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Cubsessions: Famous Fans of Chicago's North Side Baseball Team & Their Stories of Pain, Loyalty, Hope and (Finally) Joy
The Cubs are more than just a baseball team to those who root for them. From the heartaches of 1969 and 2003 to the pure joy of 2016, emotional ties bind fans of Chicago's North Side ball club. Throughout the 2017 season, writer's and die-hard Cubs fans Becky Sarwate and Randy Richardson interviewed a diverse collection of some of the team's most famous fans. Cubsessions tells the story of divergent life paths- the roads taken, the failures experienced, and the successes reached- and how those paths all come together for a collective passion. Bob Newhart, Pat Brickhouse, Dennis Franz, Joe Mantegna, Scott Turow, Bill Kurtis, and many others, share just what it means to bleed Cubbie blue.
177 pages, Paperback
Published March 29, 2018
622 people want to read
About the author
Becky Sarwate
1 book10 followersBecky Sarwate is an award-winning freelance writer and contributor to multiple publications, including The Broadway Blog, Wrigleyville Nation, Contemptor, PoliticusUSA.com. Rootspeak, NewCity, Jettison Quarterly, Make it Better and StreetWise.
Becky's work has been recognized eight times by the National Federation of Press Women (NFPW) for excellence in multiple communication genres. She belongs to the Illinois chapter of the NFPW, the Illinois Woman's Press Association (IWPA), where she serves as the Immediate Past President and Digital Marketing Chair. She also volunteers as the Book of the Year Award Chair on the Executive Board of the Chicago Writers Association CWA)
Becky's first book with co-author Randy Richardson, Cubsessions: Famous Fans of Chicago's North Side Baseball Team was published by Eckhartz Press on March 29, 2018.
Becky's work has been recognized eight times by the National Federation of Press Women (NFPW) for excellence in multiple communication genres. She belongs to the Illinois chapter of the NFPW, the Illinois Woman's Press Association (IWPA), where she serves as the Immediate Past President and Digital Marketing Chair. She also volunteers as the Book of the Year Award Chair on the Executive Board of the Chicago Writers Association CWA)
Becky's first book with co-author Randy Richardson, Cubsessions: Famous Fans of Chicago's North Side Baseball Team was published by Eckhartz Press on March 29, 2018.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
September 22, 2018
This is essential reading for Cubs fans but also for anyone interested in a Chicago institution and in major league baseball - it's funny, moving, very well done.
Becky Sarwate and Randy Richardson have created a highly readable and enjoyable encomium/series of interviews with some of the Cubs' most well known fans, with the focus on the team's 2016 World Series victory.
Becky Sarwate and Randy Richardson have created a highly readable and enjoyable encomium/series of interviews with some of the Cubs' most well known fans, with the focus on the team's 2016 World Series victory.
December 22, 2018
This book was a great read to follow up and "re-feel" the pride all Cubs fans felt after finally winning the World Series in 2016. I won this book from a Goodreads giveaway. I was so excited to read it. I grew up in a very small town in northwestern PA on the NY border. WGN was on our cable television network that all the kids watched during the summer. Needless to say all the boys in my generation became die hard Cubs fans from watching those mid day Cubs games on WGN. One of those boys became my husband. It was pure joy to see all their facebook posts to one another after that late night win....seeing them reach out to childhood friends from 35 years ago to celebrate for a moment something they watched a long time to see. Something that still unites them as they have gone their separate ways.
I started this book a couple months ago. I am not sure why I put it down part way through and couldn't get back into it. If I had to put a finger on it I would say it was just SO much information. Each interview was short, but THICK with information. It may have helped too if I were familiar with all the people that were interviewed. Maybe googling them would have helped me. This is why I gave it a 4. However, there were quite a few stories that created that painful ball of emotion in my throat and caused a tear or two of happiness to trickle down my cheek. The Cubs history is one that should be written about and told. It is a unique team. And they have THE BEST fans. I always have such a sense of pride when anywhere in any of our travels strangers come up to my husband and comment on his Cubs hat that he faithfully wears to the point it has been replaced once already since the World Series. And to see him fist pump little boys sporting that same team on their shirt or hat as they pass each other on a side walk, each tapping their team on their head or chest and then carrying on.
It was also a pleasant surprise to read Adrian Zmed's interview. I have been friends with and worked with his niece for 20 years due to her locating to our area from Chicago for her job. To read about her Dad and uncle was cool.
I will pass this little gem of a book on to my husband who plans to pass it on to his childhood Cubs fans to enjoy. Thank you!
I started this book a couple months ago. I am not sure why I put it down part way through and couldn't get back into it. If I had to put a finger on it I would say it was just SO much information. Each interview was short, but THICK with information. It may have helped too if I were familiar with all the people that were interviewed. Maybe googling them would have helped me. This is why I gave it a 4. However, there were quite a few stories that created that painful ball of emotion in my throat and caused a tear or two of happiness to trickle down my cheek. The Cubs history is one that should be written about and told. It is a unique team. And they have THE BEST fans. I always have such a sense of pride when anywhere in any of our travels strangers come up to my husband and comment on his Cubs hat that he faithfully wears to the point it has been replaced once already since the World Series. And to see him fist pump little boys sporting that same team on their shirt or hat as they pass each other on a side walk, each tapping their team on their head or chest and then carrying on.
It was also a pleasant surprise to read Adrian Zmed's interview. I have been friends with and worked with his niece for 20 years due to her locating to our area from Chicago for her job. To read about her Dad and uncle was cool.
I will pass this little gem of a book on to my husband who plans to pass it on to his childhood Cubs fans to enjoy. Thank you!
July 16, 2018
I received an advance reading copy of this book, for free, through Goodreads First Reads program in exchange for my honest review.
While reading Cubsessions: Famous Fans of Chicago’s North Side Baseball Team & Their Stories of Pain, Loyalty, Hope, and (Finally) Joy by Becky Sarwate and Randy Richardson, I realized that my experience at the conclusion of Game 7 of the 2016 World Series closely mirrored the experiences of those interviewed for the book. While we all wanted to be with the Cubs in Cleveland, many were nowhere near Progressive Field that night (I was watching on TV on the West Coast). Many watched the game with their families (I watched with my parents). Many shed tears of joy (I did, and I still get choked up every time I watch a video of the final out). Many were inundated with congratulatory phone calls immediately following the game (Call after call. I heard from friends I hadn’t spoken with in years).
It was interesting to read the 31 interviews in Cubsessions. They feature a diverse group of people, from various walks of life, experiencing a similar feeling at the same moment. Famous Cub fans: Bob Newhart (who is a national treasure), Tom Dreesen, Joe Mantegna, and Nick Offerman. Cub fans whom other Cub fans will recognize, but might not know by name: the guy who invented the Shawon-O-Meter, the Bleacher Preacher, the owner of Murphy’s Bleachers, and Ronnie Woo Woo. Cub fans famous enough to be interviewed, who I honestly never heard of, but Cub fans nonetheless. All remained loyal while suffering as our beloved team wandered for 108 years through the bottom half of the National League standings until finally reaching The Promised Land in 2016! Hallelujah! Holy Cow! Where’s the Tylenol?
This book is a must read for any Cub fan. Reliving the night of Game 7, the greatest game ever played, will put a smile on your face. Also, 100 percent of the proceeds from book sales go to cancer and baseball charities. Go buy this book, and GO CUBS GO!
While reading Cubsessions: Famous Fans of Chicago’s North Side Baseball Team & Their Stories of Pain, Loyalty, Hope, and (Finally) Joy by Becky Sarwate and Randy Richardson, I realized that my experience at the conclusion of Game 7 of the 2016 World Series closely mirrored the experiences of those interviewed for the book. While we all wanted to be with the Cubs in Cleveland, many were nowhere near Progressive Field that night (I was watching on TV on the West Coast). Many watched the game with their families (I watched with my parents). Many shed tears of joy (I did, and I still get choked up every time I watch a video of the final out). Many were inundated with congratulatory phone calls immediately following the game (Call after call. I heard from friends I hadn’t spoken with in years).
It was interesting to read the 31 interviews in Cubsessions. They feature a diverse group of people, from various walks of life, experiencing a similar feeling at the same moment. Famous Cub fans: Bob Newhart (who is a national treasure), Tom Dreesen, Joe Mantegna, and Nick Offerman. Cub fans whom other Cub fans will recognize, but might not know by name: the guy who invented the Shawon-O-Meter, the Bleacher Preacher, the owner of Murphy’s Bleachers, and Ronnie Woo Woo. Cub fans famous enough to be interviewed, who I honestly never heard of, but Cub fans nonetheless. All remained loyal while suffering as our beloved team wandered for 108 years through the bottom half of the National League standings until finally reaching The Promised Land in 2016! Hallelujah! Holy Cow! Where’s the Tylenol?
This book is a must read for any Cub fan. Reliving the night of Game 7, the greatest game ever played, will put a smile on your face. Also, 100 percent of the proceeds from book sales go to cancer and baseball charities. Go buy this book, and GO CUBS GO!
October 5, 2018
It's been said before, and perhaps better, but the beauty of Cubsessions: Famous Fans of Chicago’s North Side Baseball Team & Their Stories of Pain, Loyalty, Hope, and (Finally) Joy isn't just that it celebrates the 2016 World Series win. Behind the unique experiences that shape each interview's memories of fandom and celebration, there's the undeniable sense of community, even as a solo spectator.
As a reluctant entrant into the world of sports culture, I found myself reading chapters drawn by celebrities I've always enjoyed (Ike Barinholtz, Nick Offerman) but returning to interviews I wasn't expecting to resonate as deeply, like Stephanie Izard and Bob Newhart. Cubsessions captures stories, yes, but more than that, it gives voice to a diverse community many Chicagoans and Illinoisans, fans and non-fans alike, have always been a part of, sometimes unknowingly.
A necessary read for any Cubs fan, Chicagoan, Illinoisan, or anyone with ties to the area.
As a reluctant entrant into the world of sports culture, I found myself reading chapters drawn by celebrities I've always enjoyed (Ike Barinholtz, Nick Offerman) but returning to interviews I wasn't expecting to resonate as deeply, like Stephanie Izard and Bob Newhart. Cubsessions captures stories, yes, but more than that, it gives voice to a diverse community many Chicagoans and Illinoisans, fans and non-fans alike, have always been a part of, sometimes unknowingly.
A necessary read for any Cubs fan, Chicagoan, Illinoisan, or anyone with ties to the area.
September 23, 2018
Cubsessions is a must-read, even if you're not a Cubs fan (you will be when you're finished). Here are the real stories of passion from some of the most famous diehard Cubs fans, stories told with heart and warmth, people like Scott Turow, Dennis Franz, Joe Mantegna and many more. And no, they didn't leave out the ever-annoying but enthusiastic Ronnie Woo Woo.
This book is a heartwarming celebration of baseball's greatest team.
Buy it for all the Cubs fans on your gift list. 100 percent of the proceeds from book sales goes to three charities: Chicago Baseball Cancer Charities, Scoreboard Charities, and the Chicago Baseball Museum.
This book is a heartwarming celebration of baseball's greatest team.
Buy it for all the Cubs fans on your gift list. 100 percent of the proceeds from book sales goes to three charities: Chicago Baseball Cancer Charities, Scoreboard Charities, and the Chicago Baseball Museum.
September 23, 2018
I am not a born and bred Cubs fan, having grown up in Pittsburgh. But after many years in Chicago, one cannot ignore their story, their woes, and their triumphs. They are America's team. And this wonderful little book celebrates it all, along with all the interesting people, characters, and crazy fans who live and die in Cubbie blue. All you have to do is love baseball and it's mystical tug at your heart to enjoy this collection of stories from some of the Cubs' most extraordinary fans.
July 7, 2018
So excited when I won this as a good reads giveaway! You don't have to be a die hard Cubs fan to enjoy the book but it certainly adds to the enjoyment if you are. Go Cubs GO!
October 5, 2018
My husband is an avid Chicago Cubs fan and this book was the perfect gift for him. He really enjoyed it!
October 20, 2018
Excellent book!!!
October 23, 2018
I enjoyed Randy Richardson’s and Becky Sarwate’s book not only because I am a long time Cubs fan, but because I know Randy is a long suffering fan as well (Disclaimer, I am his father). As a writer and editor myself, the reader was drawn to their interviews with famous fans which brought memories of not only Cubs fans enjoyment, but kindled their own memories of games, suffering, love of Chicago and finally a World Series win in 2016.
My favorite interview was with Sam Sianis because I worked for a number of years in the Wrigley Building just above Billy Goat Tavern, where I spent time at this watering hole with hard-boiled Journalist and heard many stories of the “curse” that reached Mythical proportions. The Cubs and Chicago are truly intertwined. And as other interview make clear it reaches beyond Chicago to fans everywhere, who like my son, are die-hard Cubs fans.
Len Richardson
My favorite interview was with Sam Sianis because I worked for a number of years in the Wrigley Building just above Billy Goat Tavern, where I spent time at this watering hole with hard-boiled Journalist and heard many stories of the “curse” that reached Mythical proportions. The Cubs and Chicago are truly intertwined. And as other interview make clear it reaches beyond Chicago to fans everywhere, who like my son, are die-hard Cubs fans.
Len Richardson
October 12, 2025
An enjoyable read for any Cubs or baseball fan. Really gets into what makes a fan, how a life-long fanship can shape a person, make them more who they are. Sarwate and Richardson have a light interviewing touch and it really brings out the personality of each interviewee.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews