As a boy, he watched his beloved team play the very first World Series game at Wrigley Field. A few Octobers later, he was there to see Babe Ruth call his shot.
A lot changed over the years, but retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens never lost faith in the Chicago Cubs.
Now 95 and older than the ivy at the Friendly Confines, Stevens offers an opinion on their title drought dating to 1908.
"I don't think it's a question of whether they'll win a championship," he said. "It's whether I'll still be here to see it.
"They are close. Will it happen soon enough?"
Surely, a lot of fans in Wrigleyville and far beyond are wondering the same thing. So let's begin right there as Major League Baseball loosens up for opening day.
First pitch is today in Pittsburgh, when the Pirates play Adam Wainwright and the 100-victory St. Louis Cardinals. Two later games, too: Josh Donaldson and the banging Toronto Blue Jays visit Tampa Bay, then Salvador Perez and the champion Kansas City Royals host Matt Harvey and the New York Mets in a World Series rematch.
Plenty to see, hear and taste from the get-go.
Aces Zack Greinke, David Price and Johnny Cueto start fresh with new teams. Red Sox slugger David Ortiz and Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully are on deck for fond farewells.
Bryce Harper, Mike Trout, Carlos Correa, Nolan Arenado and Noah Syndergaard are among the young, bright stars all over the diamond.
Barry Bonds is back in play as the hitting coach for the Miami Marlins. Dusty Baker is back in the dugout, managing the Washington Nationals.
A year after the Cubs, Houston, Toronto and Texas took huge strides to make the playoffs, crowds in Cleveland, Seattle and other spots are thinking "who's next?"
AL Cy Young Award winner Dallas Keuchel (Arkansas Razorbacks) saw what happened with the Astros. His first full year was 2013, and they lost 111 games.
"It's a progression," the lefty said. "You get better individually, and you get better as a team."
MLB also has made changes, on and off the field.
There's the Chase Utley Rule that outlaws certain takeout slides. But the old "neighborhood play" at second base is now reviewable, and many worry that might put middle infielders in peril.
Some ballparks added extra netting to protect fans from foul balls that rocket into the seats. One of them is Kauffman Stadium, where the Royals take on the Mets.
The next day, Atlanta starts its 20th and final season at Turner Field before moving to the suburbs. Like a lot of teams, the Braves loaded up -- the calories, that is.
Concession stands at the Ted are set to serve the "Burgerizza." It's a 20-ounce beef patty, smothered with five slices of cheddar cheese and bacon, between a pair of 8-inch pepperoni pizzas. All for only $26.
As always, injuries took a toll in spring training. Cardinals star shortstop Jhonny Peralta, Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier and young Colorado pitcher Jon Gray won't be ready for the openers. Arizona outfielder A.J. Pollock broke his elbow Friday night sliding head-first into home plate, and his entire season is in danger.
But pitchers Yu Darvish, Zack Wheeler, Homer Bailey and Alex Cobb seem to be recovering neatly from Tommy John surgery and are expected back soon enough.
So, how will things shake out?
San Francisco hopes its odd-even pattern holds after winning titles in 2010, 2012 and 2014. The Giants missed the playoffs last year, then got starters Jeff Samardzija and Cueto and outfielder Denard Span.
"This is as solid as I think we've been, and that's saying a lot," Manager Bruce Bochy said.
Coming off two consecutive last-place finishes, Boston added Price and closer Craig Kimbrel. Arizona revved its rotation with Greinke and Shelby Miller.
The Royals apparently didn't do enough to impress some corners of baseball. A couple of numbers-based sites predicted Kansas City will finish below .500.
"They're probably never going to pick us to win it, no matter what we do," All-Star outfielder Lorenzo Cain said.
A season after getting swept by the pitching-rich Mets in the NL Championship Series, the Cubs acquired outfielder Jason Heyward, starter John Lackey and all-purpose player Ben Zobrist.
They join Cy Young winner Jake Arrieta and young boppers Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo and Kyle Schwarber on a team dressed for success. As Manager Joe Maddon told his guys about clubhouse culture and couture: "If you think you look hot, you wear it."
Whether that adds up to a Cubs crown is just one subplot to the season. It's a supreme vacancy Justice Stevens wants to see filled.
A few years after he began listening to their games on radio, Stevens was 9 when he saw the Cubs drop the 1929 World Series opener at Wrigley. He was back in '32 when the Bambino called his shot.
"Yes, it really happened," he said. "My recollection is still fairly clear about him pointing to the center field scoreboard. Which he did."
Stevens served more than 34 years on the Supreme Court and never moved away from rooting for his Cubbies.
"As a Cubs fan, you do a lot of parallel thinking," he said. "You have the disappointment, and you always have hope."
Sports on 04/03/2016