Posted on 10/14/2003 11:18:30 PM PDT by NotJustAnotherPrettyFace
It all started -- where else? -- at Clark and Addison.
On their first date in 1981, lifelong Cubs fans Julie and Ralph Dynek of Northfield went to a Cubs game. They gave up their tickets on Sept. 1, 1985, to make it to their wedding. A few years later, they had their first child, whom they already had decided would be named Addison Clark.
"We loved the sound of it, like cookies and milk," said Julie Dynek, 42, a cooking instructor. They tweaked the name to Addison Buck because their son was born on his grandfather's birthday.
But the ball already was rolling.
When the Dyneks' second son was born, both sets of grandparents suggested Clark. "It was really just going to be the first kid, and then it just kind of got out of control," Julie said.
They named third son Sheffield.
The fourth child, a girl, was easy. The Dyneks had a special place in their hearts for a convent on Grace Street behind Wrigley Field where they used to park before games. "We'd park the car and say a prayer, not for the Cubs to win, just so it wouldn't rain," Julie said.
Because the couple thought this would be their last child, they rounded out her name to Grace Waveland.
But then came the fifth. "We were like, 'Oh my God, we're out of streets,' " Julie said. Players' names were out of the question, she said, because "it's really all about Wrigley and the magic Wrigley brings to people."
"I thought we'd name the child Seminary," said Ralph, a trader at the Board of Trade. "But you can't really name a child Seminary, can you?"
Ralph's other suggestion was a reference to the Cubs' losing streak that season. "They lost like their first 17 games," he said, "so we were going to name it Owen, as in 0-12, 0-13."
But out came a girl, and the couple settled on Ivy Marie Wrigley.
The kids, now ages 6 to 15, have been to plenty of Cubs games. They visit their street signs whenever the family is in the city. But the Dyneks have given up their season tickets because their schedules are too busy. The kids all play baseball, naturally.
They've never gotten much grief for their names at school. In fact, their status among friends rises with every Cubs victory. "During lunch, they're, like, asking for my autograph," said Sheffield, 11, who goes by Sheff. "One kid offered to be my press manager," said Addison, 15, a freshman at New Trier High School.
The Dyneks don't plan on having more kids. But they haven't stopped rooting for their favorite team. The family, minus the girls, was in the stands at Wrigley for two games against the Atlanta Braves.
Their consensus is that the Cubs will win the World Series. "I'm getting more gray hair from this than from any of the kids," Julie said.
In honor of the Astros, I guess I'd have to name my kid "Choke."
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