Over the winter, as rumors of Jake Peavy's imminent trade to the Cubs heated up, someone spun a funny little tale. They said they heard Jake Peavy singing karaoke in a bar. His song choice? "Go, Cubs Go."
That rumor is probably untrue. Peavy vehemently denied it, and no such video exists on YouTube. But the story is less important than the moral behind it -- Jake Peavy really wanted to be a Cub.
But in a twist of fate only Cubs fans could beleive, Peavy is a White Sox. Kenny Williams, and not Jim Hendry, was the Chicago GM able to come up with enough to trade for Peavy, as well as the one with the financial freedom -- Peavy's contract is large and likely forebidding to the Cubs given the ongoing disaster that is the Tribune Company's sale -- to make the trade. But even though he's on the South Side, you can still hear bits of longing for that Cubs career. Old habits die hard.
For instance, in an interview with ESPN 1000 this weekend, Peavy said the following:
"This winter, I certainly thought I was headed across town. I think we got pretty close and [I] was excited about that, simply because I love the city of Chicago. I know a bunch of guys on the Cubs and like what they have built over there and [how I] was going to become part of that."
Peavy later said he's currently thrilled to play for the White Sox, and he probably is. Chicago was one of the few towns where he was willing to move. The White Sox have a great organization, recent success, a strong, well-liked (by his own players at least) manager, and a team that can make a serious run at a playoff spot this season. The White Sox are a fantastic spot for Jake Peavy to land.
But let's be honest about it: If he had his druthers, Peavy would have been a Cub. Maybe it's as close as 1a and 1b, but Peavy's 1a was always the North Side. The White Sox shouldn't take that personally. They've still got a great, eager player. It won't affect his performance. But it will be one thing Cubs fans can hold over White Sox fans, even as White Sox fans show off their new ace. In 2009, Cubs fans ought to take anything they can get.
Eamonn Brennan is a Chicago-based writer, editor and blogger. You can also read him at Yahoo! Sports, Mouthpiece Sports Blog, and Inside The Hall, or at his personal site, eamonnbrennan.com. Follow him on Twitter.
