As I’m composing this The Marquis Network is airing a regular season game from the 2003 season and have dubbed it a “Cub Classic.” Like many Cub fans my age, I’ve seen my share of Cubs losses over the years and because all but one season ended properly doesn’t mean that I don’t have pleasant memories from seasons other than 2016.

Growing up I knew more losing than winning, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy watching the team back then. Usually when they did win, I knew it wasn’t adding up to something better, but at the time I enjoyed the wins.

However, I take no pleasure in rewatching any games between the Marlins and Cubs in 2003-no matter how badly the Cubs may have shellacked Trader Jack &Co. I take zero pleasure from watching hitting a wispy single to right because I know how it ends. I never blamed Bartman for the Cubs collapse, rather the guys on the field botched it as did the manager.

Instead, I wanted to drift back 40 years to this very week. The Cubs hadn’t played a meaningful game in months and as I’ve mentioned earlier, their season was a blur back then. However, 40 years ago I was embarking on my college adventure and Bob Sr., and I attended a Dodgers-Phillies game at the Vet. I think the Dodgers won and I know we had fun despite being at the Vet.

At the time nobody in the park had any idea that the two teams would face off in the NLCS a month and a half later. Neither team was in first place, nor were they especially good at that point.

‘Even though the Phillies weren’t a championship team yet, Philly was experiencing championship euphoria as the 82-83 76ers had just won the NBA Championship. Editor’s note: Major sports markets often experience success concurrently or consecutively. The Phillies won it all in ’80, Eagles lost in ‘81, a local college team would win the NCAA in ’85. And we didn’t realize it at the time, but Chicago would begin a 3-year run in ’83. Philadelphia sports fans are extremely passionate and skeptical of success and the summer of ’83 was no different.

Coincidentally, the guy that guided the Phillies to a 43-42-1 record was Pat Corrales who passed away today at the age of 82. He was replaced by Paul “The Pope” Owens who had the personality of a sock. And yes, that matters in a city like Philly.

Reflecting on a game in 1983 that didn’t involve my Cubs is far more pleasant than some meaningless win against the Marlins in 2003. During the Cubs chase for the 2003 Series, I was working at Stats Inc. and watching far too many baseball games.