MAQUOKETA, Iowa -The call to play ball is a big deal for die-hard Cubs fans from Clover Ridge Place.
Harry was right - you can't beat fun at the old ballpark, especially when the ballpark comes to you, complete with peanuts, popcorn and a few lemonades.
Alice McAllister, 97, has been a Cubs fan for more than 80 years. That includes a lot of long-suffering years and the 2016 World Series win.
"I've just got baseball in my blood, I guess," she said. "I just think they play good baseball. It hasn't been watered down. It's still good baseball."
As residents don Cubs gear to watch the Spring Training game on WQAD on Tuesday, February 27, a "bird bullpen" keeps away any Cardinals.
I asked resident Karen Specht if it's a requirement to be a Cubs fan.
"It should be," she chuckled, moments before the first pitch.
Like Karen, baseball brings out the kid in all of us. Every Spring, it's a fresh start.
Community Relations Coordinator Sally Davies led a rendition of "Take Me Out To The Ballgame," and served up the ballpark snacks.
"It's that die-hard, true passion for the sport," she said.
Win or lose, these faithful fans from Maquoketa stick by their Cubbies.
"It's just wonderful," Alice concluded. "I was even listening to the radio just to hear the sound of baseball."
A sound that's worth singing about at Clover Ridge Place.