As a lifelong Cubs fan, I’ve had very little to get excited about over the past 44 years. Yes, there have been some exciting playoff runs in the past four decades, but they all ended in heartache and “wait til next year.”

We had one record, however, that we could take incredible pride in because no other team came close. No, it wasn’t the fact that we’d gone 100 years without a World Series victory, Mr. Smarty Pants. Please sit down. This is a serious post.

That record was the Cubs No-Hit Streak. What’s a No-Hit Streak? Glad you asked. It’s simple: it’s the number of games since the Cubs went an entire game without getting one hit.

On September 9, 1965, Sandy Koufax prevented the Cubs from getting any hits. That was the last time it happened. Until Saturday, July 25, 2015, when Cole Hamels of the Philadelphia Phillies did what no one had done in almost 50 years.

As I mentioned, if you’re a Cubs fan, you haven’t had a lot to cheer about, but this record was ours. No other team came close. And that made every game, win or lose, special.

About 18 months ago, I was let in on a little secret (that may have actually not been a secret at all). There was a Twitter account, created in 2012, devoted to the Streak and it was run by my blogging mentor and ChicagoNow Community Manager, Jimmy Greenfield.

What Jimmy did with @CubsNoHitStreak was nothing less than a true gift to all Cubs fans. He tweeted every single day, often multiple times. He ran contests. He was witty. He educated the public on The Streak. He kept hope alive. He even created Cubs fans.

@CubsNoHitStreak My secret: I wasn’t a Cubs fan. My son was. Then I started following you and I became a Cubs fan. Thank you!!

— Diana Rapp (@drtexdi) July 26, 2015

//platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsTo me, it almost became less important whether or not the Cubs won a game. As long as that tweet from @CubsNoHitStreak showed up on my phone, I could rest easy. And then Saturday happened. Tweets like this started arriving:

Cubs hitless thru 2 and Hamels throwing smoke. I haven’t been this nervous since my vasectomy was done by a Dr. Vandelay. — Cubs No-Hit Streak (@CubsNoHitStreak) July 25, 2015

//platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsWhen this arrived, however, I knew things were serious and I turned on my tv.

The first man to extend The Streak just sang the 7th inning stretch. That’s messing with my head.

— Cubs No-Hit Streak (@CubsNoHitStreak) July 25, 2015

//platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsI sat on the edge of my seat praying. Surely this wouldn’t be the end. I worried for all Cubs fans. And then . . .

No. 7,921: Cole Hamels has no-hit the Cubs. The Streak dies. — Cubs No-Hit Streak (@CubsNoHitStreak) July 25, 2015

I’m telling you right now that if I hadn’t seen that amazing hit by Kris Bryant caught by center fielder, Odubel Herrera, as he dove on the warning track, I’d have never believed it. I got teary. @CubsNoHitStreak went silent, but Twitter kept on talking. Support poured out for @CubsNoHitStreak and for Jimmy. It was all class.

I wouldn’t have cared anywhere near as much about today if it weren’t for the work of whoever is behind @CubsNoHitStreak #ThankYou — Matthew Hayes (@MattHayes7282) July 26, 2015

The world wondered. What would Jimmy do with the Twitter account? Would he start documenting the new no-hit streak? Jimmy was silent on the matter until late Saturday night.

I hope this doesn’t disappoint you, but I’m not going to be tweeting the first hit of each game. The Streak is over. We have to accept that. — Cubs No-Hit Streak (@CubsNoHitStreak) July 26, 2015

However, I’m not abandoning this account. By far the best part of this has been connecting daily with rabid Cubs fans. I’m not leaving. — Cubs No-Hit Streak (@CubsNoHitStreak) July 26, 2015

As I’ve always said, winning the World Series came before The Streak. One dream is over. The other can and will only end with victory. — Cubs No-Hit Streak (@CubsNoHitStreak) July 26, 2015

And then the true love started pouring in. And Jimmy changed his mind, at least for yesterday.

No. 1: Kyle Schwarber singles with no outs in the first for the @Cubs. Only 7,919 to go! — Cubs No-Hit Streak (@CubsNoHitStreak) July 26, 2015

//platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsJimmy was interviewed last night Sports Feed on WGN News. As always, a class act.

Will @CubsNoHitStreak continue in its previous form documenting every game where the Cubs get at least one hit? Only one person knows for sure.

I can only imagine the range of emotions Jimmy felt this weekend, but as always, he handled it all with class and taught everyone who follows him a thing or two about overcoming adversity. At the same time, I hope he fully realizes the amount of joy he brought to Cubs fans worldwide and continues to be the voice of the next streak and the World Series run.

Thank you Jimmy!

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