The Chicago Cubs Will Leave WGN-TV After 70 Years (and I'm Not Happy About It!) by Mike Prochaska
Note: 30Seconds is a participant in affiliate advertising programs and this post may contain affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission or fees if you make a purchase via those links.
I am sad that the Chicago Cubs will be leaving WGN-TV next year after 70 years. The Cubs are teaming up with Sinclair Broadcast Group to launch the “Marquee Sports Network” in February of 2020.
First, I want to say from the business side that I get it. With their own TV network, the Cubs will hopefully have the money to sign more free agents in the future. But my heart hurts. It’s going to be weird with no Cubs home opener on WGN-TV. At our house we watch the Cubs home opener and celebrate baseball being back – and WGN-TV has been a huge part of Cubs baseball!
The Cubs belong on WGN-TV. WGN-TV’s relationship with the Cubs traces back to channel 9's inception in April 1948, and the Cubs could be seen across the country. Between 1948 and 1966, Cubs home games were shown (with a handful of road games). In 1967, WGN-TV began to carry somewhere around 140 games a year, sometimes more. In 1978, these games began to be shown nationally as WGN-TV was picked up on cable and satellite systems. This is how the Cubs became America’s team in the Midwest.
I remember coming home from school every day and turning on good old channel 9 to watch the end of the Cubs game. Normally it was a day game and I would get home by the 7th inning stretch, and Harry Carey and Steve Stone would be doing the famous 7th-inning stretch and the boys in blue would be playing. Those were the days of Ryne Sandburg, Mark Grace, Slammin’ Sammy Sosa and Shawon Duston. I always loved Shawon because he was always getting hurt, but he never gave up and kept coming back. I feel like WGN-TV and the Cubs were part of my childhood, teenage years and adulthood, and it will be missed.
What’s your favorite memory of the Chicago Cubs and WGN-TV? What will you miss about Cubs games being on good old channel 9?
Take 30 seconds and join the 30Seconds community. Inspire ... and be inspired.
This video is longer than 30 seconds, but we think it's worth it.
Related Products on Amazon We Think You May Like:
30Second Mobile, Inc. is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Related Products on Amazon We Think You May Like:
join discussion