Observations while at Wrigley this Saturday

by JD on Jul 17, 2005 3:42 AM CDT

It's nice to see someone patient hitting leadoff (well, more so than we've been used to).

AC026097: They finally fixed the sign.

Maddux pitched good enough to win.

Hitting into four double plays is a good way to get more hits than your opponent and still get shutout.

The color scoreboard in center likes to ignore hits, during Jason Bay's second at bat, it briefly read "0 for 0, 1 Solo HR" (I've seen this kind of ignorance a lot on that scoreboard this year).

Henry Blanco is going to lower his career average this year.

Is it only out-of-towners that bring binoculars to Wrigley Field?

A game like this is more depressing when sitting next to Astros fans.

If Zach Duke keeps pitching like this, it won't be too long before the Pirates can't afford him.

I was hoping to see the Cubs score 4 in the ninth just to give Jose Mesa the loss. He deserves a loss just for being Jose Mesa.

It's nice to see the Cubs in pinstripes.

It's nice not to hear any loud booing of a Cubs player.

No matter what the final score, Wrigley Field is still one of the best places to spend a summer afternoon. I feel privileged that I get to go as often as I do.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of SB Nation or Al Yellon, managing editor (unless it's a FanPost posted by Al). FanPost opinions are valued expressions of opinion by passionate and knowledgeable baseball fans.

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Wow!

They finally fixed the sign!

I'm surprised, considering that I emailed them about it more than a year ago and they were adamantly stubborn about the fact that they thought the numbers were correct.

They weren't wrong, just inconsistent.

Let's hope we can change at least one set of them to "00" this fall.

by Al Yellon on Jul 17, 2005 3:58 AM CDT reply actions

AC026097

What does it mean? I have always wondered, and heard the story once, them promptly forgot!

by dfrancon on Jul 17, 2005 8:44 AM CDT reply actions

After Championship sign

AC stands for After Championship. It's been 02 seasons since the Cubs have won their division (2003), 60 seasons since they've won the National League pennant (1945), and 97 seasons since they've won the World Series (1908).

If the numbers stood for years instead of seasons, it would say AC015996, since all of those events occured around October.

The inconsistency Al mentions is that throughout last year, the sign said AC005996, and the first half of this year it said AC016097, which meant the first two digits stood for years and the last four digits stood for seasons.

Also, in case you were wondering, the Eamus Catuli sign on the same building is Latin for "Go Cubs!"

Hope that helps!

by JD on Jul 17, 2005 9:38 AM CDT up reply actions

Seasons vs. Years

This is a more accurate explanation than mine (below). Hey, I'm up at 7:30 on a foggy Sunday reading BCB, that oughtta count for something!

Pronounced: zam-BRAH-no

by Dan @ Bleed Cubbie Blue on Jul 17, 2005 9:45 AM CDT up reply actions

That building has another sign in Latin...

... a bit less visible. It reads:

NEC ASPERA TERRENT

I asked Mike, who knows everything, to tell me what this means. Here's what he wrote me:

This works to: "They fear not difficulties". This is also the official motto of one of the Price of Wales' regiments, their official translation is: "Difficulties be damned". Either will do, the latter is certainly more dramatic.

by Al Yellon on Jul 17, 2005 9:50 AM CDT up reply actions

Actually

AC stands for "Anno Catuli," Latin for "Year of the Cubs." (Incidentally, "catuli" technically refers to a young wolf or dog, not a bear cub--there is no Latin term for a bear cub, so the Wrigleyville Baseball Club people used the closest word they could find.)

by Molechaser on Jul 17, 2005 10:45 AM CDT up reply actions

It's my understanding...

... that "catuli" can also refer generically to the young of any such mammal, thus a "Cub".

If you want to be technical, it means "Onward little animals."

Good enough for me!

Incidentally, the building in question is the Lakeview Baseball Club. I don't know why I'm doing this, but here's their website.

by Al Yellon on Jul 17, 2005 4:44 PM CDT up reply actions

Thank you all for the

explanations!

by dfrancon on Jul 17, 2005 7:00 PM CDT up reply actions

AC026097

AC = (Years) After Championship
02 = Years since Division Championship (2003)
60 = Years since NL Championship (1945)
97 = Years since World Series Champions (1908)

There are FAR too few zeros in that sign!

Pronounced: zam-BRAH-no

by Dan @ Bleed Cubbie Blue on Jul 17, 2005 9:41 AM CDT up reply actions