Baseball memories for Chicago Cubs and White Sox fans began flowing as freely as the champagne when both teams clinched MLB playoff spots at about 4 p.m., Sept. 24, aka “Terrific Thursday”.
The teams advanced to the postseason together, as the Cubs were 89-73 record and the White Sox 84-78, for the fourth time in their histories, the first since 2020 (COVID shortened year) and since 2008 in a full season. Both The Cubs and White Sox won National and American League wild-card spots, respectively. The Cubs clinched with a 2-1 win over Miami and the White Sox’s 9-1 win in Kansas City, so they were in the first best-of-three round.
Memories may have been from the White Sox World Series appearance in 1959, the White Sox’s win in 2005 or the Cubs seventh game World Series championship in 2016, among others.
“I remember having a ticket to Game One of the 1959 World Series,but thinking I had many more chances, gave it to my dad Harold,” Sun City resident Glenn Groebli said. “I followed the team in the 1950s with the ‘Go Go Sox’ and 1960s with Nellie Fox, Louis Aprecio and later Paul Konerko.”
Groebli founded an area Chicago White Sox Fan Club in 2019, organized a playoff watch event.
Two long-time baseball fans in Sun City, Bob Mianulli and Steve Galligan, have been following the game since their youth, one for the Cubs, the other for the White Sox.
“I started to root for the Cubs when I was nine or ten years old,” Bob Mianulli said. “I remember the same lineup every day, Don Kessinger, Glenn Beckert, Billy Williams, Ron Santo. And the disappointment of ’69, when they were eight games ahead in August and finished eight games behind. I thought 1984 ended in a disappointment, when we lost in five games in the playoffs in San Diego.”
The Cubs’ 108-year title drought wait was over the night in Cleveland when the Cubbies grabbed the Commissioner’s World Series trophy (which now stands in a public room at Wrigley Field), after an 8-7, 10-inning win over the Guardians in Game 7.
“That was the best for me, ever. I remember banging pots and pans after we had won,” Mianulli said. “And others in my neighborhood in Sun City were doing the same, and texting the whole family.”
Galligan also celebrated a World Series title in his lifetime, in 2005 with the White Sox’ win over Houston, completing a four-game sweep and 11-1 playoff record.
“I remember when owner Bill Veeck had Minnie Minoso play one game one year to get him to play in, at the time, a record fourth decade,” Galligan said. “I really admired catcher Carlton Fisk as well as Konerko.”
“What I like most about this year’s team is we have someone different stand out every game,” Galligan said. “I’m surprised by the whole season. We improved from 19 games two years ago (from 121 losses in 2024) to 24 games this year.”
Meanwhile, Mianulli watches nearly every Cubs game on TV, about 155 of 162 a year. He played little league baseball, and was big into whiffle ball and pick-up softball games. He admired Cubs legend Ron Santo as a youth growing up and attending Proviso West High School.
“As an adult, I admired Ryne Sandberg,” Minaulli said of the late Hall of Famer. “I remember meeting Hall of Famer pitcher Ferguson Jenkins, and once when Ernie Banks hit a pinch-hit home run to win a game, he gave me a high-five on his way back to the clubhouse. I remember, before the Internet, always getting sports magazines to see how they would predict the Cubs to finish.”
As for the current Cubs team, he sees the core as being very good – from new 40 home run, 40 stolen bases achiever Pete Crow-Armstrong, who joined the 40 homers, 40 stolen base club against Miami, to third baseman Alex Bregman and shortstop Dansby Swanson (signed to long-term deals.)
Galligan plays pickleball in Sun City, while Mianulli plays softball.
Mianulli joined the Sun City Softball League the year after he moved here.
Members of a ladies softball group, gathering for Sunday night practice, were Cubs fans, too.
“I watch all the Cubs games, and send texts to my mom,” Sun City resident Sharon Johnson said. “I grew up a Detroit Tigers fan, but moved here in college. Nico Hoerner is my favorite Cub.”
Susan Level, also of Sun City, remembers 2016 Cub Kyle Schwarber when he was a catcher at the University of Indiana and she lived in Bloomington, Indiana.
Derek Nelson, meanwhile, wore a big “Sox” t-shirt as he attended a Sun City event with his mom.
“I went to the Ozzie Guillen jersey retirement ceremony game on Aug. 10,” the Huntley resident said. “It was very emotional.”
His hopes for the playoffs?
“I hope both teams make it to the World Series,” he said.
The start of the final week of September still had baseball being played for Chicago fans, in San Diego for the Cubs and Houston for the White Sox, a memory that figures to last a long time.
Second game brings different results
The Chicago White Sox accomplished their first playoff sweep in 21 years when they defeated Houston 7-3 in the second American League wild-card game, for a 2-0 series win, Sept. 30. They faced the Cleveland Guardians in the American League Division Series.
A few hours later in San Diego, the Cubs lost to the Padres, 4-1, ending their season.
