1969-One giant leap for mankind and one crushing collapse for Cubs.
1969 started out cold in January as Nixon was sworn in and our nation looked at the stark realities of Viet Nam and a world economy that was diametrically divided by a philosophical and economic approach. Capitalism and Communism clashed across the globe but it was more than about economics – the freedom of press, the freedom of religion, the freedom of actual movement as folks were locked in East Berlin and Cuba. Walter Cronkite was counting bodies on the news every night in a faraway place called Viet Nam and we had assassinations, demonstrations, and lots of violence in the streets and parks of Chicago and many other cities and the college campuses were scenes of unrest as all over the USA students had peaceful and not so peaceful demonstrations. . 1968 was a dark and tumultuous year and we were hoping for a Miracle in 1969 to bring us back to where we know we belong in a peaceful n prosperous world for all.
The Spring did arrive and in March of 1969 WGN broadcast Ernie Banks singing and swinging for the fences in sunny Arizona as he proclaimed the “Cubs will shine in 69.” And shine they did!
The Cubs had been starting to really get a grip on my life. My dad coached little league and was a big baseball fan who happened to work around Wrigley. In 1966, my dad coached the Wrightwood Giants which featured my older brother and three Tunney brothers including the Chicago Cubs current 44th alderman, Tom Tunney. My dad was a pitching coach at heart and he loved to explain release points and changing speeds…The Cubs had pitchers who were putting on a clinic every day. Kenny Holtzman threw his pitches at alternate release points and his curve ball at various speeds and breaks. The balance of Fergie Jenkins and his ability to locate all his pitches and the way he battled on every pitch was awesome. Tom Tunney’s twin, Kevin and I studied Fergie and Kenny as my dad and mom were both setting up excursions to the ballpark as my dad was detailed into the special events/traffic unit of the Chicago police department so his “office” was Wrigley Field many days.
The Cubs did not draw many people in 66, 67 or 68 although in 1968 the crowds began to grow as the hippies, yippies, panthers and many other social groups would peacefully gather there for discussions on the 1968 Democratic national convention that was held in August of 68. The “kids” were confused as Kennedy (RFK) and King (MLK) were killed and a war was raging in Viet Nam and hell no they did not want to go but there was peace and love every day game at Wrigley…
I was young and listened and understood some but I was a bit hyperactive so I spent lots of days in Wrigley running the ramps and watching the games from many different angles. We would watch the players warm up and go thru their routines as we were there early as my dad directed traffic around the park. We had “Bartman” seats by the bullpen and were also left field bleacher bums. The “huge” park usually had only had about 10,000 people in the 40,000 seat stadium on week days until 1969. It was heaven for 6-9 year old kid with his big brother who was 10-12 in those wonder years runnin around Wrigley. We both had plenty of friends as my dad or mom usually let us each bring a friend or two to the Cub games as my dad could get us in for free.
Anyway, the Cubs started the 69 season off with a dramatic walk off home run in the 11th inning by Willie Smith. The Cubs waited for all the school kids to come home and Jack Brickhouse had us hanging on every pitch and then it was “Back, back, back—hey hey.” Brickhouse would scream into the microphone –screams of pure joy. Brickhouse had a passion for the game that was contagious. WGN broadcast Cub games live across the Americas as they were the first ‘superstation and opening day 69 we knew the Cubs were something special. They won 11 of their first 12 games and were playing great baseball in all aspects of the game. The summer sizzled by with perfect weather as it was mild and not too hot a summer so things were perfect at Wrigley Field.
When Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, July 20, 1969, we knew anything was possible and the Cubs were the best team in baseball. Yes, there were still talk of curses and the Cubs somehow will find a way to lose as it seemed the baseball gods had a grudge against the team and they had not won since 1908 although some said the Cubs chose not to win in 1918 and “let The Babe” set World Series pitching records for the Boston Red Sox but to me and my bleacher bum friends—this was ancient history…The curse was over!
The attendance really started to pick up in 1969 and I remember going to the Kenny Holtzman no hitter game with my mom and the wife of Lieutenant Eddy Mohen on August 19, 1969. We got down to the park around one oclock and there was not an empty seat in the ballpark. Lieutenant Eddie arranged for some extra chairs to be placed on an overhanging walkway just underneath the upper deck that the press was starting to use. It was precarious and scary but we had a bird’s eye view of the game. Kenny pitched the no-hitter to push the Cubs record to 77-45. Hank Aaron crushed a pitch to leftfield that day but the wind miraculously kept it in the park so we knew the baseball gods were on our side. The Cubs were a full 8 full games ahead of the second place New York Mets on August 19, 1969 as Ron Santo ran down the line clicking his heels.
It had been a glorious summer as I was “goin to work with my dad and coach” and then racing home to my pee wee and little league games. It was what I imagined “heaven” would be as 40,000 people became one with Cub fever man! They even let old Billy and a goat back in the park to try and appease the baseball gods. It seemed the whole world had their TV’s tuned to channel nine during the day as the Cubs were the only team that played all day games as they were the only park without lights. When I was not at Wrigley, the Cubs TV play by play guys and the “good kid”, Lou Boudreau on the radio were so knowledgeable and captivating. I spent many afternoons in the left field bleachers with some fascinating characters who discussed love, peace, politics, poetry and of course screamin and singin for the Cubs each afternoon with a passion that was heavenly. 1969 was a great year in the bleachers as it was all about the Cubs. There was so much hope and happiness in 1969. Cub Fever man!
1969 taught me how good life could be when people had a peaceful pastime to bring them together. Then it happened! The Miracle Mets got incredibly hot and the Cubs went cold and the 17 game turn around in September was the biggest in baseball history. The Cubs were in the midst of some bad luck when on 9-9-69 a black strayed onto the field in New York and stared down Santo and Durocher and the Cubs bad luck multiplied. The next day they were out of first place and dropped like a rock in water to soon be 8 games out… The black cat was claimed by no one and appeared mysteriously as the Cubs luck became all bad…it seemed like empirical data that the Cubs were cursed…..
The rest of the year was a daze as the Cubs found every almost every conceivable way to lose games and the young Miracle Mets really did pull off a Miracle as they were not suppose to win…..I was devastated as a nine year old could be and I remember looking up at the moon and stars the night the Mets clinched the World Series and I made a vow to the moon and stars that I would end the curse of the Cubs and help them someday get to the promised land of a World Series Championship in that baseball shrine called Wrigley Field.