Steve Goodman’s Last Love Letter to Baseball Still Echoes Across Wrigley Field
Few songs have captured the emotional bond between a fan and a baseball team as powerfully as Steve Goodman’s “A Dying Cubs Fan’s Last Request.” Performed from one of the rooftops overlooking Chicago’s iconic Wrigley Field, the song remains one of the most heartfelt tributes ever written about the game of baseball and the enduring loyalty it inspires.
Goodman, a celebrated singer songwriter and lifelong Chicago Cubs supporter, wrote the song during his long battle with leukemia. The bittersweet piece tells the story of a devoted Cubs fan facing the end of his life, a character widely understood to be a reflection of Goodman himself. Through humor, resignation, and unwavering affection for his beloved team, the song transformed personal hardship into a universal story about hope and devotion.
What makes the performance especially moving is the reality behind it. Goodman was living with leukemia when he continued to write, perform, and celebrate the sport he loved. Rather than allowing illness to define him, he approached life with remarkable wit and resilience. During his years of treatment, he even adopted the tongue in cheek nickname “Cool Hand Leuk,” demonstrating the same sense of humor that would become a hallmark of his songwriting.
On September 20, 1984, Steve Goodman died at the age of 36 at the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle. Just four days later, the Chicago Cubs clinched the National League Eastern Division title, securing their first postseason appearance since 1945. It was a moment Goodman had dreamed of witnessing throughout his life.
The timing gave his song an almost prophetic quality. Eight days after his death, the Cubs played their first postseason game in nearly four decades. Goodman had originally been scheduled to sing the national anthem before that game. In his absence, musician Jimmy Buffett performed “The Star Spangled Banner” and dedicated it to Goodman, honoring the artist whose passion for baseball had touched countless fans.
The story would gain another poignant chapter years later. In April 1988, some of Goodman’s ashes were scattered at Wrigley Field, forever linking him to the ballpark he cherished. Decades afterward, the Cubs finally achieved what generations of supporters had long awaited, winning the World Series in 2016 after a 108 year championship drought.
Although Goodman did not live to see that historic victory, his music remains deeply woven into the culture of Cubs baseball. More than a song about a team, “A Dying Cubs Fan’s Last Request” stands as a testament to loyalty, humor, and the enduring power of hope even in life’s most difficult moments.