Joel and Stephanie Jerabek have been Cubs fans since elementary school.

Growing up in Yorkville, Stephanie Jerabek, 68, recalls watching Cubs legends like Ron Santo and Glenn Beckert, hearing Jack Brickhouse’s play-by-play coverage, and meeting Ernie Banks in person.

The Jerabeks were among the tens of thousands of Cubs fans who descended upon the Friendly Confines for the team’s wild-card series opener against the Padres.

This is the first time the Cubs have clinched a playoff spot in front of fans since 2018, and that fact wasn’t lost on the Jerabeks.

“We want them to win the World Series, obviously, but they gotta win this wild-card series first,” Joel Jerabek, 67, said.

“That’s how we do it, as Cubs fans,” Stephanie Jerabek said. “One game at a time.”

On an unseasonably warm Tues

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