Lifelong Cubs fans, notably those who had Cubs fandom running through their families, I've got a must-watch for you. Thursday night at 7 p.m. Chicago time (8 p.m. ET), MLB Network is set to air another installment of its excellent "MLB Presents" series and this time it's "Joy in Wrigleyville."
As opposed to the special that aired last Friday on FS1 and will be on the commemorative DVD, this special focuses on the fans.
I must warn you, lifers, if you have a true family connection to fandom -- as I do -- you're gonna need some tissues pretty much from the get-go, when it shows a fan visiting her mother's grave and telling her that the Cubs finally won the World Series.
Actor John Cusack narrates the special. Here's a bit more on it from MLB Network's press release:
The program features interviews with fans detailing the emotional impact of the Cubs' championship on the city of Chicago, from Smashing Pumpkins lead singer and Illinois native Billy Corgan and Dutchie Caray, the wife of late Cubs announcer Harry Caray,to Mary Beth Talhami, whose 94-year old mother, a lifelong Cubs fan, passed away during the World Series; North Carolina resident Wayne Williams, who drove to Indiana to listen to Game Seven on his phone at his late father's grave; and nuns from Chicago's Felician Sisters Convent, who give a different take on the meanings of faith and curses.
Sights and sounds from the streets of Chicago during the Cubs' World Series title run are featured throughout the hour-long program, including exclusive footage and interviews at the Wrigleyville Fire Department and Harry Caray's River North restaurant.
It's an hour long and, again, a must watch for Cubs fans. If you aren't a Cubs fan and like seeing touching stories about fan bases, it would be of interest as well. And if you get all angry about seeing things about the Cubs, why are you still reading?
I think my favorite quote comes from a woman sitting with her father and she asked rhetorically, "how many people get to see their parents' childhood dreams come true?"
MLB Network Presents covers a wide variety of baseball topics, from The Nasty Boys to Ted Williams' pursuit of hitting .400 to Harry Caray's life.
Here is the MLB Tonight crew discussing this newest installment:
