"A Dying Cub Fan's Last Request" was written by Steve Goodman in 1981. A mock-serious rewrite of "St. James Infirmary Blues", the song tells the story of a Chicago Cubs fan looking back at decades of supporting the struggling baseball team.
The 1981 Major League Baseball strike interrupted that season beginning in June, and Goodman was asked whether he had written the song because of the strike. "Actually, I wrote it the night of March 13th in a hotel in Cincinnati, Ohio," Goodman said. He explained that he was about to put on a concert in Chicago and he wanted concertgoers—especially his family and friends—to have a new song to enjoy. He said he began thinking about the looming start of the baseball season and the historic lack of success of his Cubs teams.
Goodman debuted the song in a 1981 concert at the Park West Theater. Two days later, he played it on WGN.
The phone lines lit up. Everybody loved it…………Except the Cubs.
Word had it the song was especially despised by general manager Dallas Green, who insisted that the song never be played at Wrigley.
Goodman had been treated for leukemia since 1969. Despite having a serious illness when he wrote the song, Goodman said "A Dying Cub Fan's Last Request" was not autobiographical, according to his manager, Al Bunetta. "I always did believe it was about Stevie, but he said no. He never equated it to himself. He never looked at himself as dying," Bunetta explained.
Some say the song was partially written as an eyewink at Dallas Green. Others say it was the final great song from a dying man. Everyone agreed he had hit it out of the park. And, this time, the Cubs agreed – especially the players, many of whom had been recruited to sing by Goodman during his clubhouse visits.
It seems both cruel, and perfect, that just as the Cubs were finally turning things around on the field, Goodman’s long battle with leukemia was turning out to be a loss.
Those 1984 Cubs – led by the likes of Ryne Sandberg, Leon Durham and Rick Sutcliffe (who went 16-1) – won 96 games and became the first Cubs team since 1945 to reach the postseason.
With “Go, Cubs, Go” capturing the mood of the season and atmosphere in the stands so perfectly, Cubs management had an easy decision to make: they invited Goodman to sing the National Anthem at their first playoff game since 1945.
He never made it, proving the adage “baseball, like life, is a losing proposition.”
Goodman died Sept. 20, 1984, at the age of 36. Four days later, the Cubs clinched the NL East. Eight days after that, they played their first postseason game in 39 years. Jimmy Buffett stood in for his late friend in singing the anthem and dedicated the song to him.
A few days before that 1984 playoff game, Goodman’s widow and some of his friends went into Wrigley Field and buried his ashes beneath home plate, where, to the best of anyone’s knowledge, a few remain today.
The drawing of Wrigley Field is the work of minimalist artist Josh Seubert of Townsville Art
Josh is a Milwaukee artist that has illustrated hundreds of cities, states, university campuses and event arenas in a unique "line art" style. Birds eye views are a standard of his work.
See his work and contact him at. https://www.townsvilleart.com/
Various Sources