Rookie Year

There was no looking back.  We went thru the rest of the season in such a groove.  It was a thrill and an honor getting to go to the ballpark every day.  We won the division and were going to the playoffs, something no pro sports team in Chicago had done since 1959.  The City was so excited.  We loved that the fans came out.  They broke records too, hitting 2 million in attendance for the first time - and wouldn't you know, they broke the 2 million mark on the night we clinched the division.  It was a night to remember.  I'd bet Gene and Roger Bossard didn't even mind (too much) what the field looked like after Chicago partied on it.  The excitement was infectious from them and us, we needed an appreciated each other.

The playoffs didn't go our way.  I got hurt, again.  In game 3, Mike Flannigan drilled me in the knee with a fastball-cutter.  He broke my kneecap - hit it so hard, my kneecap was on the side of my knee.  I tried to play through it, but by the next inning, it was swelled to the size of a softball.  I was out for game 4, and would have probably been out for the rest of the post-season.  People asked me if I thought it was on purpose.  My (cleaned up) response is Mike had 1 wild pitch all season.  He had complete command of his sh#t.

Even though we didn't go deep into the post-season, we pretty much swept the honors that year.  Roland Hemond received Executive of the Year, Tony LaRussa received Manager of the Year, LaMarr Hoyt received the Cy Young, and I received the Rookie of the Year.  I think what sits best with most of us from that team, people to this day still tell us that was not only their favorite team, it was the most magical.  For us too.