(pictured: Lily, currently held for assault and battery charges)
When did the North Side join the AL East? As alluded to by a disgruntled “kt” (if that is his real name) in the CSTB comments section, two Downers’ Grove men have been charged in Milwaukee with a beat down of a Brewer fan who threw an empty can of “energy drink” at their rental bus. Good luck on a fair trial in Milwaukee after the Cubs sweep, boys. The alleged violence also resulted in one Cub fan punching out his own sister when she intervened. My first question: what would you do if your bus was facing the business end of a dead can of Red Bull? It also comes out that the Sesame Street beat down of a Sox fan started when a Cub fan pointed out that most Sox fans are “toothless.” Who knew that was fighting words to South Siders? Now the Trib‘s Mike Downey runs a laundry list of Cub fan “offenses” during the Cub bidding war, openly addressed to Mark Cuban “ the one man Jerry Reinsdorf doesn’t want buying the Cubs. Note the trashing of little Dominic DiAngi’s Wrigley comeback (and pro-Sox spin when the Sox blow off their own little Griffin Cox as collateral damage in a ruthless pennant hunt). It’s a given that Downey’s Tribco pension stock isn’t worth the paper he’s printed on, so take the following trashing of the Cubs by its parent company like Boston ushering Manny out the door this week.
(pictured, Sox owner and new Trib editor Jerry Reinsdorf)
Pittsburgh Pirates fan-for-life Mark Cuban or a different tycoon will become the next owner of the much-loved Chicago Cubs.
He will inherit a baseball fan base like no other.
(Well, maybe fans like Boston’s or the Bronx’s, but not a whole lot like Pittsburgh’s.)
Passionate. Insanely so. There for their team, rain or shine.
He also will inherit cuddly “Cubbie” fans, some of whom in the last five days alone have:
¢ Dumped debris onto the outfield at Wrigley Field, unhappy that an umpire had called a Cub out and had thrown out Lou Piniella.
¢ Gone to court accused of kicking a White Sox fan in the face at a child’s birthday party, costing this guy his right eye.
¢ Been arrested in Milwaukee for allegedly beating up a Brewers fan and for punching a woman who tried to break up the fight.
Yes, the best and worst of Cubs Nation are on display for all speculative buyers to see at the little ballpark with the big FOR SALE sign out front.
Good, bad and ugly.
The thrill ride that is Wrigley World was at a high point for at least part of last weekend.
There was a cute exchange between a Bleacher Bum and ex-Cubs nice guy Luis Gonzalez. The two have maintained a tradition each year of flipping each other a favorite baseball glove. Strictly out of mutual respect and love.
And then there was that sweet scene on the diamond with 8-year-old Dominic DiAngi, a boy from the suburb of Frankfort who had been struck by a ball off Ted Lilly’s bat.
Fully recovered from a coma and a six-day hospital stay, Dominic was surprised for his 8th birthday with a return trip to Wrigley. He clearly had his strength back when he tossed out the ceremonial first pitch. In fact, he nearly threw it over Lilly’s head.
A charming Cubbie story if ever there was one.
Chicago’s media had a field day with it, splashing Dominic all over the daily papers and TV.
(It seemed to some that 9-year-old Griffin Cox received far less media attention after a ball struck the Glen Ellyn boy during batting practice at U.S. Cellular Field before a game in June. He received two skull fractures. Griffin’s family nevertheless wholeheartedly thanked the community for its support of their son in a letter to the Tribune.)
It was at Saturday’s game, three hours after Dominic’s first pitch, that fans in the outfield stands at beautiful Wrigley Field treated the park like a Dumpster.
DeRosa slid headfirst into first base. He was out by an eyelash. Coach Matt Sinatro threw his helmet and was tossed out of the game. Piniella came to the scene of the crime and he, too, got tossed.
Then garbage got tossed.
“I was held responsible for the trash that was thrown on the field,” Piniella said in Milwaukee after being fined by Major League Baseball for inciting Wrigley’s fans. “I guess there wasn’t trash before I went onto the field.”