Banking and the Brotherhood of Baseball.

Chicago, Hog Butcher to the World, City of Broad Shoulders, is in the grips of a not inconsiderable case of Baseball Fever.

The North Side's Cubbies--without a World Series title since William Howard Taft was President--are by many accounts baseball's best team this season. They're currently knotted two games apiece with the Dodgers of Los Angeles. The winner of their best-of-seven series will face the Cleveland Indians in what Ring Lardner's rook used to call, "The World Serious."

It goes practically without saying that the town ol' Blue Eyes sang about, is fairly bursting at the seams, pulling for the Baby Bears to go all the way.

There's a very smart man I know who lives in Chicago. Let's call him Marty. He helps me handle some of the money I've accumulated over the years--and like Garrett Morris' Chico Escuela used to say on Saturday Night Live in the mid-70s, Marty's been "berry berry good to me."

Marty works for a financial firm called UBS. He sent me this snapshot yesterday from his office.

Here's a replica I made for clarity's sake:

Like I said, the whole of Chicago--even bankers--are turning out for the Cubs.

Win this one for Ernie. For Fergie. For Billy Williams. And Ron Santo. Win this one.

And in 2017, let's make it two.