[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 17]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 24128]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                               CUBS WIN!

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. RAHM EMANUEL

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 2, 2003

  Mr. EMANUEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise with great pride following last 
night's National League Central Division champion Chicago Cubs' first 
playoff victory on the road since 1945.
  I am proud to represent tens of thousands of loyal and patient Cubs 
fans who have so patiently waited for this opportunity to compete for 
its first National League Pennant in almost 60 years and its first 
World Series title since 1908. I join the City of Chicago in cheering 
for the Cubs to overcome history by this year's nearly 90 wins and 
first place in the Central division.
  I think most long-time Cubs fans would agree that there could not 
have been a more exciting route to the playoffs than the 2003 season. 
All season long, Chicago traded first place back and forth with the 
Houston Astros in the major league's most competitive division. After 
this weekend's victory against Pittsburgh, jubilant fans remained 
celebrating in the stands an hour after the game as Cubs players jogged 
around the perimeter of the field to salute their fans and soak up the 
delirious atmosphere at Wrigley Field.
  Those of us on Chicago's north side are especially grateful for the 
arrival of first-year manager Dusty Baker, his winning attitude and 
proven leadership on the field and in our community. Dusty and his 
outstanding coaching staff made believers out of the players and Cubs 
fans. He held our team together during some of the season's most 
difficult times.
  We must attribute much of this year's success to Dusty's clever off 
season personnel moves and Sammy Sosa's great batting, including his 
towering 40th home run this past weekend that made him the first player 
in National League history to hit 40 home runs in six consecutive 
seasons. This historic feat was achieved on top of slamming his 500th 
home run earlier this season. Sammy has become as much a part of 
Chicago as the stuffed pizza and Navy Pier. His pride in his native 
Dominican Republic is but one example of the cultural diversity that 
makes Chicago the great city it is today, and how baseball has been 
woven into the fabric of our Nation's history.
  When I attended one of the Cub's home victories earlier this year, I 
was joined by the Chaplain of the House of Representatives, The Rev. 
Daniel P. Coughlin, before the game to honor his 89-year-old mother, 
Louise Coughlin, as the Cub's Usher of the Year. Moments like these and 
the team's winning ways are what made 2003 such a special season and 
why I will always be proud to represent the Cubs in Congress.
  Mr. Speaker, I salute the Cubs for their first-place finish, and I 
join with the entire City of Chicago and Cubs fans everywhere in 
wishing them continued success in the playoffs. I join Cubs fans in 
cheering that one of baseball's most storied franchises ends a nearly 
century long championship drought. Win or lose, Chicagoans will be 
always be proud of their Cubs.

                          ____________________