Holy Cow!

I never thought I'd see the day that a Cubs' pitcher tossed a no hitter.

Zambrano With the No No.

I thought Maddux was the best shot way back when, but then he stabbed the Cubs in the back and went to Atlanta. I will never forgive him for that decision. Thank goodness I was keeping an eye on the box score tonight. As Cub fans go, I'm probably not what most would call a normal fan. Back in the 80s, I worshiped the Cubs like no other. I watched almost every game and knew batting orders, pitching rotations, averages, ERAs, etc. After one too many heartbreaks, thrown objects, and profanity laced tirades--we are talking the Cubs--I finally realized that watching every game probably isn't in my best interest. So, I eased up a bit and became a box score fan. I haven't watched an entire game since '94 (with the exception of playoffs) but I check the box score and standings every night before going to bed. I still wince, and sometimes curse, when the Cubs drop one.

As luck would have it tonight, I stopped by my desk around 8:45 PM tonight and checked to see how the Cubs were doing. At the top of the seventh, the Astros were hitless. After tucking TLO into bed, I walked back down the hall, checked the box score, and noticed Zambrano was throwing a no hitter going into the bottom of the 9th. You can bet the TV came on for the last three outs. All at once, I was transported back to my most fanatic days as a die hard Cubs fan. I cheered at every strike, groaned at every ball, and held my breath as a chopper streaked toward the shortstop. And I whooped and hollered as that split finger fastball fooled the batter for strike three and the final out.

Tonight, all the years of disappointment fad to the background. Tonight, it's good to be a Cubs fan. Zambrano wins! Cubs win! Holy cow!