A century in the making
HERE'S THE PITCH | 104-year-old Cubs fan wants to throw out first pitch during playoffs at Wrigley
Leo Hildebrand is talking smack.
Pitching in front of his Bensenville bungalow one day last week, he says he's got a fastball. He doesn't.
(Richard A. Chapman/Sun-Times)
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Leo Hildebrand
"I'll do better," he vows, continuing to pitch. "I'll give you a sidearm now."
But no one is giving Hildebrand a hard time. After all, the gnarled fingers curled around the baseball belong to a 104-year-old man. He's lucky to be breathing, let alone winding up for a pitch in the scorching midday sun.
And this is just practice. Hildebrand is warming up for what he hopes is his shot at the Big Show -- if the Cubs give him a chance.
A lifelong Cubs fan, Hildebrand wants to throw out the first pitch at Wrigley Field for a game during the Cubs' expected playoff run. His neighbor and good friend, Henny Kronvold, tried to persuade the Cubs to let Hildebrand pitch last season, but the Cubs politely told her all of the slots were taken, Kronvold said.
"He can't wait much longer," said Arlene Burm, Hildebrand's 69-year-old daughter.
Jason Carr, a Cubs spokesman, said the organization reviews and considers all first-pitch requests.
"Due to the large number of requests and suggestions, and given the limited opportunities, it's difficult to accommodate everyone,'' Carr said. ''We have so many deserving fans -- including Leo Hildebrand -- but can't get to them all.''
Carr said the club is focused on the regular season and has not begun making plans for October.
In the meantime, Hildebrand is making sure he stays off the disabled list.
His daily fitness regime includes a series of bending and flexing exercises, as well as three 20- to 30-minute walks around his block, says his caregiver, Fe Macaset.
His other keys to long life?
"I enjoy eating and sleeping -- my two favorite things," Hildebrand said. "That's why I'm still here."
Hildebrand, the son German of immigrants, was born in South Dakota in 1903. He had 12 siblings, all of whom have since died. His family later moved to Texas, where they grew cotton -- but that kind of life wasn't for the young Hildebrand.
"It's hard work, being out in the hot sun," said the 5-foot-3, 110-pound Hildebrand. "Pushing a pen is so much easier."
He has no recollection of the Cubs' last World Series win in 1908.
Hildebrand moved to Chicago in his early 20s, and he became a bookkeeper and then an accountant for 33 years. His favorite Cubs player is Ernie Banks, a great player and a really nice guy, Hildebrand said.
It is, he concedes, tough being a Cubs fan, but Hildebrand isn't whining about it. "It gets very discouraging, but I'm a guy who never gives up hope," he says.
While Hildebrand remains eager to show the Cubs his stuff, he's got plenty to keep himself occupied.
Once a week, he and his pastor drive around in a black BMW convertible, spreading cheer and hope to parishioners who are too old or too sick to make it to church.
Hildebrand says that's why he's still alive -- because "the Lord up above decided I had more to do."