob this is what they were talking about. But they also mentioned that the Cubs offense which had been in a slumber the first half of the season had come alive.  For the month of July, the Cubs had the best record in baseball and more importantly they were having fun, as Len and Bob pointed out during their pre-game broadcast. But this day in August when the Milwaukee Brewers were in town marked a big day for the Cubs, at least it was for some people.

Ryan Larson was making his debut back from the DL list after almost three months. No one knew if Ryan was really ready to be back, but he was cleared to play and the best way to see if he was a hundred percent was to let him pitch in the majors.  Ryan was a little bit nervous and it looked like during warm-ups he was having some control issues with the fastball and the sinker, but the true test would be on the mound during the game, and he was facing a tough lineup for the Brewers. However, he had had some success against them before.  Chris was at the game to see Ryan pitch as well as Tara, his girlfriend. She had been to quite a few games this year despite her work. Of course, this was a big one. And then there was Mary Larson, Ryan and Amy’s mother, she had to be there to see if he was really ready to be back…we all know how mothers can be. 

            Amy was sitting in the broadcasters’ booth where media usually sat to cover the game.  The reporter from the Chicago Tribune who usually covered the Cubs saw her and walked over. His name was Mike and he was a jackass. That’s what most people thought about him and Amy hated him probably more than most — she could handle him being a jackass, but he thought he knew baseball when in truth he didn’t know a thing. That’s what annoyed her more than anything and the fact that he really didn’t know anything about the Cubs, which was just an insult to the team and the newspaper he worked for since he was there covering the Cubs. Mike always said snide remarks to her and it was his way of flirting, which just came off creepy more than anything.  He walked over to her and said “Well I guess we’re going to see if your brother is like your grandfather or like your dad today…the perpetual screw up under pressure.”

            Amy gave him a dirty look and said. “I don’t need to hear how women describe you in bed.” The people around her heard what she said and started laughing including Ron Santo who was broadcasting for WGN radio. He was only about 10 feet from Amy and had to give her a smile and thumbs up for her clever retort. No one really liked this guy and he couldn’t just keep his mouth shut, he had to respond. “I always new kitty liked to play.”

            Amy gave him another dirty look and replied. “And you wonder why no woman would marry you or go out with you, for that matter. Once a creep, always a creep!” As she finished her comment the game was about to get underway, the national anthem was finishing.  Now it was time to see if Mike was right about her brother, but something else occurred to Amy. It was a beautiful day at Wrigley field and as Ernie Banks was fond of saying, “it’s a great day to play too!” That’s the way she felt every time she was at an afternoon game at Wrigley Field and the sun was shining…it always seemed to shine a little extra brighter over Wrigley Field, but then again that was just a fan’s perspective.

            The game started and it didn’t take Ryan Larson long to get the first out. Two pitches and he made the batter pop it up behind the plate to where Soto, the catcher, could get the out. Ryan would walk the next batter, his fast ball was getting away from him and coming too much off the plate causing to him not to throw strikes.  Ryan gave up his first hit of the game with the third batter; his slider didn’t have enough movement on it because the batter hit a little blooper to shallow right field.  But despite the rocky start Ryan was able to make the fourth batter hit into a double play. So far so good, Ryan thought, but his wrist did hurt a little bit. 

            Ryan was able to get through the next few innings without much trouble. He was pitching smart without having to use a fastball– he was pitching inside and making the batters chase his curveball for strikes, but even he knew that he couldn’t keep that up before they figured out what he was doing and he wouldn’t have a curveball left.  It was working through the first four innings. Most fans would say that he was having a strong outing so far, but not many knew that he was compensating because his fastball was off the map and the sinker was ending up in the dirt. The Cubs were able to get a few runs in the bottom of the fourth to help Ryan. In the fifth inning was when the wheels started to come off for him. He was at 85 pitches after walking the first batter.  The next batter hit a double putting a man on second and third.  Ryan then walked the next batter loading the bases.  Soto called for time and went to the mound to see if Ryan was okay and to give him a breather.  He asked him. “You alright? The curve doesn’t have much on it anymore.”

            Ryan replied. “I’m fine, just not getting the movement I want on the ball.”

            “Is your wrist hurting?”

            “Not enough to make me go out of the game.”

            “Well you’ve been pitching inside good. Try and hit the corners and perhaps you can get the next guy out.”

            Before Ryan could say anything, Larry, the pitching coach, was already at the mound to check on his starter. He looked at Ryan and said. “Well Larson, you’re making things interesting now. Are you feeling alright?”

            “I wish everybody would quit asking me that.”

            “How long has the wrist been hurting?”

            “Since May,” Ryan replied.

            “You want to come out or do you think you can get out of the inning? I’ll give you a chance to get out of the inning, but you’re coming out after that.”

            “I can get these guys out.

            Larry smiled and said. “Alright we’re going to see. Get some breaking balls inside and some changeups…trying making them pop it up so we can get them out.”

            Ryan nodded in agreement and Larry patted him on the fanny and walked back to the dugout.  Ryan threw a change up and made the next batter pop it up around first base. D-Lee was there to get it for the first out.  But he couldn’t get the next batter to fall for it.  He hit a blooper into centerfield and that allowed the men on second and third base to score.  The Cubs only had a one run lead after that.  Ryan lost his patience after that and slammed his glove down on the mound.

            Amy was hanging her head in the press room at what happened. Len and Bob, the Cubs announcers, both commented that Ryan was mad and needed to regain his composure. Even Ron Santo commented on the air for WGN Radio. “Looks like Larson has let the fans see his frustration today, but that just shows how much of a competitor he is. Hopefully he will be able to get out of the inning.”

Ryan was able to strike the next batter out. His sinker was finding its location now and it was a good pitch to fool batters with now that he didn’t have a curveball left.  However another hit scored another Brewer run. The game was tied.  Pitchers were already up in the bullpen, but Lou, the manager wasn’t going to pull Larson yet. He had one out to go and even though Ryan was approaching the 100-pitch mark they figured he could get the last out.  He finally did after the last batter fouled off a number of pitches getting Ryan to the 107-pitch count, which was more than they wanted him to do that day. The last batter hit a ground ball to the second baseman for an easy out.  The day had not gone according to plan for Ryan – he gave up three runs and let the Brewers tie the game. As he walked to the dugout he threw his glove inside against the back wall showing his frustration again as the TV cameras were on him. His was not completely ready to be back and he knew it and after that days performance it seemed like everybody at the ballpark that day knew it too.

His mother, who was at the game and sitting in the stands with Chris and Tara, commented after the inning ended, “I hope he’s not too down on himself, it’s only his first game back. Tara replied. “He’s mad because he’s hurting and he thinks if he tells anyone that he won’t pitch the rest of the season.  And he’s also too stubborn to take himself out of the game.”

“How do you know that?”  May asked her.

“He’s been hurting for a while — he always gets these certain looks. They’re frustration looks for him and he’s tries to hide them, but he’s not that good at it.”

“It seems that you’re beginning to know my son more than me now. “

Tara smiled and said. “It’s just because I see him a lot more than anyone now.” It was true, they did spend most of their spare time together and had even moved in together, although only Amy and Chris really knew that. Ryan and Tara didn’t want anyone to know how serious it was really getting between them, they didn’t even want to admit it themselves, but they had been together for two years now and she got a transfer with her job when he made the big league club and wouldn’t be in Tennessee anymore. She loved him and wanted to spend the rest of her life with him and he wanted that with her, he knew it the first moment he had a conversation with her and tried to convince her that baseball was the greatest sport in the world. But being a baseball wife is a tricky thing. Mary knew that all too well, being married to Steve Larson for ten years and being divorced from him for 15 years.  Mary couldn’t honestly say which was one worse because she still loved Ryan and Amy’s father Steve Larson, but that’s for another story.

The Cubs were able to regain the lead and win the game 5 to 3. The offense saved the game, but Ryan would not get the decision.  D-Lee and Theriot, the second basemen for the Cubs, both came by Ryan’s locker and told him that he pitched well that day and that they were glad he was back, but he didn’t feel like a winner. He didn’t have his old stuff and didn’t even know if he could pitch well at all during the rest of the season. Although life is always up and down for a pitcher in the major leagues, a pitcher can’t be up every day and they can’t stay at the top forever. Both Steve Larson and Jack Larson knew that. The only difference between Steve and Jack was that Steve wasted his talent for the fast life and Jack had to deal with getting old in his 30’s.

After the game ended Mike, the jerk from the Tribune that everybody hated, made a comment to Amy as she was packing up her things. “Your boy didn’t look too good out there today, it would be a shame if he got washed up before he got to his prime, but all ball players get old before they’re supposed to…ask your grandfather and dad.” Then he walked away as Amy flipped him off for being a jerk. She would have hit him, but he was the kind of guy that would have filed assault chargers when even though he got bitched slapped by a girl. The strange thing was Mike was right to a point. In the game of baseball players tend to get old before they’re supposed to and that’s because of all the abuse they put their bodies through on the field, especially when they play for more than ten years. Players tend get old when still in their prime and that’s never been truer than for pitchers. 

Amy laughed to herself over the thought and she remembered how her grandfather Jack used to tell her and Ryan that the reason he didn’t play as long as his dad or grandfather – he got old when it wasn’t supposed to happen and it seemed to happen to him overnight. It seemed to happen to the entire ‘69 Cubs team except for a few players that went on to other teams and had great careers.  The ‘69 team was the best team that the players of the era had ever played on and wouldn’t ever be that way again when the season ended in tragedy.  That was another story for Chris so he could understand fully how things can change from bad to worse in the blink of an eye.  I’m sure that happens in other areas of life, but it seems to happen to all the time baseball.

Later that night over dinner Amy started to tell Chris about her ‘69 club and what happened to them.  The same players returned in 1970, but they were never the same.  I think everybody in Chicago expected them to be over the last season’s late collapse and win it all, and judging by the talent they had they should have, but there were injuries on the Cubs and other teams had better ball clubs. Most thought that the Cubs had a better team that year, but they finished second to Roberto Clemente and the Pirates. The Pittsburg Pirates that year in the national league were too strong and would win it all. Ernie Banks spent most of the year on the DL list so that was a huge bat out of their lineup. The pitching staff was pretty average, they didn’t have the same year as in ‘69 except for two players. Fergie Jenkins and Jack Larson would both win 20 games that year, but that was the only bright spot of 1970. The fact was some of the players were beginning to feel old after the season and that had to do with the constant play without some kind of rest from their manager Leo Durocher.

He still had the same philosophy that the best players should play all the time and that’s how you win. The problem was the game had already changed too much from the 1940’s when he was one of the greatest managers in the game. He also started to resent some of the best players on the team and one of them was Ernie Banks. As far as he was concerned Ernie should have retired a few years before 1970 and he let Ernie know it, but that was the son of a bitch attitude he could have at times.  1971 didn’t fare any better than the ‘70 season; the Cubs finished 5^th and losing was becoming a way of life again.  It had been nearly 25 years since the Cubs had had a winning season before 1969 and here they were right where they had been for so long.  1971 wasn’t a very good year for Jack Larson. It was the first season that he was injured and he only played about two and half months during the season. After 1970 and 1971 somebody had to share the blame for the way the Cubs were playing and this time it wasn’t going to be P.K. Wrigley, who didn’t mind the “we don’t have to win” attitude that had been with the Cubs for many years. This time the blame would get shifted to the manager, at least by the papers and the fans. 

The 1972 season didn’t start out that well for the Cubs. Fans were growing restless with a team who couldn’t seem to get the job done anymore. Losing was becoming a way of life again and Leo Durocher was becoming frustrated, even more than usual. 1971 was a year filled with a lot of injuries and it seemed that the frustration for that was too much to bear for the manager, who was brought in to make a winning team. If it seemed that Leo was losing his patience, the Cubs’ owner was even worse. But nobody could help 1971, it was Ernie Banks’ last year and it was time for him to retire.  Even Jack Larson spent half of the season injured. It was the only time in his career that he was injured. He had broken his hand during the all-star break while on vacation with his family since he was not playing in the game.  Pretty much every member of the ‘69 club had spent some time on the DL list in 1971 except Billy Williams and Fergie Jenkins, who both had one of the best years in their career. But that didn’t matter; the Cubs had another losing season and yet again could not reach the postseason.

Leo was growing restless in ’72, and his attitude was affecting the team. The younger players who had not been around him since he had started with the Cubs were playing tight because they were afraid that Leo would release them if they didn’t play well.  And of course he was getting into it with the pitching staff.  That part had already started with Fergie the year before.  For some reason Leo didn’t think Fergie was performing well, but it was one of his best years because he won 24 games.  Leo also thought Jack Larson was washed up and that’s why his hand got broken even though it was an off-field injury, but in 1972 he won 18 games. The situation was getting bad and it wasn’t that nobody could take him being a son of a bitch, it was that he blamed losing on some of the most illogical reasons. Truth was he was part of the problem and nobody wanted to play for him anymore. Fergie Jenkins even quit at one point by taking off his uniform and walking out before a game in 1972.  While it didn’t cure the problem of losing for the Cubs, the Leo problem did get solved. He was fired in July of 1972 – the pressure from the press and the fans for the Cubs losing was too great for P.K. Wrigley so he had to do something and in his typical fashion the manager always got the blame and would later be fired. 

Jack Larson always had a great respect for Leo because he was a winner and knew how to make winning ball clubs, but even in the end when the best manager that he had ever played for was fired, he wasn’t sad to see him go.  Before an incident in early 1972 with Leo Durocher he would have fought for Leo to stay, but that had changed.  In May of that year Jack Larson was 3-3 for his record so far and Leo had decided that Jack Larson coming back to pitch for the Cubs wasn’t a good idea, he thought the injury had ended his career, but Jack was fine and pitching well.  He just didn’t start out as strong because the Cubs were not the same offensive powerhouse that they once were.  Leo had asked Jack into his office one morning before the game and told him that he was probably going to be let go or be traded – they had a young kid in the minors that they wanted to bring up in his place.  Leo told Jack.

“I want you to know that you’ve had a great career, but all careers come to an end.”

Jack looked at him with a weird look and said. “You think my career is over? I can still pitch.”

“Maybe, but you’re not what you used to be. You broke your hand last year and that affects pitching.”

“Leo I’m fine and I can still pitch a complete game. I’m still young and can still do this for a while.”

“You’re not that young anymore and it’s about time to start thinking about retirement.”

“What if I want to stay and keep pitching for the Cubs, are you telling me that you’re not going to let that happen?”        

“I’m just saying that we will probably trade you in the mid season and if that’s not what you want then you could always retire.”

“Fuck you Leo, I’m still good enough to pitch for this team and better than some young inexperienced pitcher from the minors. Besides you need me more than ever since you traded Holtzman.”

“I’m trying to give you options.”

“No, you’re trying to insult me just like you’ve done with Jenkins and Banks. I’ve been a Cub for my entire career just like my father and my grandfather.  I’m not playing for anybody else nor will I give you the option to try and trade me. You won’t have me to get another player.  I will retire before that happens.”

Jack Larson walked out of the office angrily before Leo could say anything else.  The subject of trading never came up again from Leo, but they never spoke to each other about anything else except when Leo had to go to the mound. Whatever good relationship they had before that was gone. Jack carried a grudge towards Leo ever since that day for insulting him like that.  None of that mattered anymore after Leo was fired and took a job managing the Houston club.  Jack made a point to really embarrass Houston when he had to pitch against them just to spite Leo. For the rest of his career Jack was undefeated against Houston and pitched some of his best games against them. 

After Leo was fired the Cubs continued to get worse. In 1973 the Cubs didn’t improve in the win/loss column at all despite another great year by Fergie Jenkins and Jack Larson.  Jack would win 17 games that year, but the fact they were not winning caused P.K. Wrigley to make some changes. The rest of the members from the ‘69 clubs would all eventually be traded. Ron Santo and Randy Hundley were done in 1974. Fergie Jenkins would be traded after the 1974 season and Billy Williams would be gone in 1975.  All the players that Jack had played with throughout the 60’s and had the best years of his career with were gone because the owners didn’t want then anymore. The sad thing was they all still had productive years left and were the best players for the Cubs to be in contention. At least that’s the way Jack Larson saw it – he would also comment that they were the best group of guys anybody could play with.

In 1974 Jack Larson didn’t start out that strong. He started out 1-4 through the middle of May, but it wasn’t his fault when the Cubs didn’t have the offense to back him up on the mound. By the All-Star Game he was 7-7. He was still pitching well and doing what he was supposed to in order to give the Cubs victories, but for whatever reason it wasn’t good enough and they wanted to trade him.  The day after the All-Star game that year he was called into the office of P.K. Wrigley along with the Cubs manager at the time and the general manager of the team.   P.K. told him that he had an offer to be traded to the Boston Red Sox and the team was going to take Boston’s offer for a young left-handed hitter and some minor league prospects, but because of who Jack was and his family who had played for the Cubs since 1906 he had enough respect to tell him face to face and see what Jack thought about it. 

Jack spoke up after hearing the news. “Mr. Wrigley. I don’t want to go to Boston.”

“But you want to keep playing…you’re not ready to retire are you?” P.K. asked Jack.

“I do want to keep playing, but I’m a Cub. I always have been and won’t play for any other team. If you don’t want me to play for your team anymore then maybe it’s time to retire.”

“We need to start thinking about rebuilding and all of us in this room feel that there isn’t much of a future for you with the Cubs. You’ve been with us 14 seasons and it’s time to think about the future of this team.”

“Well I guess I am the only in this room that still sees me as part of the future with this team and I can still play. I can still give you productivity even after 14 years.”

P.K. Wrigley smiled and said. “Maybe, but we need to make a change and we still want you to have a chance to play so that’s why we are trading you.”

“Is that the same chance you gave Santo and Hundley.”

“Of course, we don’t forget around here your years of service.”

“Then I guess mine are over and if it’s all the same I would rather end my career in a Cubs uniform. If it’s time to go then let it be that way.”

“It’s your choice Jack…we wanted to give you an option.”

“It’s not really an option in my book because once you become a Cub, you’re always a Cub.”

“Maybe so.”  P.K. smiled again. He respected his attitude and then he stood up and shook Jack’s hand.  But Jack had one request and he figured the Cubs owed it to him, if nothing else because his family was loyal to the organization. He asked P.K. Wrigley if he could pitch one more game at Wrigley Field…he wanted to win one more at home. P.K. Wrigley thought about it for a moment and said that it was fine.  A week later when the Cubs were back home, Jack Larson pitched one more game at Wrigley Field, and it was against Tom Seaver and the New York Mets.  Jack Larson pitched a 1-hit shutout against the Mets. Some fans believe it was the best game he had ever pitched even though he had a couple of no-hitters years before because it was an error made by the shortstop that caused the Mets to get at least one hit. If it would have not been for that Jack Larson would have pitched a perfect game, but he won and that was more important to the old warrior. 

All Jack Larson ever wanted to do was to win and help the team to get victories. He never cared about the records, or the awards, or even being called an All-Star or a great pitcher.  He was there to help his team win, and for fourteen and half seasons he did that. On his last day his family was there to see him walk off the mound one last time and tip his hat to the crowd. It was also at that moment that Steve Larson wanted to be just like his dad.  Up to that point he just wanted to play baseball, but after seeing the respect and appreciation that the fans had for his dad he wanted to be a Chicago Cub.  He also learned that day from his dad what it really meant to be a winner, despite the fact that he would forget it from time to time in his career. He learned that you play the best you can and you don’t win it alone – you help your team any way you can and if you win as a pitcher it’s because you have 8 other guys backing you up.  That’s the way it was done at Wrigley Field and it’s the way the true warriors of baseball do it every day on the baseball diamond.