Advanced
Error loading page.
Try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, there may be a network issue, and you can use our self test page to see what's preventing the page from loading.
Learn more about possible network issues or contact support for more help.
Title details for The Chicago Cubs by Rich Cohen - Available

The Chicago Cubs

Story of a Curse

by Rich Cohen
Adam Grupper
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
1 of 1 copy available
A captivating blend of reportage and memoir exploring the history of the Chicago Cubs For Rich Cohen and millions of other fans, the Chicago Cubs have always been more than a team: they've been the protagonists of a King Arthur epic, in search of the Holy Grail that is winning the World Series. A chronicle of the last few miraculous seasons as experienced through the prism of Cubs history, The Chicago Cubs tracks the famous curse, which was placed on the team in 1945 by the infamous owner of the Billy Goat Tavern, who was ejected from Wrigley Field when he tried to bring his goat into the grandstand for the fifth game of the World Series. He vowed the team would never get back to the championship. And they haven't-until now. Cohen follows the Cubs' early days as the first powerhouse baseball team, winners of the 1907 and 1908 World Series; their storied players, such as Billy Sunday, the 2nd baseman who became the most popular preacher in America; their old stadiums; their owners, from chewing gum magnate William Wrigley to Thomas Ricketts, CEO of Ameritrade; and their time between the two World Wars; all of it leading up to the momentous last World Series appearance and the breaking of the famed curse. A captivating blend of reportage and memoir, drawing on Cohen's extensive interviews and travels with recent Cubs players, owners, and coaching staff, The Cubs is a portrait not only of a team, but also of a city, of a game, and of what it means to be a perpetually disappointed fan who is finally rewarded.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    October 20, 2017

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781501969270
      • File size: 265972 KB
      • Duration: 09:14:06

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Adam Grupper is a charming and entertaining narrator of this jaunt through Chicago Cubs history. The story spans more than a century--roughly from 1908 to 2016, the years between Cubs championships--but moves swiftly. It's less a comprehensive historical account than snapshots of different baseball eras. Grupper's resonant voice warrants full attention as he describes decades of hope, heartbreak, desolation, and, eventually, triumph. When author Rich Cohen becomes a more present voice in the narrative, Grupper shifts to a conversational tone that forges a personal connection with the listener. High praise to Grupper for also adding some laughs, especially with a hilarious impression of sportscaster Harry Caray and a full re-creation of 1983 manager Lee Elia's infamous profanity-laced tirade. A.T.N. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from October 23, 2017
      Cohen (Monsters: The 1985 Chicago Bears and the Wild Heart of Football) offers an energetic account of the drought between the Chicago Cubs’ 1908 World Series win and their incredible triumph in 2016. He nicely details the team’s ups and downs over those 108 years and intersperses his narrative with recollections from his own childhood and early-adult obsession in the 1970s and 80s with the team. His depiction of Cubs lore (“some worldly, some mystical”), such as the glory of first baseman Ernie Banks (“the perfect cub, ideally suited for the role of a great player on a terrible team” from 1953 to 1971) and the near misses of the 1969, 1984, and 2003 seasons, is coupled with informative writing that’s infused with the fatalism of a long-suffering Cubs fan. (He notes that Cubs General Manager Epstein said it would take five years to win a World series, “the same amount of time Stalin said he’d need to create a workers’ paradise.”) He shows how the legendary “curse” on the Cubs has taken many forms over 100 years, such as the curse of the billy goat in the 1945 World Series. The final third of the book is an exciting look at the Cubs’ winning 2016 season that includes a game-by-game description of the playoffs. This book has something new even for the most hardcore Cubs fans.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

Loading
Check Out What's Being Checked Out Right Now