As a transplanted New Yorker, I somehow still consider myself a New York Yankees fan. Although at the present time, I can only name one player on that team - and I do not admire him as he has managed to sully the game with his steroid use - Alex Rodriguez. Since I have lived in Chicago since 1993, I suppose I should have some affinity for the local teams. The thing is, I don't think I really ever 'recovered' from the last baseball strike which was 22 years ago when the entire post-season was completely wiped out. I have mostly lost interest in Major League baseball. Each year that the Yankees were in the playoffs, I would get a bit interested and start watching some games. When they were eliminated, so too, was my interest.
Lately, a quick check of the Major League baseball standings show the hapless Chicago Cubs atop their division with the best record in baseball. This 'incomprehensible' fact is in direct contrast to their 'recent' (100+ year) history as reported by wikipedia:
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In 1906, the Cubs won a Major League record 116 games, and posted a modern-era record winning percentage of .763, before losing the World Series to the Chicago White Sox by four games to two. The Cubs won back-to-back World Series championships in 1907 and 1908, becoming the first Major League team to play in three consecutive Fall Classics, and the first to win it twice. The team has appeared in a total of ten World Series, most recently in 1945. The Cubs have not won the World Series in 107 years, and they have not won the National League pennant in 70 years, both of which are record "droughts" in Major League Baseball. Since the start of divisional play in 1969, the Cubs have appeared in the postseason seven times. This included four trips to the League Championship Series—in 1984,1989, 2003, and 2015.
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#
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NL Central
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W
|
L
|
PCT
|
GB
|
HOME
|
AWAY
|
L10
| |
1
|
48
|
26
|
.649
|
-
|
25-11
|
23-15
|
4-6
| ||
2
|
39
|
35
|
.527
|
9.0
|
15-21
|
24-14
|
4-6
| ||
3
|
37
|
39
|
.487
|
12.0
|
22-18
|
15-21
|
4-6
| ||
4
|
34
|
41
|
.453
|
14.5
|
21-18
|
13-23
|
4-6
| ||
5
|
29
|
47
|
.382
|
20.0
|
18-22
|
11-25
|
3-7
| ||
As of the morning of June 27th, the Chicago Cubs have the best record in all of baseball.
What does this prove?
It proves that nothing lasts forever - not even failure. Things change. A person can have no history of eating well, no history of personal fitness, no history of good health - but one can change. It does not matter if a person has been neglectful for 1 year, 10 years, 20 years or 30 years. All it takes is the willingness and the courage to make that first huge step. It requires the willingness and courage to make a small change today. And then again tomorrow. I did this a decade ago. And then I fell back into all the bad habits that I tried to escape. Eighteen months ago, I vowed to try again. I have been on a much more steady course during this period. Clichés are clichés because they contain truth.
If I can do it, so can you.
If the Chicago Cubs can become successful after a century of failure, so can anyone!
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Sunday started as a somewhat 'typical' day for me... I had two 99 minute sessions on the elliptical machine. What made the day a bit atypical was that my entire family took a late afternoon/early evening 10 mile urban hike together.
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Since yesterday's urban hike was NOT taken alone... I was able to take a few interesting photos that were NOT selfies. You see, it's not that I am a complete narcissist, it's just that there is no one else around for most of my hikes!
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| Mom and Daughter enjoying the view from a spiral staircase on Roosevelt Road. |
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| Major General John A Logan |
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Sure, Homer Simpson's message is mildly amusing... but it is a completely unhelpful message!
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