“Cubs on Parade” was composed by HR Hempel in 1907. It commemorated the Chicago Cubs first World Series victory that year, and was dedicated to then-manager Frank Chance. The piece is a “march two-step”: appropriate, as the Cubs would do their own two-step and win the series the very next year. And…just as the two-step has fallen out of fashion…well, most baseball fans know the rest of the story. The Cubbies haven’t won baseball’s highest prize since that time. You’re listening to the Edison Military Band on a wax cylinder from 1907.
“Cubs on Parade” took on a new meaning in 2010, when the Cubbies became the first MLB team to participate in their city’s Gay Pride Parade. Representing the team: Mr. Cub himself, Hall-of-Famer Ernie Banks.
We’ve got more episodes on the national pastime at Sound Beat dot org. Just type, you guessed it, baseball in the search bar at the top of the page.