You Gotta Have Heart

Colletti, as an insider and -- at the time -- Cubs' employee, provided this little book on the Cubs at the beginning of the Tribune era for the enjoyment of Cubs fans. The purchase of the Cubs from the Wrigleys brought with it many things that define the modern Cubs (or at least the post-'69, pre-MacPhail Cubs)-- Ryne Sandberg, Rick Sutcliffe, Harry Caray -- all brought to Chicago through the efforts of Dallas Green. Colletti's book, however, is fawning in its praise for Green and perhaps overplays what Green meant to the franchise. Yes, the Cubs which Green inherited were horrible -- Dave Kingman's one good season seems all the more remarkable when compared to what others were doing and the Wrigleys had alienated a lot of fans with the team's rough treatment of Bill Madlock (a sin which would be grievously committed a second time with Greg Maddux by Larry Himes less than two decades later) -- but the Cubs walked away from the Dallas Green era with only 1984 to show for it. Insofar as it was the only glory worth reliving, beyond Lee Elia's rant, Colletti provides great coverage to it in "You've Gotta Have Heart." Colletti takes readers through each game of the 1984 season in summary fashion and provides enough detail to invoke the giddy memories of that brief monsoon breaking the devastation of a forty year drought... Ryne Sandberg's incredible game against Bruce Sutter and the Cardinals; Steve Trout and his blister "remedy" of pickle juice, crab meat and tobacco juice; "Sarge" and the fans in the left-field bleachers... all of it is laid out lovingly by Colletti up until the bitter end. Garvey, Durham, pain. Still, a fun read for Cubs fans of more than two decades.