Oct. 14--Cubs players had planned on celebrating at Stanley's Kitchen and Tap if they would have won the National League Pennant in 2003, according to Stanley's owner Donnie Kruse. He told me last year that there were bottles of Champagne waiting in the basement after Game 6 because then-Cub Moises Alou had reserved the space for himself and his teammates.
Stanley's never did get to host that Cubs celebration, as you already know, but the Lincoln Park bar and restaurant hosted another one 12 years later Tuesday.
Cubs President Theo Epstein entertained his scouting staff at Stanley's after the team defeated the St. Louis Cardinals and advanced to the National League Championship Series. They were joined by Pearl Jam rocker Eddie Vedder, who sat alongside Epstein on Monday during Game 3, former Cub Kerry Wood, a member of that 2003 team, and Joel Murray.
Vedder and Murray also celebrated Monday's Game 3 win over the St. Louis Cardinals at Stanley's, as did Murray's "Mad Men" co-star Mark Moses, former Cub Ryan Dempster, former Blackhawk Chris Chelios and D.B. Sweeney ("The Cutting Edge"). Sweeney, John Cusack and Mike Starr ("Dumb and Dumberer") watched Game 1 of the Cubs-Cardinals series Friday at Stanley's.
Elsewhere around town, Cubs players, including Anthony Rizzo, Dexter Fowler and David Ross, opted to celebrate Tuesday's win at Parliament. Cubs manager Joe Maddon had dinner with his wife following the game at Jellyfish, where he is somewhat of a regular.
Jim Belushi headed to Bub City after attending Tuesday's game. The "According to Jim" actor got on stage at one point to sing "Sweet Home Chicago," according to a Bub City spokersperson.
On the record: "I wish I was in Chicago right now on my ninth beer and third gyros #GoCubsGo" -- "The Mindy Project" actor Ike Barinholtz following Tuesday's win, via Twitter
"Not just a celebrity. A lifelong, 40-year Cub maniacal fan, who happens to be a celebrity." -- Cusack, when referred to as a celebrity in his interview with Comcast Spots Net after Tuesday's victory
Heads up: Former U.S. soccer star Brian McBride is expected to appear Friday at the seventh annual Champions for Children's at the Hilton Chicago hotel, which benefits Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. Rizzo was scheduled to attend so that he could be honored for his charitable work, but that appears to be unlikely due to the Cubs' playoff run.
By the numbers: $10,500. Cost to rent former Blackhawk Patrick Sharp's Lakeview mansion. Sharp was traded to the Dallas Stars in July.
Help homeless dogs: Former WWE Divas champion AJ Brooks (aka AJ Lee) has teamed up with Beautiful Disaster Clothing to release her AJ's Animal Avenger clothing line, which will benefit the homeless animals-focused PAWS Chicago. The collection includes T-shirts and tank tops and features Brooks and her dog, Larry. She and husband and former WWE Champion CM Punk adopted Larry, from PAWS Chicago earlier this year.
"This past February, I was home healing from a surgery and was struggling to keep a positive attitude," Brooks said, via press release. "I needed a purpose greater than throwing a daily pity party for myself. I've been a rescue dog mom several times and occasionally found comfort in scrolling through pictures of animals on various adoption center websites, just to fantasize about adding to the family. Then I found my guy on pawschicago.org. ... He has brought so much happiness into our home that I wanted to find a way to give back to the amazing people who took care of our furry baby before we could."
Sightings: WWE Champion Seth Rollins and his girlfriend and former WWE NXT Diva Zahra Schreiber hung out Monday at The Squared Circle following "Raw" at Allstate Arena (read my interview with Rollins here). Squared Circle owner and former WWE Diva Lisa Marie Varon (aka Victoria) and WWE Hall of Famer Bob Backlund were also on hand. ... The Cubs' Jon Lester and Jason Motte were spotted separately Sunday at Chicago Cut Steakhouse. The Blackhawks' Duncan Keith had dinner Oct. 7 at Chicago Cut. ... Former Cub Ryne Sandberg hosted the Cubs rally at Harry Caray's Italian Steakhouse-Chicago on Oct. 7. ... The Blackhawks' Jonathan Toews dined Saturday at RPM Steak. St. Louis Cardinals players, including Matt Carpenter, Adam Wainwright and Matt Holliday, dined at RPM Steak on Sunday. ... The Bears' Kyle Long hung out Oct. 4 at The Underground. Fellow Bears Pernell McPhee and Tracy Porter dined Monday at Sullivan's Steakhouse-Lincolnshire. ... The Bulls' Mike Dunleavy Jr. dined Friday at Beatrix.
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