In Cuban We Trust

Dear Commissioner Selig:

This letter comes to you from the corner of Waveland and Sheffield Ave. in Chicago. Unfortunately, it’s the end of October and Wrigley Field has been closed for weeks. The bleacher bums are bumming elsewhere, and the Old Style beer is done for the year.

It’s October, and this is the norm and not the exception: the Cubs have gone 99 seasons without a World Series crown.

Mordecai “Three-Finger” Brown and the Cubs of 1908 were the last Northsiders to win the Fall Classic (who, in 1908, played at the West Side Grounds). For frame of reference, sliced bread wasn’t invented until 1928; the Cubs are giving new meaning to the word "drought."

But don’t think for a second we’re content being the lovable losers. For 99 years we have cheered for Hack and Ernie, Fergie and Rhino, the Hawk and even a Bull. We’ve done our part to hoist the “W” flag at Wrigley after ever single game. And yes, in spite of our devotion, it’s been 99 years since the wins lasted through October.

A century is a long time to wait.

But now, after generations of disappointment, the right man wants our fruitless franchise. He’s the one who sits in the bleachers and speaks the language of fans. He’s the maverick who owns the Mavericks, and the Cubs should belong to him.

Mr. Commissioner, bring Mark Cuban to Chicago. That is our dying century’s request.

We know you have reservations: Cuban isn’t a traditional owner (cough, cough). But he built a winner from the rubble in Dallas and earned the respect of his players and the city -- while answering emails from thousands of fans. If there’s a better road map for owning a sports franchise, we can’t imagine how it would read.

To be sure, your job won’t be easier with Cuban in the league. Then again, has our century been a breeze?

And therein lies the heart of the matter – what say have the fans? We came back after the strike and stayed through the steroid days (notice, we didn’t say “era”). Our loyalty has been unwavering, but at this pivotal juncture in Cubdom, what will our patronage mean?

Hopefully Cuban will get a fair shake, but we're not waiting around to see. We have to try and influence the odds, not depend on them.

Accordingly, starting with this entry we’re going to rally some like-minded fans: “Cub fans for Cuban.” Each week we’ll send their names and comments to your office. We may not affect the outcome but wouldn't it be something if we did.

We are Cub fans & this is our future: a century is a long time to wait.

For love of the Cubs, for love of the game,


Ivan & Oil Can (Michael & Doug)

Want to join the Cub fans supporting Cuban? Think MLB would be better off with Cuban in the league? We need you! ALL of you! Leave your name and a comment on this entry or email us at: cubsforcuban@gmail.com. Each week we'll send an updated list to Commissioner Selig's Office and give progress reports on this site.