For former Chicago Cubs, National League pennant ‘a mind-blowing experience’

CHICAGO — Smack in the middle of the Cubs’ raucous celebration after clinching their first National League pennant since 1945 on Saturday night were some former players who didn’t get a chance to pop the champagne in the same situation.

“We got to play in this game but we just didn’t get to celebrate after,” said Kerry Wood, a member of the 2003 Cubs team that fell to the Marlins in the NLCS. “I’m extremely happy for the city. These guys set themselves in history and they’re going to be linked forever. But we have four more to go and it’s the right group to go with.

“It was a mind-blowing experience being out there with the crowd.”

Celebrating with Wood and celebrities such as Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder and actor John Cusack at Wrigley Field was Hall of Fame outfielder Billy Williams, who played 14-plus seasons with the Cubs during the 1960s and ’70s and never reached the postseason with the team. Williams did play in the 1975 ALCS with the Athletics near the end of his career.

Williams said thoughts of late Cubs teammates and legends Ron Santo and Ernie Banks — who played a combined 4,771 games but never in the playoffs — popped into his head as the final out was recorded in the Cubs’ 5-0 victory over the Dodgers in Game 6.

“(Santo and Banks) immediately came to my mind,” Williams said. “I played with Ronnie a long time ago — we started out in Double A together. And Ernie was here and we came up to the big leagues to help Ernie try to win a pennant and we didn’t get a chance to do that. They’re somewhere celebrating. I know Ronnie is. He’s having a glass of red wine.

“It’s a great feeling. I look at the fans in the stands and I said congratulations to them because they’ve supported this ballclub over the years. I’m happy for them because they’ve been here.”