ESPN Sports Center began to play and two announcers were smiling behind the sports center news desk. The first announcer began to speak.

            “Well, its baseball season again, spring training starts today. It’s a new season filled with new hopes and dreams. This year, some teams have a very different look, trying to improve their chances at a spot in the postseason. The most aggressive changes to a roster had to be the Chicago Cubs. After last year’s collapse in round one the playoffs, can you really blame them?

            The second announcer replied. “No you can’t. After winning 97 games and having the best record in baseball they should have won the World Series, but it wasn’t in the cards for the Cubs.”

            “Last year was supposed to be the year. I think everybody expected to win it after the regular season they had.  A 99-year championship drought could have ended, but the Cubs of the regular season never showed up during the playoffs. Well, their off-season moves prove that they’re serious about redeeming themselves, and let’s face it, they are a heavy favorite to be a World Series contender and this year would be the perfect year. It’s 2008, a hundred years since their last championship.”

            “I think they can do it,” The second announcer said. “It looks like they made the right moves. They got two more starting pitchers and actually have six pitchers that can pitch in the post season.”

            “Let’s not forgot the emergence of Ryan Larson. He got called up in August and started for them at the 5^th man in the rotation going 7-1 for the season. He’s got the makings of a good starting pitcher.”

            The second announcer looked at his co-anchor and said, “I don’t care if he is the son of Steve Larson and the grandson of Jack Larson, two great pitchers for the Cubs. He’s still a rookie and all six starting pitchers that the Cubs have are more experienced than Larson – if he stays with the team and doesn’t get sent back down to Triple A he’ll be in the bullpen.”

            “Maybe, but he’s definitely someone that the Cubs need because let’s face it the kid can pitch,and look who he was taught by, probably since birth. Coaches are already saying that he’s just as smart as his grandfather on the mound and ever deadlier than his father on the mound. That’s a hall-a-fame combination and this kid is going to win ballgames for the Cubs.”

            “Well the other guy that’s going to win ball games for the Cubs is Milt Bradley, the switch hitting right fielder that the Cubs acquired from Texas.” The Second Announcer said.  “The Cubs need that solid bat in the line-up, especially a good lefthander. This was a smart move by them and Chicago is the perfect place for him.”

            “You’re crazy just like he is. Last year batting 320 with 40 homeruns was just a fluke. He’s had problems with every team he’s played and in his 9 year career he’s played on 7 teams. He will be a problem for Cubs, mark my words. If Chicago is the right place for him, then he belongs on the Southside with the White Sox. They have a crazy manager – he’ll be perfect for that team.”

            “I guess we’ll see,” the second announcer said.  “The season is just beginning and we’re two months from opening day. So we’ll see what happens. In the mean time my prediction is to see the Cubs in the Series playing the Angels – they’re the two best teams in baseball and they’re destined to meet in October. “

            “You’re only saying that because they were the two best teams in the league last year. I guarantee it won’t be the same this year. My prediction is to see the Dodgers and Yankees. The Cubs and Angels may get to the postseason, but the World Series is not where they will be at the end of the season. They’ll be watching the fall classic at home.”

            The second announcer laughed at his co-anchor then he said. “I guess in 7 months we’ll see who’s right. Spring training is here and we’ll bring you all the news, stats, and funny stories in the baseball world.”

A week into Spring Training Amy was assigned to Arizona, where the Cubs Spring training camp was located, by the Sun Times. She had done this every year for the last three years because she was the baseball expert among the staff, and with good reason.  Her first year with the paper she went to spring training with one of the other sports reporters who had been at the paper for over ten years. But after 1 day it was clear she was more knowledgeable about the Cubs and baseball. She proved to be the better reporter and ever since then she was assigned to Spring Training by herself. Besides, she knew everybody down there from the players to the staff and the organization – she had relationships because of her family connections. Of course she was the best reporter to have assigned to spring training. This year was a little different because it was the first year that her brother had gotten invited. The last time she was at spring training and a Larson was playing was the last year her father Steve played for them so this year was exciting to say the least.

The first day she was there she made the rounds and talked to the staff and some of Cubs legends from when her father and grandfather played who were there helping out during spring training. She got some interviews and did a couple of stories about the Cubs’ new look – mainly about the new players the Cubs had gone after and the money they spent to acquire them. It was the important news for the paper, but there was another story she was interested in even if she would never write about it for the paper. The story was her brother Ryan Larson and his first year at spring training.  On the second day she found him doing warm-up drills with other pitchers.  She watched him for awhile and noticed the control problems he was having.  She finally yelled to him.

“You’re not bending your leg enough.”

Two of the other pitchers including Wood, the seasoned veteran and new closer turned around to see who was yelling that. Rothchild, the pitching coach, who was nearby watching all of his pitchers,  also turned around and then smiled. He shouted back to Ryan, “She’s right, you’re not bending your leg enough.”

Wood looked around confused thinking that everybody was talking to him. Ryan looked at him and said. “Don’t worry, they’re talking to me…my sister is just giving me a hard time.”

“Oh good, I thought my wife was here yelling at me…I come to spring training to get away from that you know.” Wood said to Ryan. He smiled at Wood’s comment and walked over to his sister.

He gave her a hug and said sarcastically. “Quit trying to get coaches onto me.”

“I’m only trying to help you make the team. Grandpa would have been yelling at you by now anyway.”

Ryan laughed because she was right. “So how are things with you?”

“Good, baseball season is here again so I won’t be bored anymore.”

“Glad to see we can entertain you. Mom told me that you have a new boyfriend and that he’s a lawyer from Texas.”            

“We’re not serious or anything, I don’t know why she told you.”

“Because she’s mom and she can’t keep a secret.”

            “That’s true.”

            “You’ve been seeing him a lot haven’t you?”

            “Yeah, so what?”

            “Sounds serious to me.”

            “Whatever, think what you want.”

            Ryan laughed and said to his sister. “I read your article, The Last Great Championship Team; it was good; Very fitting for our great-great grandfather. You had a lot of detail, what brought that out?”

            “I’m a journalist…it’s my job to have that much detail.”

             “No…there was something else to it. You wrote it as an inspiring story like you were trying to make somebody believe in the Cubs…you’ve never written in that style before.”

            Amy gave her brother a dirty look because it sounded like he was insulting her talent. She replied. “I am good at what I do… I have that kind of talent you know.”

            “I didn’t mean it in bad way, I was just pointing out that there was a different flair to your writing and it was very good. So whatever is doing that for you keep doing it …it’s a good thing.”

            “I have been telling Chris, remember the guy I told you about, a lot about our family and the history of the Cubs. I want him to understand what it means to be a fan and what the team means to the city of Chicago.”

            “Well that’s a good thing. If he’s going to live in Chicago then that’s something that he needs to understand. It’s part of being a Chicagoan.”

            “Yeah, not many get that unless they’re from the Windy City.”

            “We’ll there are a lot of good stories and it sounds like you’ve found some inspiration. Keep it up. Have you told him about the first time our great-grandfather met Mr. Wrigley?”

            “No, not yet.” Amy replied.

“That’s a good story…its one of my favorites.”

            “I’ll have to tell him.” Amy smiled again at her brother. “So before you have to get back do you have any juicy tips for me…any predictions for this year?”

            “Ryan gave her a sarcastic look and replied, “No comment.” The he walked off and went back to practice.                       

            Amy got a nudge on her arm, she turned around to see Randy Hundley, the Cubs’ old catcher from the 1960’s He also happened to be the catcher that was behind the plate for her grandfather Jack during most of his career. Randy and Jack had been great friends ever since their days with the Cubs and it happened to be that he held a special place in his heart for the grandchildren of Jack Larson. Amy always made a point to see him at spring training and say hello. This time he found her instead.

             Randy said to her. “I was wondering when you were going to get around and say hello to me.”

            “First things first…got to see how my brother is doing so far. You know I want to see him make the team this year.”

            “I don’t think you’ll have much to worry about. He’s doing fine. All he had to do was get here to spring training.”

            “Well it took him a little longer to get here than the rest of my family.”

            “Maybe, but he’s where he belongs and that’s all the matters.”

            “So tell me straight, how’s he really doing?”

            “He’s a little nervous and will have to settle down over the next few weeks, but his control looks good.“

            Amy sighed. Then she said.  “Is that going to be enough though!  He’s just as wild as my dad was.”

            “Of course he is…he’s a little better than your dad, he’s also just as smart as your grandfather. He’ll make it this year and I guarantee you that he’ll get the 5^th spot in the rotation. He’s a Larson…you’re brother’s going to do just fine.”

            Amy gave Randy a hug, he was being encouraging like a grandfather, and she knew he was right. Randy knew pitchers. He had helped Jack be the best he could be and he made Steve better than he should have been by working with him during spring training 25 years before. He would help Ryan too and someday Ryan would be an all-star because of it.

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

After a week at spring training Amy was back home so of course Chris cooked her dinner when she got back. Chris wasn’t a great cook, but it was the gesture that counted. Beside she needed someone there for her after a long week. He was the perfect choice.  After dinner they started talking about the Cubs and spring training. She was filling him in on all the details – it was like he was getting the inside scoop for his fantasy baseball team. Chris was basically learning about the sport and of course the Cubs. Amy started laughing at one moment and was reminded of what her brother said. She told Chris that Ryan wanted her to tell him about the first time George Larson met Mr. Wrigley, but in telling him that story she also had to tell him the back story. He sat on the couch with her feet propped up on his legs listening intently. Some might have said that he was doing the good boyfriend thing, but truth was he was interested in the story just like he was interested in the Cubs now.

By 1918 the Cubs from 1908 were pretty much gone. Most of them had retired or traded somewhere else. Frank Chance wasn’t even the manager anymore. The Cubs had a first-time manager that year in Fred Mitchell and most of the big league stars were gone that year, serving in the military during WW1. Paul Larson was for the most part the only one left over from the 1908 team. He had, had a great career over the past 12 seasons, a hall-a-fame career to be exact. He was playing third base now regularly for the Cubs and he could still hit. His career average up to that point was .307. In 1910 he came close to hitting .400 but he ended the season with .390. The Cubs had a great year in 1918 and it was the first time in 8 years that they had made it back to the World Series by winning the national league pennant over the Giants. Paul was the superstar for the most part on the Cubs that year, but winning the World Series was not to be.

They faced the Boston Red Sox and the best pitching staff in both leagues led by none other than Babe Ruth. The pitching staff of the Sox that year reminded the Cubs of the staff they once had in 1907 and 1908. The Cubs would lose the series 4 games to 2. It would be the last time Paul would play in post season. The Cubs were not that good for a few years and the team would have to be rebuilt, but by the time it happened Paul would retire.

After the last game of the series Paul got a visitor. It was his brother Arthur and he was waiting for him outside to clubhouse. It had been 11 years since Paul had seen him. He got a few letters from Arthur over the years, but that last letter came about three years ago after Paul’s son, George, was born. Seeing Arthur was a shock to say the least, but it was good seeing him as well. Paul walked outside the clubhouse and saw Arthur. He walked over to give his brother a hug, but Arthur only reached out his hand to shake Paul’s. Paul was disappointed that his brother was distant from him as he shook his brother’s hand. He asked Arthur how he was. Arthur answered him by saying…

“I’m fine. I was at the game today. Sorry that you guys lost.”

“What are you doing in Boston,” Paul asked his brother. “Are you living here now?”

“No, I’m leaving the country. My boat is in the Harbor.”

“Leaving...leaving for good?”

“Yeah.”

“Where are you going?”

“Back to Denmark. I’ve had enough of this country.”

“You know they don’t have baseball in Denmark,” Paul said to his brother with a concerned tone. “It won’t be the same.”

“I’m done with baseball…have been for a long time.”

“Is it because you never made it to big leagues?”

“Something like that. I wanted to thank you for getting me that tryout with the Cubs years ago. Sorry I didn’t take you up on it, but it was just as well. You were always the big star.”

Paul walked closer to his brother and gave him a sympathetic look. He told Arthur not to do that to himself. He knew Arthur had never forgiven him for going back to the Cubs in 1907 and having a big league career – he had never forgiven himself for not making the Pros. By the time he actually had a tryout for the Cubs the drinking had destroyed his life even though he could never admit it. Paul never wanted to admit that either. So it came to be that Arthur had spent the last ten years wandering from town to town that had a baseball team trying to have a career and when it never happened he decided to go away, far from the United States, and Denmark was the only other home that he had known. Arthur would disappear forever after that day. Paul said to him.

“Don’t leave just yet. Come back to Chicago with me and meet your niece and nephew.”

“I got your letter that you had a son a few years ago. It was nice that you named him George, but I can’t. I wanted to see you once more before I left so that you knew I was all right and so that I could see that you were too. “

“I’m going to miss you Arthur, but I can’t stop you. If you have to go, you have to go.”

And that was it. Arthur shook his brother’s hand again and looked at him a little longer this time just to get a good clear picture in his mind of what his brother looked like. Arthur knew it would be the last time that he saw his brother. Paul hoped that it wouldn’t be the last time they saw each other, but he didn’t kid himself either.

The 1918 World Series would be the last time Paul would ever play in the post season. The next year the Cubs had a new owner and it would be the man who changed everything for the franchise. William Wrigley who had a small interest in the Cubs finally bought out the previous owners. Now the Cubs had been playing in a new ball park since 1916, but they never imagined what it would become when Mr. Wrigley took over in 1919. At first was it was called Cubs park, but it eventually became Wrigley Field in 1926. 

Mr. Wrigley was the son of soap salesman, but he never liked working for his father, although he was a hell of a salesman and he knew how to market a product. He knew how to sell the Cubs during a losing season, which they would have from 1919 - 1925 and part of doing that was making the ballpark that his team played in the best place to be even when the team was losing. It was a magnificent park even back then and the ballpark was kept almost spotless – most sport stadiums were dirty and not a very desirable place to be.  That would not be the case with Wrigley Field.

 William Wrigley became rich by having a stick of gum in with the soap as an added bonus. It turned out that customers were buying the soap for the gum and so another company was born from that – the Wrigley Gum company or Wrigley’s Spearmint Gum. The fortune made from the gum company allowed him to buy the Cubs. And as it turned out Mr. Wrigley was a huge baseball fan and it made him one of the best men to own a baseball team , especially a team like the Cubs. 

He was even smart enough to recognize that he did not know how to run a team so he found somebody that did. William Veeck Sr., a sportswriter in Chicago, had given Mr. Wrigley a lot of criticism on running the Cubs. One day Mr. Wrigley wrote Mr. Veeck and told him that if he could do it better then he could have the job of running his baseball team. Mr. Veeck took the job and he and Mr. Wrigley would revolutionize how a baseball team would be run. It was these two men who came up with the idea that baseball should be broadcast on the radio and when most owners scoffed at that notion, Mr. Wrigley and William Veeck proved all of them wrong because the Cubs started to gain more fans from out of state, much like they would with WGN as a super station broadcasting the Cubs’ games all over the country in the nineteen eighties.

The first time that Paul Larson met Mr. Wrigley he instantly became very fond of the man. He was impressed at how well he could manage this ball club and make the team profitable, but more importantly he was impressed by the fact that Mr. Wrigley was the ultimate fan. Being a huge fan also helped when it came to the level of energy that Mr. Wrigley applied running the ball club. Mr. Wrigley became very fond of Paul as well because he was the working class ballplayer and not a huge superstar even though he had the numbers to be a superstar, but because he played hard every day. Paul wanted to retire after the 1919 season, but he was convinced by Mr. Wrigley to keep playing because the team was heading in a new direction even though they didn't have a winning season that year. He convinced Paul to stay on and play another two years. He was the senior member of the team now and unlike most superstars a lot of his skills still hadn't diminished. Paul became the guy to show the younger players how to be better ball players in the pros.

However in the middle of the 1921 season Paul decided that it was time to retire. That season would be his last and is why Sonia was glad. She had had enough of the baseball life and didn't want to be a baseball wife anymore. Part of it was that she was homesick for Iowa and Paul even though he would not admit to it was a little homesick as well. The Cubs finished in third place in 1921 and although the Cubs were starting to improve there was no reason to stay on and try to get to the postseason one last time. Paul had had enough and of course Mr. Wrigley did try to convince him to stay one more season because he could still play the game. Paul simply declined. Not even a raise in salary could get him to stay.      

The next day after the last game of the season Paul took his five year old son George to the Cubs ballpark. It was more sentimental because it would be last time he would play on the field. He wanted to walk around it one more time. Paul also wanted to play a little ball with his son and there was no better place to play than in Cubs Park. Mr. Wrigley happen to be in his office at the ballpark and saw Paul playing with his little boy so he walked down onto the field and said hi to Paul. Then he asked him a question.

"Can you really walk away from all this?"

"Yes I can and with no regrets." Paul replied.

"So what are your plans Paul Larson?"

"Going back to Iowa sir…bought a farm.”

"A farm is a good place to raise a family."

"I agree… that's why I'm taking my family back to Iowa where I'm from."

"I always wondered if I would've been a good farmer...perhaps I should have bought a farm instead of this ball club."

"There is no better place than a farm, but I think, sir, you are exactly where you belong. This club needs you and you probably need it.”

Mr. Wrigley smiled at Paul's comment and then he said. "You're probably right Paul, just like you probably belong on a farm."

“That's what my wife keeps telling me and she knows me better than anybody."

"The women in our lives always know us better. That's why we need them."

"I quite agree, Mr. Wrigley."

Mr. Wrigley looked down at George and smiled. George smiled back and then he reached up to shake Mr. Wrigley's hand. Mr. Wrigley obliged the young man and shook his hand. Then William Wrigley did one of the most memorable things that Paul had ever seen and it was a story that he would pass on to his family throughout the generations. Mr. Wrigley looked at George and said. "You learn everything you can about the game of baseball from your dad. When you're older and if you want a career in baseball you come see me and I will give you a tryout with the Chicago Cubs." George smiled and replied. "You got it sir."

Now of course most men would have said that just to be polite and to amuse a little, but Mr. Wrigley was a true man of his word and he meant what he said. If George ever showed up and wanted a tryout with the Chicago Cubs he had it.  Unfortunately, George would never get to see Mr. Wrigley again because he died in 1932. Although that did not stop Mr. Wrigley from fulfilling his promise, when he died he left a letter with his own son P.K. Wrigley that said if any son of a former player wanted a tryout with the Chicago Cubs he would automatically have one. This was in honor of the father that had once played for this team. In 1935 George Larson would get a tryout and he would officially be playing for the Chicago Cubs’ professional team in 1936.