Cubs’ journey to Williamsport might need been simply what they wanted
WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — Possibly all it took was a visit again to their childhoods. It is pretty much as good an evidence as any for the Chicago Cubs’ lastly profitable a street collection on Sunday with a 7-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates within the Little League Basic. After a day and night of being reminded what the sport is all about, the Cubs lastly, mercifully, gained their first street collection in precisely three months, taking two of three from the Pirates.
“I’d think about each main league staff want to do that,” Cubs supervisor Joe Maddon stated of coming to Williamsport. “It’s thrilling. It’s pure. It’s what it is purported to appear like.”
And it might be simply what the Cubs wanted. The stress of one more pennant race would not apply to the Pirates, who’ve fallen far out of the hunt for the reason that All-Star break. And so they’ve performed at Williamsport earlier than and doubtless will come once more, given their proximity. However for the Cubs, it was a one-day respite. Sure, they needed to take the sport at evening critically — however not the whole day.
“I am a extremely a troublesome routine man,” profitable pitcher Jose Quintana stated. “I all the time do the identical factor earlier than the sport. However immediately was actually particular. I stated hey to the youngsters. It was totally different.”
The Cubs want one thing totally different of their street life, as it has been the grind of all grinds away from residence, the place Chicago improved to only 25-39 on the yr. However on Sunday, there was nobody reminding them of that file, solely about what the sport is all about.
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Javier Baez talks in regards to the pleasure he has enjoying baseball and the way he needs youngsters to benefit from the sport whereas they’re enjoying.
“It was actually particular,” Javy Baez stated. “I got here to the Little League World Collection after I was younger. We did not have this expertise. We did not have main league gamers round. It was cool for them and for us too.
“It type of introduced us collectively. Within the dugout, out of the dugout. Being across the youngsters, it was fairly cool.”
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You may inform by the interactions that went on all through the afternoon that this wasn’t going to be an evening when the Cubs would play tight. They may have misplaced the sport simply the identical, however maybe it is no coincidence they broke a 90-day street collection drought on the identical day they had been sliding down a hill on cardboard packing containers and letting Little Leaguers maintain their bats whereas within the on-deck circle.
Staff president Theo Epstein was requested what at the present time may imply for his staff transferring ahead.
“It may well’t harm,” he stated earlier than the victory. “Everybody had enjoyable immediately. The routine can get just a little monotonous. Breaking it up and doing it in a method that makes everybody completely satisfied and reminds everybody how lucky we’re to nonetheless be enjoying this sport, it is fairly cool.”
Would not it’s one thing if getting again to their 12-year-old selves was the important thing to unlocking what’s held the Cubs again, particularly on the street? Even with the journey together with back-to-back, heartbreaking ninth-inning blown leads, they return residence on a excessive word. Not simply from the collection win, in opposition to the last-place Pirates, however as a result of that they had enjoyable and gained. Is not that what the Little League World Collection is all about?
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Anthony Rizzo and Joe Maddon participate within the Little League World Collection custom of sliding down the hill on a chunk of cardboard.
“For our staff, it was a blessing in disguise to play and get out of our routine on the street,” first baseman Anthony Rizzo stated. “To win this street collection means lots.”
Like Baez, Rizzo is called an enormous child at coronary heart. Surviving most cancers will do this to you. As he watched others sled down the hill on cardboard packing containers behind the primary LLWS stadium, he could not resist however to affix in. There was no resisting something on at the present time. Quintana’s regimented routine was thrown out the window as was all the things a few typical main league sport.
And the Cubs liked it. Simply as essential, they wanted it.
“We do effectively after we’re relaxed,” Rizzo stated. “At this time was a enjoyable day.”
Epstein added: “It put a smile on everyone’s faces. Hopefully that carries over.
“Whether or not it helps us or not, it was value doing.”
Nobody can argue with that.