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Divorcing Chicago Cubs Fans Fight in Court Over World Series Tickets

Cubs fans are so desperate to see their team compete in the World Series, one divorcing couple even went to court over tickets.
Image: MLB: World Series-Chicago Cubs at Cleveland Indians
Oct 26, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Chicago Cubs shortstop Addison Russell (27) celebrates with second baseman Javier Baez (9) after defeating the Cleveland Indians in game two of the 2016 World Series at Progressive Field.Charles LeClaire / USA TODAY Sports

CHICAGO — The frenzy among Chicago Cubs fans to snag pricey and scarce tickets to World Series games at Wrigley Field has now landed in divorce court.

Court documents obtained by The Associated Press from Cook County Circuit Court on Friday say a suburban mom this week submitted an "Emergency Petition For World Series Tickets" to see Game 4 Saturday against the Cleveland Indians. A judge's order says the tickets for Saturday are held by Nancy Riddle's estranged husband and fellow Cubs fan John Riddle.

Judge Marya Nega ruled after in-court arguments that the husband can keep the tickets for himself and the couple's 12-year-old son but should pay for a new ticket for Nancy Riddle in a "comparable" section to his. The cheapest available tickets start at around $3,000.

Read more at NBC SPORTS: World Series Preview: Can Cubs Climb Back in Critical Game 4?

The Cubs haven't won a World Series title since 1908 and long-suffering fans are paying a minimum of thousands of dollars per ticket to attend games at Wrigley Field. Even standing-room tickets on sites such as StubHub started at around $2,500, with tickets for most actual seats going for at least five figures and some sellers asking for more than $100,000 for prime box seats.

World Series - Chicago Cubs v Cleveland Indians - Game One
The Cleveland Indians and the Chicago Cubs stands during the national anthem prior to Game One of the 2016 World Series.Getty Images

The husband's lawyer, Michael Berger, declined to name his client in a Thursday interview. But he did describe the legal tussle, saying his client landed the World Series tickets because he bought a season-ticket package deal with his friends this year before divorce proceedings began in April.

Berger said he objected to the notion that because the Cubs hadn't made it to a World Series in 71 years, the request for the judge to intervene on the ticket issue was an emergency because the Cubs might not make it back to another World Series in the wife's lifetime.

Berger is a fan of the Cubs' bitter cross-town rivals, the White Sox, and said he reluctantly acknowledged to the court during arguments before the judge that the Cubs "are a great team."

"Even if the Cubs lose this time, it is likely — regrettably — that they will be back to the World Series again soon," he said in a Thursday phone interview.

The law firm representing Nancy Riddle, Davis Freeman LLC, declined any comment.