Have you ever walked into a room and felt out of place? Like you were left out of a group chat and everyone else coordinated their outfits and chants? Well, that was me last week when I walked into the Citizens Bank Park stadium for a Monday evening matchup between the Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies. Despite living in the Philadelphia area for the past two years and being surrounded by crazy Philadelphia sports fans, I have remained a steadfast Cubs fan.
As someone who grew up in the Chicago area, I have been wearing Cubs gear my whole life simply because my parents were fans. From onesies to jerseys, I grew up going to Wrigley Field for a game every now and then, but I was never a particularly passionate fan. I’d always thought baseball games were boring and took too long. Plus, the Cubs were never that good — ever. They were so bad that they had not won the World Series in 108 years, thanks to the Billy Goat Curse; in 1945, Cubs fan William “Billy Goat” Sianis tried to bring his pet goat with him to the game. When he was rejected, he got so upset that he claimed the “Cubs will never win a World Series so long as the goat is not allowed in Wrigley Field.”
However, in 2016, everything changed. The Cubs dominated the regular season with 103 wins, won the National League Central Division by 17.5 games and were hungry for revenge after being swept in the 2015 National League Championship Series. Led by a young squad including stars like Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, and Javier Báez, the Cubs powered their way past the San Francisco Giants in the National League Division Series and the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series.
As a ten year old, I was fortunate to be at Wrigley for Game 6 against the Dodgers and to see the Cubs advance to the World Series. They then went on to defeat the Cleveland Guardians in the World Series through a thrilling ten-inning Game 7. It feels almost poetic that the rain delay after the ninth inning ended up being the turning point in ending the Cubs’ century-long drought. So yes, I am still reminiscing about the 2016 Cubs ten years later because that is where my love for the team really grew.
Unfortunately, since then, many star players have left the team, and the Cubs have been on a roller coaster as they rebuild their brand. They recently signed long-term contracts with plenty of stars including Pete Crow-Armstrong, Nico Hoerner, Alex Bregman, and Dansby Swanson, who have brought glimmers of hope back to Chicago. So, of course, I have loved watching them play and was beyond excited to see that my schedule was clear when they were playing in Philadelphia.
When I walked into Citizens Bank Park on a summer-like Monday evening surrounded by Bryce Harper and J.T. Realmuto jerseys, I eagerly awaited the first pitch as my friends made fun of my Cubs hat. Every time the Cubs did something well, I went to clap and cheer, but I was met with boos and vulgar comments. This was my first MLB game outside Wrigley, so I was not used to being in the minority as a fan. The Phillies absolutely dominated the game, up 13-2 through the bottom of the seventh inning.
It was frustrating to hear cheers as I winced every time the ball flew into the seats or the Cubs struck out. In the top of the 8th inning, the Cubs scored five runs, but by then most of the fans had left the stadium, and my cheers were no longer met with angry Philadelphia fans. While Wrigley remains superior in my eyes, I will admit that Citizens Bank Park has a beautiful view of the city, and the stadium offered a BOGO hot dog deal that night, which was a wonderful perk.After this disappointing loss, the Cubs went on to win the series and then swept the New York Mets back at home. Who knows where the 2026 season will take us, but the Cubs are coming off six straight wins, and fan optimism is high. This week, the Phillies and Cubs meet again for a four-game series, this time at Wrigley Field. I wish I could join in on the electric energy in Chicago, but that will have to wait until this summer.
