In February 2012 we will publish Before the Curse: The Chicago Cub’s Glory Years, 1870-1945, which contains vintage newspaper accounts and historical essays on my favorite baseball team. 

I’ve been reading the manuscript this week in preparation for Book Expo. Apparently 1908 was a pretty good year for the Cubs.

Here’s a passage from the Commercial newspaper in 1870, following a game between the (Cincinnati) Red Stockings and the White Stockings (later renamed the Chicago Cubs).

“The crowd at Dexter Park this afternoon was enormous, and larger by thousands than any that ever before witnessed a game in America. The number is estimated at 15,000. Not more than 500 ladies were present. At least 1,000 carriages and other vehicles accommodated the dense multitude. For an hour after the game closed there was a blockade of carriages in the avenue leading from the grounds. The weather was clear, though a steady wind made it slightly too cold for comfort. The grounds are level, and in satisfactory condition.”

Go Cubs go.