The Cubs are doing what they need to do in August – Win! They’ve been nerve-wracking, gut-wrenching victories verging on “Ugly,” but so far they’re somehow 10-5 this month. I prefer to call it poetic, referring to the two most famous poems in baseball history. First, there was David Bote’s “Casey at the Bat” moment where he actually did what Casey was expected to do, and there was joy in Wrigleyville. (See Post #626). Last night, it was a Major League record-tying 7 double plays, reminiscent of the days of the famous Tinker, Evers, and Chance infield (See Post #54) that inspired the poem “Baseball’s Sad Lexicon.”

It was not typical Cubs “come-from-behind” baseball these past couple of days in Pittsburgh. Two consecutive 1-0 road wins also has to be some kind of record, since these have been the only back-to-back shutouts all season for Cubs pitching. It was also not Tinker-to-Evers-to-Chance that brought home the “W” but rather Zobrist-to-Addison-to-Rizzo, Baez-to-Rizzo, Baez-to-Zobrist-to-Rizzo, Zobrist-to-Russel-to-Rizzo, Baez (4)-to-Russell (6)-to-Rizzo (3), Russell (6)-to-Baez (4)-to-Rizzo (3), and Bote (5)-to-Rizzo (3) to finally end the game. Seven-DPs have only been executed on two other occasions in baseball history, involving the 1969 SF Giants and 1942 Philadelphia Athletics. Both of those teams lost, so Kyle Schwarber’s solo shot in the second inning home run gave the Cubs the only seven-double-play-victory in history. Fly the “W” for Cubs starter Cole Hamels. Jon Lester had 8 strikeouts, Ian Happ homered, and there was only one double-play the night before for the exact same 1-0 result.

That many double plays in one game hadn’t happened in 49 years of baseball, just as Bote’s Ultimate Grand Slam a week ago was last done by Chris Hoiles on May 17, 1996 – 22 years ago, and Alan Trammel June 21, 1988 – 30 years ago: “Bases loaded, two outs, full count, bottom of the ninth, and down by three runs at the crack of the bat.” It’s been poetry in motion, watching the accomplishments of the Cubs in August. The month is only half over, as they continue their drive to win the Central Division over the slugging Brewers and streaking Cardinals. It will take even more heroics to win the World Series. David Bote, who has played a major role in this stretch in place of the injured Kris Bryant, has shown both offensive and defensive prowess. I saw him less than a month ago tie the game against the Diamondbacks in the bottom of the ninth with a center field blast, enabling Anthony Rizzo to win it in walk-off style.

It was that moment at Wrigley Field that I enjoyed with my 3 grandchildren, son, and nephew. The only thing that went wrong that day was that we couldn’t find our commemorative brick that my wife gave me as a gift eleven years ago. “3 Generations: Mike, Adam, Gavyn 9/10/2007. All three of us were in the stands that afternoon for an exciting 12-3 thrashing of the Cardinals. Gavyn was just a baby. Ted Lilly got the victory for the Cubs. Derek Lee went 3-5 and hit his 18th homer, while Aramis Ramirez was 4-5 at the plate and clubbed his 21st and 22nd round-trippers. My grandson Gavyn posed with the actual brick on our next visit after we located it in the Leo Durocher section along Clark Street. Last month, we wanted another picture of our brick with ten-year-older Gavyn, but due to all the construction the past couple years around the park, it was no longer in the Durocher section that had been relocated to Sheffield Avenue. I called the Cubs office to complain, and it took them about two weeks to find the brick’s new location. Unfortunately, we never got the picture, but the brick is now in the Frank Chance section. He is of course part of that poetic double-play 6-4-3 trio that helped win “back-to-back” 1907 and 1908 World Series titles. I feel our brick is in a better place now than enshrined with a guy nick-named “Leo the Lip.”