This Year

by Mark Metzler

Join Harry Caray as he leads ultimate Chicago Cub fan, overweight bartender, classic underachiever and overall nice guy Al Smith on a journey through the afterlife “This Year.” The story starts with Harry’s visit to Al’s Madison, Wisconsin bar, 69, named after the ill-fated 1969 Chicago Cubs team, and continues with the visit of an ageless mysterious stranger who celebrates the Cubs clinching the National League pennant and then apparently dies, leaving a ticket to the World Series. The story take a turn when Al hits a toll booth after becoming distraught of talk of the Lou Brock trade and what that could have meant to the Cubs teams of the 60s and 70s if the trade had never been made. When Al awakes, he finds himself in a ticket line outside of Wrigley Field. There, he encounters the mysterious stranger again, along with an interesting group of scared, insightful and angry fans, who eventually aren’t allowed to experience the next leg of the journey.After returning the World Series ticket to the mysterious stranger, Al walks though Wrigley Field’s turnstiles, and he meets Harry Caray again. Together they begin a Dantesque journey through the afterlife, visiting Chicago Cub fans in the environments where they watched games. You’ll meet Tommy, the frustrated ballplayer, Kevin, the pretentious former classmate of Al’s, Jimmy, a sure star in the making, Alan Watts, the hopeful gas station attendant, and many others. When Al and Harry finally arrive at Wrigley Field, Harry disappears into a crowd filled with fans from every generation. It’s there that Al meets his new guide, Lloyd, who helps Al understand the true meaning of being a Chicago Cub fan. Al gets help in his education from fans from across the generations, including a Lauren Bacall lookalike, named Leslie, who tells Al that she has been waiting for him for “a long time.”They join a stadium filled at the center of the universe to watch the Cubs first World Series game since 1945. The game takes place between the Chicago Cubs and New York Yankees. On a beautiful, sunny afternoon in the Friendly Confines, Cubs and Yankees stars through time take part in a game for the ages. You’ll find Grover Cleveland Alexander, Hack Wilson, Stan Hack, Tinkers, Evers and Chance, and new addition Ron Santo, leading the Cubs. You’ll see what Charlie Root does the next time he faces Babe Ruth after Ruth’s famous called shot in 1932. They take on a Yankee team filled with Mantle, DiMaggio, Gehrig, Ruth and more. You’ll love the folk wisdom of Gabby Hartnett, and you’ll find that Al Smith and his belief in the team actually has an impact on the outcome.The book is a funny, thoughtful romp that talks about fulfilling the dream of every Chicago Cubs the World Champion Chicago Cubs. Make sure to download your copy, and tell a friend that the Cubs will finally win it all “This Year.”

136 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 21, 2012