Last year, on the cusp of the Cubs’ appearance in the playoffs, ComCast Sports announcer Dave Kaplan wanted to know if fans were committed to this team or too gun-shy from past failures to wear their hearts on their sleeves. Ted Norstrom, who was watching the broadcast, thought, “I’m all in,” and set about writing a CD about his beloved team.

Ted is from Twin Lakes, Wisconsin, just over the Illinois border, the son of former Wrigleyville denizens, and has lived through the disappointments of 1984, 1989, 1998, 2003 and, of course, last year. Ted, who played baseball all the way through childhood and high school, started writing songs in college and played in a band in the mid-90s. With his CD, Believe It, Achieve It: Music For Cubs Fans, Ted managed to combine his two great passions in life. With musical influences ranging from Jimmy Buffett to John Hiatt to Lyle Lovett, Ted has made a record that tells the story of Cubs fans and their addiction to a lovable losing team.

These are fun, sometimes funny, songs, catchy as pop tunes and endearing as timeless salutes to Our Team. Ted’s CD, ACHIEVE IT, BELIEVE IT is available on cdbaby.com and iTunes, as well as on his website www.musicforcubsfans.com.

In this video, filmed during the July 8, 2008 Lovable Losers Literary Revue at El Jardin in Chicago, Ted performs "Just One Bad Century," a song inspired by the website of the same name.

Just One Bad Century from Randy Richardson on Vimeo.