ATLANTA - Have you ever heard of Skeeter Webb??
Well, neither had I until a colleague at WSB-TV said Skeeter was his grandfather, and his grandfather has a connection to the Chicago Cubs.
As a native of Chicago and a lifelong Cubs fan, I was listening.
Webb was born in November 1909, and from 1932 to 1949, he played major league baseball for five different teams.
In 1945, Skeeter started at shortstop in Game 7 of the World Series for the Detroit Tigers.
Detroit’s opponent on Oct. 10, 1945? The Chicago Cubs.
That was the last time the Cubs played in the World Series.
When the Cubs face the Cleveland Indians Tuesday night, the drought of 71 years and 16 days officially ends.
The Cubs lost the seventh game of the 1945 World Series after Don Johnson grounded into a force-out at second base.
Webb, playing short, scooped up the ground ball off Johnson's bat and touched second base to record the final out.
His glove, heading into Tuesday night, was the last link to the Cubs playing in the World Series.
“The glove, right now, is hanging on the wall upstairs in the loft,” said Pam Burton, Webb’s daughter.
Burton lives in Atlanta and her loft is filled with baseball memorabilia from the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s.
There is the hat that Webb wore during the 1945 World Series, a picture of her father throwing Ted Williams out, and one of her grandfather, Steve O’Neill, throwing Ty Cobb out.
Yes, baseball is in Burton’s family. O’Neal played for five teams, including the Yankees and the Red Sox.
“I have a picture of my grandfather riding horses with Babe Ruth,” Burton said.
What would her father or grandfather think about the Cubs not playing in a World Series since 1945 or winning one since 1908?
“I think they would be pretty amazed about that,” Burton said.
Everyone is.
But the drought ends this week.
Well, that’s at least what this Cub fan thinks.
This article was written by Channel 2 Sports Director Zach Klein. LIKE Zach’s official Facebook page and follow him on Twitter!