Flat Ruthie: Miracle Worker (Part 2)

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Welcome back. To recap Part 1, friends and I have, at this point, attended 3 Cubs games, with Flat Ruthie joining us for 2 of them. The Cubs won the games when Flat Ruthie was in attendance and lost the game she missed.

The next game that we attended was against the New York Mets on June 26th. With temperatures soaring well into the 90’s at game time, surprisingly, we spoke little of the weather. Our focus was on Flat Ruthie. Would she bring another victory to this most beleaguered of all ball clubs?

Well, the most amazing thing happened.  Here’s Flat Ruthie posing for me. Please take note of the Man in the bottom left corner.

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Remember that Man!

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Yes, the Cubs won that game, 3 – 1, but for once that wasn’t the amazing thing.

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As I was attempting, unsuccessfully, to get a photo of both Flat Ruthie and the Cubs score board, the Man in the photo revealed himself. With devoted fans singing the last of “Go, Cubs, Go!”, this Man reached deep, deep into his pant pocket to retrieve his very large … Flat! You see, this Man seated before us was the Keeper of the New York Mets’ Gnome of Defeat — and that’s not even the miracle! Agog, I watched as he photographed The Gnome, trying to capture both Gnome and some significant sight within Wrigley Field. When he was finished, I asked if The Gnome wouldn’t mind posing with Flat Ruthie. Demonstrating that unique camaraderie that exists between all Flats, The Gnome graciously agreed. I took the picture, bid Gnome and Keeper farewell, and we headed for the exit. Flat Ruthie had just witnessed a 3rd victory. Someone pinch me. I must be dreaming!

It wasn’t until later that night, after I uploaded the photos, that I first caught glimpse of it — or did I? There, in the photo with The Gnome of Defeat, Flat Ruthie was sporting a … a … well, look for yourself. Do you see it?

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Skeptic that I am, I thought this some sort of fluke. Perhaps I’d inadvertently captured a ring toss game in progress or some such thing. Needless to say, I put the photo aside, vowing never to mention its existence to anyone. Tell me you wouldn’t have done the same.

It wasn’t long before we found ourselves once again passing through the turnstiles of Wrigley Field to witness a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. On this day, July 15th, not only did Flat Ruthie join us but so did another Friend, one who would never be considered a fan of America’s Pastime.

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Although you cannot see it in the above picture, the Cubs jumped to an early lead and fought hard to maintain it. Sometime during the 6th inning, my-less-than-fanatical fan Friend left to stretch his legs. As he walked around the park, the rest of us wondered if Flat Ruthie was behind these Cubs victories. You see, we’ve been to plenty of games, mostly losses, and it would be absurd to think that skill or even blind luck was behind this recent string of wins. Something else was at work here. I said nothing of the photo.

We were now into the top of 7th inning. Suddenly, the batter knocked a foul ball high into the Upper Deck on the other side of the stadium. I watched in amazement as it bounced directly in front of our Friend and landed right into the palm of his outstretched hand!!!! Unwilling to believe my own eyes, I turned to the others and asked if that was, indeed, our-less-than-fanatical fan Friend. Once Cynthia, who only moments before had fainted dead away, was revived, all agreed that it was, in fact, our Friend.

Try to understand the enormity of this. The rest of us have been going to Wrigley for decades. We’ve sat in virtually every section of that ballpark, and that includes a few of the rooftops across Sheffield Ave. We’ve gotten sunburned, drenched, and, on one memorable Opening Day, snowed upon. We’ve attended many a season’s first game, as well as its last, and far too many games in-between to count. We’ve sat stunned as we watched opportunity slip away and partied with the throngs on Clark St when the Cubs clinched a Playoff berth. We’ve done all that, and more, but never has a ball come within 50 feet of any one of us. Never!

So, my-less-than-fanatical fan Friend returned to us, souvenir ball in hand. Of course, Flat Ruthie insisted upon having her picture taken with them both. All the while, the rest of us groped for answers. How could this be? Are we on the verge of the Apocalypse? Do we walk into the Light or run from it? Was it too late to buy another round of beer? (One can question and still be thirsty.) Despite so many questions demanding answer, I shot my photograph.  Seconds later, when I checked the photo, there it was for all to see.

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Flat Ruthie’s Halo had re-appeared — and this time for good. There was no ring toss game in the background. (No beer vendor either.) This was Flat Ruthie, Miracle Worker, pure and simple. She delivered unto my-less-than-fanatical fan Friend a foul ball, thus revealing her powers for all to see. I never should have doubted the first Halo sighting.

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Yes, the Cubs won that game but, given the circumstances, the win did seem a bit anti-climactic. Still, a win is a win and, lest you’ve forgotten, the Cubs have won each game with Flat Ruthie in attendance. That’s 4 out of 4 victories thus far this season.

Now that her true self has been revealed, will Flat Ruthie continue to help the Cubs or will she see fit to punish me for doubting her after the Mets game? There’s only 1 way to find out. We’ve tickets for more games this season. I will let you know.

In the meantime, to learn more of Flat Ruthie, the indefatigable World Traveller, Bonne Vivante, and now Miracle Worker, please click HERE to go to her website.

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76 thoughts on “Flat Ruthie: Miracle Worker (Part 2)”

    • Hike up those hemlines? Granted, most will lose their chance of earning a halo but they will get noticed. After that, one’s feminine wiles should rule the day. She is a Flat, after all. 🙂

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  2. I’m not jealous I have my halo, ya just can’t see it…hhehehehe..

    John you missed your calling, you should write, your talented…

    cute story…m

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    • Thanks, Maria. I really didn’t know how to handle these games — wins, of all things! — until The Gnome of Defeat appeared. None of us could believe that seated directly in front of us was another guy holding up a Flat! Unbelievable and just too funny!

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    • This is just an amazing story! I love the photo of Ruthie and her new pal, the gnome! You are very brave to post this story complete with halo…pilgrimages may already be forming. And some unstable Dodgers fan may be considering a kidnapping…keep her safe, John! She is a valuable talisman…and darn cute, to boot! Debra

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      • Thank you, Debra, for your concern. I realize that with fame comes increased security issues. Still, it wouldn’t be fair to the world to keep Flat Ruthie’s light under a bushel. Besides, she keeps singing “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine.” She obviously wants the attention. But I am aware of the pilgrimage problem. Coincidentally, the subject is mentioned in my post this coming Wednesday — and it has nothing to do with Flat Ruthie. Imagine that!

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    • You are most welcome, Marie. I wonder if Flat Ruthie could help you with your Li’l Angel? If she can bring victories to the Cubs, surely she watch a child so that you can get some rest. I bet there’s a little Mary Poppins within her.

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    • It will take nothing short of a series of miracles for the Cubs to make it to the World Series. Even atheists will become believers on that much-anticipated day — even if the world ends on the next. 🙂

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  6. Your story had me on the edge of my seat. What a wonderful account detailing Flat Ruthie’s miracle. Yes, I have no doubt that she is responsible for the Cubs winning, she is an angel after all. I agree, you should write more stories. Looking forward to more episodes on the Miracle Worker.

    BE ENCOURAGED! BE BLESSED!

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    • Roger, my friend, you are anything but ill informed. Still, I’ll try to keep this in mind in subsequent posts, although being that her name is “Flat Ruthie,” I foresee similar “trips” in your future.

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    • I knew that you, Natalie, as a citizen of Greater ChicagoLand, would recognize and appreciate the power of this Flat. As for singing in The Stretch, as much as I’d love to see it, I doubt if we could convince her to do it. She’s such a shy Flat and there are those — presumably White Sox fans — who cannot wait to discredit her by saying she’s using her powers for her own personal gain. 🙂

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  10. Pingback: Flat Ruthie: Miracle Worker Part 2 | Cardboard Me Travels

  11. What a wonderful whirlwind of excitement, fandom and baseball. Everyone is loving your stories and of course, good ole Flat Ruthie has come to life as never before!
    Thanks for taking her to Wrigley Field so many times. (Don’t want to jinx anything by speaking it out loud) but clearly you witnessed miracles, John.

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    • Thank you, Ruth, for leaving such a nice comment and for linking people back to my blog. I wish you could have seen our faces when the Man in Front pulled out his own Flat! What are the odds? My Friend catching that foul ball was the icing on the cake. There is much more to Flat Ruthie than meets the eye. I would suggest getting her to PNC Park while the Pirates still have a chance. 🙂

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  12. Initially Our John was a wee bit jealous that Flat Ruthie got to go to the game and he got to muck out the barn, but now that he knows about her magical powers he is feeling better.. Go ruthie Go.. What? oh sorry. Go Cubs Go. How about them cubbies aye!? Hard to be a NZer watching an american game, it just seems to me that their pants are wee bit too tight for decencies sake. And what is with the little towel. I have never understood why some of them run about with a waiters towel tucked into their tights.. ah well.. c

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    • Perhaps, and I’m only thinking out loud here, we can get Your John into a game or two. Once word gets out about Flat Ruthie’s powers, I’m sure free tickets will be coming our way. Your John can come along as a member of FR’s entourage.
      Yes, American sports must be strange to you but no less than rugby is to us, with all that scrummaging (scrumming?) about and those itty bitty shorts the players wear. And isn’t cricket played in your homeland, too? 🙂

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    • Teri, you could have knocked us over with a feather when he caught that ball. And it’s true, we’ve never had a ball, foul or otherwise, come anywhere near us. Even this time, he was clear across the stadium from us when he caught it!

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  16. Can you believe the magical powers of our Flat Ruthie.. heaven sent she was!! Your blog gave me a great smile all the way through.. it’s cool to read something about a completely new passion of yours.. baseball! How cool that he caught the ball!! What are the chances??
    ps Send Flat Ruthie back here to me straight away.. I’m buying a lottery ticket…

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    • Barb, when he caught that ball, our jaws just about hit the floor! We never have a ball hit our way. Even this time, he was on the other side of the stadium, across from us and could not have been more opposite to where we were seated. It’s weeks later and I still have a hard time accepting it!
      I, too, have considered asking FR’s intercession when buying lottery tickets but have refused to do so. She is one powerful Flat and I don’t think she would like it if we used her for personal gain. Besides whenever I think along those lines, I hear the theme song from The Twilight Zone playing. Yes, she might bring a lottery win, but, to what end? 🙂

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    • Thanks, Erica. Oh, there was drama, all right. Once that Gnome appeared, we knew things had gone to another level. My Friend and his souvenir ball is something we’ll grouse … er … talk about for years to come. 🙂

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  19. Hi John, First I read this post on my phone without images, then I got to my computer and saw the images I was so proud of Ruthie, and happy for you and Cabs (although I don’t understand anything in baseball, but the important part is that Cubs won!) 🙂

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    • Thanks, Marina, and you did see the important part of the tale: the Cubs have won 4 games. To be honest, if I knew all that much about baseball, I probably would have chosen another team to follow all those many years ago. 🙂

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      • I am a soccer fan, and hockey. I went to a baseball game one time and felt like on another planet where people talk different language and move in confusing directions… 🙂 But I was brave to stay till the end of the game… And I don’t remember if Seattle Mariners won that game either… That’s all my baseball experience… 🙂

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  20. LOL! I just love these posts John! I think Ruthie needs to attend the rest of the games too. 🙂 Put a big smile on my face. And I had to smile…the one game you went to – June 12 – Mr. N’s b.day we took him three years in a row for his special day. Then you went to one on June 26th – Mike and I used to always go right around then for our anniversary. And then of course, the July 15th game…we’ve taken Miss A right around then for her birthday as well. Made me smile. 🙂

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    • Hey, Kristy. I’m glad you enjoyed reading The Tale of Flat Ruthie. I cannot help but wonder, though, whether it was Flat Ruthie’s hand that led mine to pick these games. So many home games to chose and we attend 3 games that mean so much to you and your family. Coincidence? Was it coincidence that in a stadium filled with nearly 40,000 people, we find ourselves seated behind another Flat, The Gnome of Defeat? Flat Ruthie works in mysterious ways.

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    • Thanks! My Friend with the souvenir certainly is not a baseball fan at all. He comes to a game or two each year because we are all good friends and enjoy each other’s company. His catch of that foul ball was, to us, every bit as miraculous as the Willie Mays over-the-shoulder catch back in 1954. 🙂

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    • ChefDad is in the house!
      I’m glad you like our Tale and Flat Ruthie will gladly accept your offer for a beer. She’s not one to really indulge and always hands her beers and shots over to me. Make it a Jaeger with a Dos Equis back. Flat Ruthie will surely be touched by your thoughtfulness. 🙂

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    • Exactly, Sawsan! I wish someone had been around to take a photo of us, standing their with our mouths wide open. I’ve been going to games with these Friends for years and it is always a good time. Something like this is icing on the cake. 🙂

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  24. As you can well imagine, I am not much of a sports fan, but I truly admire your dedication and perseverance to the team! And then there is Flat Ruthie who as an innocent bystander has inadvertently brought with her such luck and good fortune, not just on the wins (for which I extend my utmost congratulations) but the rogue ball! I do hope you bought a lotto ticket that day, this kind of good fortune doesn’t happen every day!

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    • Not happen every day? In our experience, it happens once every 30 years — and then to someone other than us but still within our party. Not that I’ve ever saw need to use it before, but “gob-smacked” continues to come to mind whenever I think of our reaction to him catching that ball. And you know what? If it never happens again that’s OK with me. We could not have enjoyed that moment any more. 🙂

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  25. I’d say it would be in your interest to let it out that you’ve been carrying the Cubs good luck charm this season … you may get free tickets sent your way. 😉 Pretty cool your friend catching the foul ball — reminds me of the video we saw of a dad catching a foul ball and handing it to his 4 year old daughter who obviously couldn’t catch. But she could throw, because she promptly threw it back onto the field. Sometimes people just don’t know what they have or how lucky they were–what a fun day!

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    • I’ve seen that video, Judy, and even though the Dad was shocked, he wrapped the girl in his arms and hugged her. That was really something to watch. I have to admit though, I would have been less shocked to see the little girl catch that foul ball than I was watching my Friend catch his. 🙂

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  28. I am just speechless. SPEECHLESS! I know, I’m shocked too. 🙂

    I wish you could see me reading this John, my jaw dropped at the 3-1 Cubbies score and stayed there ’til the end…where I find out Flat Ruthie has her own blog!!!! It is a good day, my friend, a very good day. I immediately signed up.

    I LOVE FLAT RUTHIE!!! I wonder if she’ll be selling t-shirts soon? John, you are such a fabulous writer! Thank you for introducing me to that miracle worker, Flat Ruthie 🙂

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    • I know what you mean, Sarah. There’s no one more shocked than I. Just imagine if, after all of these years of losses and anguish, the missing piece to the Cubs puzzle is actually Flat Ruthie! Being part cardboard, she is the right material, after all, but still.
      I’m glad you’ve enjoyed meeting Flat Ruthie. She’s quite a flat, a real credit to her kind. If you’d like to have her visit you, her blog has a page where you can learn how to contact Flat Ruthie’s alter-ego, Real Ruth, to make arrangements. SHe is such a wonderful houseguest. You rarely hear a peep out of her.
      As always, Sarah, thanks for you unwavering support. 🙂

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      • 🙂 Dare I say it? Has Flat Ruthie broken the curse of the you know who? I’m too superstitious to even say it, lol. If so, I’d like to make a donation to the fund for season tickets for Flat Ruthie!

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        • Well, you’ve got time before we’ll need those tickets. As of this Spring, I am 85,000+ in the waiting list and rapidly falling lower. Not that I would ever use Flat Ruthie for personal gain, BUT, if I suddenly had number 2 or 3 in that line, well, that would prove to all that she is The Miracle Worker. Just saying …
          You won’t believe this. As I’m writing this reply, a rerun of “How I Met Your Mother” was playing, something about everyone having baggage. I looked away from my monitor, having just written, “Just saying … ” to see a scene where everyone is carrying a piece of luggage with their particular baggage written on it. “Elvis is alive”, “Left at the altar”, “Mom does my laundry”, etc. In the center of the shot is a guy with a piece of luggage that says “CUBS FAN”. Could this, too, be the work of Flat Ruthie?

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  32. John…We knew something grand was about to happen, that something utterly unexpected was on its way! The excitement didn’t let up, as the story built to its final miraculous conclusion, a heaven-sent ball straight into the hand of Friend! That MUST have made a Cub-believer of him! What a stunning tale! Something for everyone, saints and sinners, fans and non-fans, male and female, flat and curvy alike! Loved every minute of it!

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    • Thanks, Spree. When the Gnome of Defeat was unveiled, we thought we had seen everything. In a stadium filled with 40,000 people, what are the odds of 2 FLats being seated in consecutive rows? But that wasn’t enough for Flat Ruthie. She sent a ball to my Friend. We are all still talking about that one. We’ve more games to attend but it will be hard to top the events of the last 2 games. Then again, this is why she’s “Flat Ruthie, Miracle Worker.” 🙂

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  33. Pingback: Hopeful Knitting | Sarah's Place

  34. That is definitely a special day when Flat Ruthie gets to see a Cub’s Victory. I dont’ know the last time that i saw one. In fact, my last trip to Wrigley (last weekend) was to hang out and drink a beer outside after a obstacle bike race : ) I love the idea of keeping all of your family recipes together and keeping the family in touch. What a fantastic website!

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