Northsiders

by Wood, Gerald C.

• ISBN13: 9780786436231
• ISBN10: 0786436239
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-10-30
• Publisher: McFarland Publishing

Summary

This collection of 21 essays examine the role of baseball's Cubs in the history and politics of Chicago. Focusing on topics such the rise of a nationwide fan base through the long reach of superstation WGN; the local uses and views of icons Ernie Banks, Ron Santo, and Ryne Sandberg; historical divides along lines of race (on the field) and class (in the stands); Wrigley Field as a public space both sacred and cursed; the importance of local and nationwide media coverage in developing the fan base; and the Cubs' impact on Chicago music and literature, the collection explores ties between team and town from a wide range of perspectives.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. 1
Cubs Timeline	p. 5
The Cubs, Wrigley Field, and P. K. Wrigley
Lake View, Baseball, and Wrigleyville: The History of a Chicago Neighborhood	p. 11
Wrigley Field: An Historical Basis for the Cubs' Curse?	p. 27
Hallowed Ivy and Sacred Sun: The Iconic Character of Wrigley Field	p. 35
Philip K. Wrigley: Contrarian	p. 49
Educating Wrigley: The Failed Experiment of the College of Coaches	p. 59
Race Ethnicity, and the Cubs
Making It Home: Cap Anson, Fleet Walker, and the Romance of the National Pastime	p. 69
Mediocrity Under Pressure: The Integration of the Cubs as Covered by the Chicago Defender	p. 86
Let's Play Two ... in Black and White: Ernie Banks and Race Relations in Chicago	p. 97
For Ken Holtzman: Wherever I May Find Him	p. 105
The Sociology of Cubdom
"I'm a Cub fan. I cannot be bought": Onstage Fandom in Bleacher Bums	p. 121
The Friendly Confines of Prose: Chicago Cubs in Fiction	p. 126
The Voices of Cubs Broadcasters	p. 134
Paradise Lost: Cubs Fans, the Tribune Company, and the Unfriendly Confines	p. 142
Scoring at Home	p. 149
Players as Icons
John Clarkson, the 34 Million Dollar Man	p. 159
Hack Wilson in Chicago	p. 165
Gabby, Gangsters, the Great Depression, and the "Homer in the Gloamin'"	p. 176
Loving Ivy: Ron Santo, Ryne Sandberg, and the Ideals of Cubs Nation	p. 184
Epilogue
Why the Cubs Must Not Win the World Series ... Yet	p. 195
Selective Bibliography	p. 203
About the Contributors	p. 209
Index	p. 213
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