Swan Song
After 33 years it’s time for Vine Line to say farewell
By Gary Cohen
Back in the mid-1980s — when Ryne Sandberg, Jody Davis and Gary Matthews were patrolling the Friendly Confines — the Cubs organization was searching for a way to reach out to fans hungry for year-round news about their favorite ballclub. Out of that need, Vine Line was born.
The premier issue back in 1986 featured slugging first baseman Leon “Bull” Durham on the cover and looked a bit different from the product you now hold in your hands. Since then, this publication has brought you news, features and information on the Cubs past, present and future. If it involved the Cubs, we were there to give you the inside scoop.
The last three decades have been an incredible journey for everyone associated with the magazine — an All-Star lineup that has included Ned Colletti, Ed McGregor, Lena McDonagh, Jay Rand, Jim McArdle, Michael Huang, Sean Ahmed, Phil Barnes and many, many more. Over the years, we have had the pleasure of covering Andre Dawson’s MVP campaign, Wrigley Field’s first game under the lights, the Boys of Zimmer’s magical summer, Kerry Wood’s 20-strikeout masterpiece, Sammy Sosa’s assault on the record books, Greg Maddux’s 300th win, Jake Arrieta’s historic, Cy Young-winning brilliance and finally, in 2016, a long-awaited World Series title on a glorious, rain-soaked night in Cleveland.
At the end of this year, our journey will come to an end. The December issue of Vine Line will be the last. While we’re going to miss bringing you stories every month, we will cherish the relationships we were fortunate enough to develop with the best front office, players, coaches and alumni in baseball.
One of the real pleasures for all of us has been interacting with you, the Cubs fans. This periodical grew out of your passion for the game and for your beloved team. There’s a reason Wrigley Field is packed from April to October every year and a reason fans are on their feet in the fourth inning of an otherwise meaningless May contest (without any prompting from the video boards). Cubs fans are, quite simply, the best in the game. We hope we’ve served you well over the years, and we thank you for your anecdotes, photos and story suggestions.
For these final issues, we’ll do our best to give Vine Line the sendoff it deserves. In the October issue, we break down the numbers that mattered for a powerhouse Cubs team in 2018, check in with Theo Epstein as his ballclub looks to notch its fourth-straight postseason berth and catalog some of the greatest October moments in franchise history.
On behalf of our entire editorial staff, thank you for letting us be a part of your life for all these years and for your continued support of the magazine. And thank you to the Cubs players, coaches and front-office personnel who have made this all possible and been so generous with their time.
As the Cubs streak toward the postseason for a fourth consecutive year, we’re hoping to go out with a bang. But that’s up to the guys on the field. Maybe we can all wrap this up with another World Series title. Let’s make these final three issues count.
