An 87-year- old former major league pitcher says he is thrilled for the Cubs, a team that cut him from its roster more than 60 years ago.
"I pitched a third of an inning, and they released me. But I'm still a fan. They released me, and I was brokenhearted. Than, I signed with the Washington Senators," said Dean Stone.
Stone watched the Cubs victory parade in Hope Creek Nursing Home in East Moline, wearing a Cubs shirt and a big smile on his face.
"We got some good ballplayers. Wow! Thrilling season. Great!", he said.
Stone graduated from United Township High School in East Moline. He played 8 years in the major leagues, and was the winning pitcher in the 1954 All-Star Game.
He is a huge fan of Cubs Manager Joe Madden.
"Their manager, is the best manager I've ever known. And, I went through a lot of managers. He's good. He's smart," he said.
He's in bad health, but stayed up for Wednesday's marathon World Series clincher.
"The rain delay, oh, I almost fell asleep, but I stayed awake. Whooping and waving, I'm in the room all alone. It gave me a thrill, because I wanted to live until that happened and I knew it wasn't going to be a year from now, so it better be this year," he said.