With actual baseball just around the corner, and the Chicago Cubs maybe possibly being kinda sorta all right, I felt like looking back at a particularly fond memory. Consider it a random moment of hype.
On June 29, 2007, the Chicago Cubs were a game under .500, 7.5 games out in the NL Central, and were coming off a brutal 2006 season, a meh 2005 season, a deeply disappointing 2004 season, and a … well, you know, 2003 season.
But the 2007 Cubs looked like a decent team. And, moreover, on June 29, they were riding a six-game winning streak, heading into the bottom of the 9th against the Brewers. The streak was in peril, as they trailed 5-4 with two outs. It didn’t look like the Cubs were finally going to get back to .500 that day.
And then Aramis Ramirez did this:
It was a Friday afternoon game with nearly 42,000 in the house, and they all went absolutely nuts. Cubs players went nuts, too (one of my favorite Cubs pictures):
Back at .500, the Cubs continued their prolonged hot streak, and were in first place within a month. The held on to win the NL Central that year, which was awesome.
Whatever happened after that, I have no recollection, and we needn’t discuss.
For now, just enjoy that moment, and dream on a game when something like that can happen very soon, and the Cubs can perhaps start another march toward first place.
UPDATE: And the radio call from Pat and Ron, which will make the hair on your neck stand up:
@BleacherNation http://t.co/x7bnGYLzvF
— Randall J. Sanders (@RandallJSanders) February 25, 2015