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Cubs Daily Clips

Cubs Daily Clips

October 28, 2016

Cubs.com 71 years later, Wrigley welcomes World tonight! By Anthony Castrovince

The ivy is beginning to change from green to red, an awesome autumnal attribute the public has rarely, if ever, seen. The corner of and Addison is bustling with activity in the final days of October, some people simply gawking at the old yard that is still blissfully open for business, others lined up on the off chance an unclaimed ticket should rain down from the heavens or, less majestically but still successfully, from the ticket booths. Over at the statue at Sheffield and Waveland, they've placed green apples at the legs of the beloved broadcaster, a nod to his long-ago promise that "sure as God made green apples, someday the Cubs are going to be in the ."

Well, finally, they are in the World Series, and it arrives at tonight, with the Indians and Cubs knotted at one win apiece in a Fall Classic with historic implications. And the sound that is going to emanate out of this building -- from generations of fans who had to wonder if this day would ever come -- will be a roar 71 long years in the making.

"It's going to be electric," Cubs outfielder said. "It's going to be really, really loud."

If the Cubs in the Series sounds like 's version of a miracle, then so, too, is Schwarber's active status in this Series, just six months after major reconstructive surgery on his left knee.

Alas, Schwarber was not medically cleared to play the field in the games played under rules, but his prodigious bat, no worse for the rust, did help the Cubs earn a split at Progressive Field to ensure tonight's atmosphere will be all the more festive.

"I know that people have been waiting for this for a long time [and] are going to savor it," Cubs said. "And hopefully on our part, we can do something to really make it even better."

On the other side, the Indians are savoring their status as the unwelcome intruders to this North Side soiree.

"It is going to be us against the world," Tribe manager said. "But 'us' is pretty good. We have a good feeling."

The Indians were still feeling out the possibility of using designated hitter Carlos Santana in left field to keep his bat in the lineup. Santana's lone appearance in left in a big league game came on Aug. 12, 2012, and only for a few innings.

Thankfully, the starting pitching options for this one were much easier to decipher. The Indians will send Josh Tomlin to the mound opposite the Cubs' , and both men will be fighting the elements, which will call for 15-20-mph winds blowing out, a potential launching pad.

Hendricks is an NL Award candidate who has picked up precisely where his rousing regular season left off. He has a 1.65 ERA in 16 1/3 postseason innings. Tomlin, meanwhile, has been one of those surprise stars October tends to churn out. Injuries to Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar thrust Tomlin into a more prominent rotation role than expected, and he has delivered two strong starts against the tough lineups of the Red Sox and Blue Jays, allowing three runs in 10 2/3.

And if you think the Cubs returning home to a Wrigley World Series is a great story, consider what's going on in Tomlin's world. His dad, Jerry, hasn't watched him pitch in person since a rare condition left him paralyzed from the chest down in mid-August. The elder Tomlin was released from the hospital last week, and he will be in attendance for Game 3.

"He hasn't been to a game in quite a while, and it wasn't looking like he was going to get to come to a game at all," Tomlin said. "So to have him here and just to be able to see him is the thing I'm most looking forward to. But the fact that we get to experience the World Series together is pretty neat."

This Series has presented us with no shortage of satisfying subplots, but the games themselves have both been blowouts so far. The Indians locked down that loaded Cubs lineup with their two best weapons -- Corey Kluber and Andrew Miller -- in Game 1, but the Cubs, behind a strong start from and a sudden offensive upswing against Trevor Bauer and the bullpen, turned the tables against a sloppy Tribe team in Game 2.

Game 3 looms as a potentially important swing spot. The team winning Game 3 of a 1-1 World Series has gone on to win it all on 37 occasions (64.9 percent of the time), including 11 of the last 14 instances. For what it's worth, the home team has won Game 3 after a tie just 45.6 percent of the time and only three times in the last 10 tries. Of course, for the Cubs, this is no ordinary home game. This is a game generations of fans have pined and pleaded for, and their prayers have finally been answered, possibly by the maker of those green apples. Just as Caray suspected, Wrigley Field is finally the center of the sporting world. And finally, the focus will no longer be on the years but the cheers.

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Cubs.com Doc's orders: Schwarber a pinch-hitter in 3-4-5 By Carrie Muskat

CHICAGO -- Before the six-month checkup with the orthopedic surgeon who repaired Kyle Schwarber's left knee, the Cubs outfielder was asked to fill out a questionnaire. On the bottom of the page, Schwarber wrote, jokingly, "World Series?" The doctor surprised the Cubs and Schwarber by giving him permission to and the bases. However, Schwarber was told on Thursday that he could not play the outfield as the Series shifts to Wrigley Field with no designated hitter.

"It's not disappointing at all," Schwarber said after a brief workout. "It was a long shot at the most. Obviously, I want to be out there with my teammates, but facts are facts. I just can't physically do it. I'll be ready any time during the game to be out there to pinch-hit.

"This was a, 'What if?'" Schwarber said. "I wanted to give it a shot. We've got to respect the opinion of the doctor."

Dr. Daniel Cooper, who performed the surgery on Schwarber's knee in April, and Cubs orthopedic specialist Dr. Stephen Gryzlo talked to the outfielder and team president of baseball operations Theo Epstein on Thursday. Epstein said the doctors felt there was too much risk in playing the outfield because of the actions involved and instantaneous reaction needed.

"This was not just an ACL tear, it was a complete blowout of his knee and multiple ligaments, and an eight-month expected return to play, best-case scenario," Epstein said. "When he saw Dr. Cooper at six months, Dr. Cooper was surprised at the stability of the knee, and understanding what was at stake and Kyle's incredible work and desire to play, Dr. Cooper cleared him to hit and run the bases. That was an aggressive clearance."

Schwarber tore the ACL and LCL in his left knee in a collision in the outfield with in the third game of the season on April 7. The injury was expected to sideline him for a minimum of eight months, and Schwarber was not expected back until 2017. But Cooper gave Schwarber the go-ahead to hit and run the bases, and he went to Mesa, Ariz., to get some at-bats in two Fall League games.

The Cubs were able to take advantage of opening the World Series in an ballpark for the first two games and start Schwarber at designated hitter, and he responded well, going 3-for-7 with a double and two RBIs. Now that the Fall Classic has shifted to Wrigley Field where the Cubs and Indians will play National League rules, Schwarber would have to start in the outfield to get multiple at-bats in a game. Now he'll be limited to pinch-hit duties.

"Deep down in my heart I wanted to play, but there are obviously doubts," Schwarber said. "Not many people get this opportunity right now, and I'm embracing this opportunity that I've got."

Schwarber took batting practice on Thursday and then stood in left field, flanked by coaches Dave Martinez and Mike Borzello. But he wasn't out there to prep to play the outfield and didn't test his knee.

"I just kind of stood out there," Schwarber said. "I didn't really do anything to say it was tough or it wasn't tough."

Epstein said they needed to talk to the doctors, who are more detached than anyone connected to the Cubs might be after watching how Schwarber provided a spark.

"Seeing how well Kyle swung the bat and how it impacted us and the stage we're on, there's the possibility of us getting carried away and throwing caution to the wind," Epstein said. "That's why you have to consult the doctors. Dr. Cooper wants him to play, too, but he could not clear him. We're all disappointed, but we're all really excited to have him as a pinch-hitter and fully confident."

During the playoffs last year, Schwarber started in the outfield in eight games, and he recalled having to warm up by hitting off a batting tee at one end of the old clubhouse. Now the Cubs have batting cages and he can prep that way. He'll be ready.

Expect Schwarber to receive a loud ovation when introduced before Game 3. The ball that he hit on top of the right-field scoreboard in the NL Division Series last year is encased in plexiglass up there. For the Cubs' home opener on April 11, Schwarber joined his teammates along the third-base line, but he needed one crutch to get there and received a loud cheer. At the start of the playoffs this year, before he knew he could return, the crowd greeted him with a deafening roar.

"It's going to be awesome," Schwarber said. "It's the World Series at Wrigley Field. It's going to be electric, and a fun atmosphere. I'm definitely going to soak it in."

"The story," Epstein said, "is that it's absolutely remarkable what he did after only seeing live pitching for four days. We didn't expect him to be here at this point. He's facing the best pitching in the world, and had incredible at-bat after incredible at-bat [in the World Series] and got on base and drove in runs and helped us win a ballgame. We're in awe of what he did and excited about what he could do in the Series."

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Cubs.com Wrigleyville abuzz with WS history at hand By Alyson Footer

CHICAGO -- Even on non-game days, Wrigleyville is a lively place. Given the number of apartments, homes, bars, restaurants and shops that are crammed into the relatively modestly-sized neighborhood surrounding charming Wrigley Field, it's common for the streets to be teeming with locals, regardless of whether the Cubs are hosting a game.

Now, multiply the amount of hustle and bustle you'd find on a typical Thursday afternoon by about 100, and that was the scene outside Wrigley Field, on the eve of the first World Series pitch to be thrown at the Friendly Confines in more than seven decades.

The crowd assembled early and grew with every passing hour. Clearly, the party is already starting.

"I've been a Cub fan all my life," said 65-year-old Steve Cramer. "We knew this was going to be a historic moment. We did not want to miss out."

Cramer and his wife, Carol, and their grandchildren, Skylar and Clara, made the three-plus-hour drive from Galesburg, Ill., simply to walk around Wrigleyville and take in the scene. They considered the visit to Wrigleyville on Thursday their way of experiencing a possible once-in-a-lifetime moment together, as a family, before heading home to watch the World Series on FOX.

"We did not have tickets, but we didn't want to miss out on a little piece of history," Steve Cramer said. "We're here taking pictures and just trying to be a part of the atmosphere."

That was a sentiment that could be heard everywhere, especially around the statue of late broadcaster Harry Caray. Located on the corner of Waveland and Sheffield, just across from Murphy's Bleachers, Caray's statue is as much a tourist attraction as anything a fan could find tooling around Chicago.

Since the postseason began, a steady stream of onlookers have stopped to pose in front of the Caray statue, now adorned with a modern-day Cubs jersey.

"I'm so happy that the Cubs are in the World Series," said Chicagoan Yasukazu Tomimitsu, a fan for more than 40 years. And what will he be doing during Game 3?

"I'll be drinking beer, watching it on TV," he said. "I want to be here [at Wrigley], but too much money. So I'll watch it from home."

Even non-Cubs fans are soaking in the scene. Four friends hailing from Miami, on their way to Notre Dame for the Hurricanes game on Saturday, stopped at Wrigleyville for some selfies and group shots around the historic ballpark.

"Hopefully, our grandkids will see this someday and say, 'Wow, they were here. They watched history,'" said Steve Alcin, adding that they're Marlins fans. "This is amazing. A great time in history."

Added Marc Docteur: "The people are fun, the community is great. I see cheerfulness and love everywhere. This is great for the whole city.

"The way the community has come together, with all of the W's on the windows, it's just fascinating. It's going to be great."

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Cubs.com Cubs, fans embracing moment, each other By Richard Justice

CHICAGO -- For the players, it's simple. This is a weekend that could define them forever.

"That's why we came here," Cubs said. "This is it right here. This moment."

This moment.

That's why the Cubs would like to soak up every moment. To embrace expectations. To understand the larger meaning.

"You go out and have people coming up and hugging you," catcher said. "I think they feel part of this group."

Now here the Cubs are about to play the in Game 3 of the World Series tonight at Wrigley Field. The two teams are tied 1-1 after splitting games in Cleveland on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The Cubs wonder if the atmosphere can be any more electric than it was last Saturday when they beat the Dodgers to win their first National League championship in 71 years.

When the Cubs returned to their home clubhouse from Cleveland at 2:30 a.m. Thursday morning, they saw electric fans blowing the carpet dry.

That was a reminder of the celebration they'd had after winning the pennant. It's not just that their fans in the stands were loud or that they had Wrigley Field rocking to its brick and steel soul.

It was that they simply refused to leave. They stayed to cheer and to laugh and even to cry some. They'd waited so long for this moment that they were unable to let go.

They were still there when the Cubs came back on the field almost an hour later to celebrate with their families and take photos.

"We knew it was going to be nuts," Ross said. "We come back out on the field, and every seat is full all the way over to the rooftop decks across the street.

"These people were just locked in, staying around. It was amazing. I think they've fallen in love with this group." The Cubs finally left for a party at Lester's house around 1 a.m. Saturday, and hundreds of people were still lined up around the park.

Those crowds were a reminder that this team owns the heart and soul of their fans in a way teams seldom do.

If the Cubs win this World Series, it will touch people in all sorts of ways. There'll be reminders of the grandfather who loved his Cubbies. Or the father who took his son to Wrigley Field, just the two of them.

The Cubs were not very good for a long time, but fans still cared. They still loved the ballpark. They loved Harry Caray and Ron Santo, Ernie Banks and Billy Williams, and all the other things that made the Cubs special.

Winning 103 games this season has only intensified the passion. Because these fans never lost hope. They were forever optimistic about the next hot prospect or the most recent free-agent signing, the one that just might get the boys over the top.

Regardless of what happens here this weekend, there'll be memories created that will endure.

The Cubs haven't been able to write their own ending in 108 years, and this young, athletic team with baseball's best starting rotation is good enough to do that.

Cubs owner Tom Ricketts has made his franchise a model for every other by hiring brilliant people, like his top baseball guy, Theo Epstein, and giving them the resources and patience to do their jobs.

This season, the Cubs won more regular-season games than any club had won in seven years. They play lots of kids, five and six who are 25 or under some nights. But they've got a veteran rotation that sets a tone for everything.

The Cubs eliminated the Giants and Dodgers in the first two rounds before going to Cleveland to play the World Series.

Now they're three victories away from winning. When Lester was recruited off the free-agent market two offseasons ago, part of the pitch was showing him his photo on the scoreboard winning a World Series for the Cubs.

As Lester said, that idea sold him. He could have gotten similar money almost anywhere. But he was intrigued by the idea of what it could be like to win a World Series with the Cubs.

"I hope people understand that it's just as exciting for us as it is for them," Lester said. "It's something we want to be part of as well. If we're able to give them that joy, that's awesome to be part of it."

One of the first things manager Joe Maddon does before each game is look way up in the right-field seats, to the very last seat.

He loves seeing that the seat is occupied, that the Cubs have packed the Friendly Confines once more.

He has told his guys to embrace how special all of this is. Expectations? Love 'em. Pressure? No sweat.

"Not lost on me whatsoever," Maddon said. "It's going to be an absolute blast. I know that people have been waiting for this for a long time and are going to savor it, and hopefully we can do something to really make it even better."

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Cubs.com Famous fans stretch their pipes at Wrigley By Adam McCalvy

CHICAGO -- "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" was 165 days old when the Cubs last won the World Series. The United States Copyright Office received two copies of the tune from composer Albert von Tilzer and lyricist Jack Norworth on May 2, 1908, about a young girl who insists her beau take her to the ballpark rather than the theater.

One hundred and eight years later, a full of fans will instinctively turn and raise their gaze toward the press box during the seventh-inning stretch of Game 3 of the World Series at Wrigley Field tonight. Baseball's unofficial anthem is as much a part of attending a game here as the peanuts and Cracker Jack.

"Whenever you come to Wrigley Field, you have two questions," said Jim Oboikowitch, a 14-year veteran of the Cubs' front office who manages game and event production. "Who is the starting pitcher? And who is singing the seventh-inning stretch?"

The tradition began during bombastic, Hall of Fame broadcaster Harry Caray's tenure calling games for the White Sox, and it continued when he moved to the Cubs. It has lived on as a tribute since his death in 1998, with Cubs fans famous and otherwise taking the mic, leaning out the open window and beginning, "Ah one, ah two, ah three…"

Both of this year's presidential candidates have done it -- Hillary Clinton as First Lady in 1994 and Donald Trump in 2000.

Diehard Cubs fan Bill Murray, who will have the honor for Game 3 of the World Series, arguably does it best, and fellow celebrity fans Jim Belushi, Vince Vaughn, John Cusack and Jeremy Piven have all followed.

Actor Will Ferrell and former Cub have sung in character as Caray. Ernie Banks, Billy Williams, Ron Santo and are among the former players to show their pipes.

But the bad renditions are the best renditions.

Former Bears 's rushed version is one of the most memorable. NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon was in trouble before he sang a note, referring to the old yard as "Wrigley Stadium." Rock 'n' roller Ozzy Osbourne didn't need the lyric sheet; he opened with, "Let's go out to the ballgame" and made it up the rest of the way.

An inning before there was Steve Bartman, comedian Bernie Mac sang, "Root, root, root for the CHAMPS" in Game 6 of the 2003 National League Championship Series. It was a bad omen for what was to come.

And in Game 6 of this year's NLCS, there was former Bulls forward , completely forgetting the words two lines into the song.

Thankfully for long-suffering Cubs fans, there was no on-field repeat of '03.

"Sometimes it's so bad it's good, if that makes any sense," said Cubs TV analyst , who along with broadcast partner , steps aside to make way for the performer. "If someone comes up and just sells it, it works, even if their singing voice is terrible. I like when people turn it loose and get loud."

Kasper watches to see whether the conductor studies the lyrics before the first note. If he or she does, it often signals trouble.

"That third out happens, and sometimes it's a great diving play or a and the fans go crazy, and then all of a sudden, 40,000 people turn at you all at once," Oboikowitch said, a few hours before Pippen arrived at the pressbox. "That bright light comes on, they hand you that hot mic, and it's a little intimidating."

When Wrigley Field became the last Major League stadium to get a massive video board, it opened new possibilities for "Take Me Out to the Ball Game." When a scheduled guest backs out, the Cubs air video of a Caray performance. The idea was spawned when the Cubs opened their new bleachers last year; it seemed fitting, given Caray's connection to those fans during his lifetime, that he should be part of the occasion.

Fans loved it. Other vintage performances from Banks, Williams, Santo and Sandberg have since joined the rotation. A Vin Scully rendition aired this season when the Dodgers were in town.

"I tell everyone who comes in there, even if you sing it slowly, it's only 29 seconds," Kasper said. "If you forget the words, if you don't hit the right key, you're going to have 40,000 people who will help you sing it. You almost can't go wrong. That's the part of it that's really great.

"And then if it really goes badly, you'll be a YouTube sensation. That's OK, too."

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Cubs.com World Series return meaningful for former Cubs By Paul Hagen

CHICAGO -- Randy Hundley sat in the upper deck at Wrigley Field last Saturday night, cheering along with the rest of the sellout crowd as the Cubs beat the Dodgers in the National League Championship Series, advancing to the World Series for the first time since 1945.

Hundley, the Cubs' catcher for 10 years, including the ill-fated '69 season, couldn't get enough of the celebration going on below. He stayed, he said, "until they ran us out."

The World Series returns to the Friendly Confines for the first time in 71 years with Game 3 against the Indians tonight. That's special. It's why Hall of Famers Ryne Sandberg and Billy Williams returned for the NLCS, why , Ryan Dempster and were among the former stars who joined them.

With that in mind, MLB.com spoke to a handful of prominent ex-Cubs about what having the World Series back at Wrigley Field means. They represent a cross-section of the heartbreaks and near-misses that have bedeviled the franchise over the years.

Hundley, who caught an incomprehensible 160 games in 1968, is a instructor for the organization. He was nearly as durable the following season when the Cubs had an eight-game lead on Aug. 19 before losing 25 of their last 40 and were edged by the Miracle Mets. For him, it's all about those, like Hall of Famers Ernie Banks and Ron Santo, who didn't live long enough to see this day.

"Mostly, I'm thinking about the people who didn't get to be a part of this," Hundley said. "They've passed on and never had a chance to see the Cubs win and go to the World Series. My old teammates and the people around those teams, those are the ones I'm thinking of.''

Gary "Sarge" Matthews was an outfielder for the 1984 Cubs team that was one win away from making it to the World Series before losing three straight to the Padres. For him, this is an exorcism.

"It really gives me goosebumps," Matthews said. "I asked [Sandberg] one time how often he thinks about that collapse we had in San Diego. He said, 'Every day.' And I believe it. I've had Bull [first baseman Leon Durham] call and say he wishes they win it because he's tired of people talking about that ball that rolled between his legs [for a crucial ]."

Durham confirmed that.

"They got there and now they have to win it, because that way I don't have to look at that ball rolling through my legs no more," Durham said. "It doesn't bother me, because I know I gave it my best. ... It's a good thing seeing these guys doing it, and I'm so happy for the fans and the city of Chicago and the organization. They've always been great to me."

Durham and Matthews both plan to attend the games at Wrigley. It will be Durham's first time in the ballpark since he played for the Cardinals in 1989 and his first time watching a baseball game from the stands.

Doug Glanville was the Cubs' first-round Draft choice in 1991. He made his Major League debut in 1996 and then returned to the North Side on June 30, 2003, after stints with the Phillies and Rangers. That was the year the club took a 3-1 series lead in the best-of-seven NLCS only to lose three straight to the Marlins in what has been known as the Bartman Series. For him, it's all about the fans.

"It's going to be something we've never seen," Glanville said, "and that's what makes it exciting with all the possibilities. And then you have a bunch of young guys who are like, 'Hey, it's another ballgame' in a way. Because they're not carrying that burden. Most players don't.

"Fans have generational and institutional knowledge. The grandfather passes it on to the father. They're lifelong fans. It's a little harder to shake, but I think they may have a little greater appreciation when it does happen. As opposed to, maybe, , who's in his first full season playing shortstop every day. If he wins a world championship, it has to be a very different feeling from the lifelong, 93-year-old Cubs fan."

The Cubs won their division in 2007 and '08, but they were swept in the Division Series both times. Mark DeRosa was one of the most popular players on those teams. He said the whole Wrigleyville experience was unique.

"When I was sitting at home watching them clinch their spot in the World Series, they kept doing so many scenic shots of the fans," DeRosa said. "And you could tell, there was almost a sense of not knowing how to react, a sense of not believing this day would actually come. I expect it to be a culmination of 108 years and a generation.

"What makes this place so special -- I always said this -- I really felt like the team blends into the fabric of the community and the town. A bunch of guys live within walking distance of the ballpark. They get to know their neighbors. I know for me, it was like having a normal job. You'd wake up at 8:30, you'd grab your cup of coffee, you'd say bye to your wife and kids, and you'd be home at 5 o'clock pulling in with your neighbors, say hi to them and maybe grill out on the back deck or something.

"I played on seven other organizations, and this is the only place where I lived within walking distance of the field and really felt like you can ingrain yourself into the community."

Shortstop , now a Giants coach, has three World Series rings with San Francisco. He was selected by the Cubs with the first overall pick in 1982, broke into the big leagues in '85 and played the first 11 years of his career for the team, making the postseason in '89. The Cubs won only one game and were eliminated.

Dunston was touched when he saw 100-year-old fans on television and realized they weren't alive when the Cubs last won it all in 1908.

"I started with the Cubs, and they wanted to win so badly," Dunston said. "And they deserve to win." Others never made it to the postseason with the Cubs.

Mike Krukow started his career by pitching for the Cubs from 1976-81. Now a radio and television analyst for the Giants, he feels for both the players and the fans.

"This is a small comparative, but I was in the big leagues for 13 years, and I didn't make an All-Star team until the 10th year," Krukow said. "The previous nine years, I watched as my teammates were selected and honored. I always wondered what it would be like, and I was kind of on the other side of the fence. If you're not in it, you want to be in it. You want to be there badly. You want every part of that experience.

"And I think to a degree, it is a parallel with cities that watch the World Series every year and their team's not in it. Now, imagine what that's like and magnify it by 100. Or 108, you know? They've been looking through the fence at the World Series for a long time. Now they get to partake in it. So this is going to be their interpretation, their version of it. They are going to have fun with it, they are going to embrace it and they are going to enjoy every second as if they're not going to have another one for 108 more years."

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Cubs.com Unflappable Hendricks confident for Game 3 By Jamal Collier

CHICAGO -- In his two seasons as the Cubs' manager, Joe Maddon can't recall seeing Kyle Hendricks rush through anything.

"I'm sure he takes time brushing his teeth," Maddon said with a laugh. "I would imagine his cup of coffee takes two hours to drink. ... I would bet that he has the slowest back swing in history. He is just that guy, he's that guy."

That ability to control his emotions helps Hendricks slow the game down, and it's part of the reason why the Cubs have so much confidence in him as he prepares to take the mound for Game 3 of the World Series tonight against Josh Tomlin and the Indians with the Series tied at one game apiece.

It'll be the first time Wrigley Field has hosted a World Series game since 1945, and Hendricks has been at his best at the Friendly Confines this season. He was 9-2 with a 1.32 ERA at home during the regular season, compared to 7-6 with a 2.95 ERA on the road. Hendricks said he feels comfortable at Wrigley, from the new remodeled clubhouse to the surface of the field and how it feels like the fans are right on top of him.

"It just feels like I'm right at home, honestly," Hendricks said. "I think that's part of why I've had the success here. Just being able to make pitches. I know when I come in, I know what my timing is, I know my routine, I know where I've got to go. Coming out, you know what you're going to get out of the crowd: There is going to be a lot of energy every game, even regular season."

Hendricks has followed a breakout regular season, during which he posted the lowest ERA in the Majors, with a strong start to the postseason. In three October starts, he has allowed three runs in 16 1/3 innings with 11 while holding opposing batters to a .471 OPS.

His latest gem came in the National League Championship Series clincher Saturday night vs. the Dodgers at Wrigley, where he tossed 7 1/3 scoreless innings and allowed two hits -- to the first batter of the game and to the final batter he faced. He did it all in 88 pitches and without hitting 90 mph on the radar gun.

"He's not going to break the radar gun, but my goodness, he can command the baseball as good as anybody," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "He reminds me a lot of [Marco] Estrada in Toronto. Changeup, command, locates fastball -- he's really, really good. You don't have to knock the radar gun's lights out to be a good pitcher. There's different ways to do it. You might be comfortable up at the plate, but you're also comfortable going back to the dugout."

Combine that movement with his poise on the mound and the Cubs feel confident that Hendricks can swing this Series in their favor. And although his teammates and manager have lauded his ability to control his emotions, it did not always come easy to Hendricks.

"You have to learn it somewhat, I think," he said. "You get the anxiety and nervousness before you get out there. Once you're on the field and on the mound, it kind of goes away, and you're in your element.

"So I guess going through the experiences of just starting game after game after game, learning how to deal with those feelings, after a time you just learn how to kind of push it to the side and know when you get out on the field, everything's going to be how it is."

There's no need to rush.

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Cubs.com Theo recognizes familiar buzz around Wrigley By Carrie Muskat

CHICAGO -- Don't think Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein is jaded at all this October because he already has two World Series rings with the Red Sox. This is different.

"On the one hand, it's brand new because it's with the Cubs and it's got that special feel, because it hasn't happened in any of our lifetimes -- well, most of our lifetimes here," Epstein said. "But on the other hand, there are some rhythms of the postseason that seem real familiar coming back."

Epstein and the Red Sox won the World Series in 2004, ending an 86-year drought, and then again in '07. He recognizes the buzz around the ballpark, the crispness in the air, the giddiness of fans.

"The World Series always seems like a blur," Epstein said. "It seems like you remember those earlier postseason games more, and then the World Series is just like a whirlwind. So we're all going to make a concerted effort to stop and enjoy this as it happens. Maybe it's because those were both sweeps or something, I don't know, but they seemed to happen really fast."

Both of those Red Sox championships were indeed sweeps as they beat the Cardinals in '04 and the Rockies in '07. The Cubs and Indians are tied at one win apiece after two games in Cleveland, and Game 3 will be played tonight at Wrigley Field. It will be the first World Series game at the 100-plus-year-old ballpark since 1945, which was the Cubs' last trip to the Fall Classic.

Epstein said he took a moment on Tuesday during Game 1 to appreciate what the Cubs had accomplished.

"I think Saturday night, when we won [the National League Championship Series], it was pretty emotional, and we did a real good job celebrating," Epstein said. "On Sunday morning when we woke up, we started focusing on Cleveland. I'll be looking at our guys and I'll be looking across the field and looking at matchups, and wondering how this Series is going to go in big moments."

Kyle Schwarber has provided some of the biggest moments in the World Series with his amazing comeback after tearing two ligaments in his left knee in the third game of the regular season. Epstein and Schwarber developed a strong relationship before the Cubs selected the outfielder/catcher in the first round of the 2014 MLB Draft.

"He's not at all scared of the moment or what could go wrong," Epstein said. "He's eager. He's doing this for his team. He's doing this for his teammates and the organization, and that's really how he operates. It's not just a line. If you're around him every day, you see. That's why his teammates love him. He always does whatever he can just to help this team win. It's not about him or his stature or numbers or anything. It's just all about winning that game for his teammates."

Epstein knows how rare this is, but Schwarber is different than most players. Wrigley Field fans still talk about the home run he hit on top of the right-field video board during the NL Division Series last year against the Cardinals. "He's going to face great pitching so he's going to make outs, just like all our guys are going to make outs," Epstein said. "But we think there will be a moment where he does something special for us."

So far, Schwarber has done just that, and it's only been two games.

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Cubs.com Caray's legacy carries on as Cubs seek title By Scott Merkin

CHICAGO -- It's a rainy morning in Chicago, and Harry Caray's Italian Steakhouse on Kinzie Avenue in the downtown area is relatively quiet.

That quiet won't last long. With the Cubs having reached the World Series for the first time since 1945 and seeking their first title since 1908, this restaurant filled with Cubs and baseball memorabilia stands as one of the places to be as game time arrives.

Dutchie Caray, widow of the legendary Cubs and White Sox broadcaster, talks with one of the bartenders, waiting to do an interview. It's her second interview before noon, as the unofficial First Lady of Chicago Baseball's schedule fills up with the Cubs' vast success.

"That's what they tell me," Caray said with a laugh. "First Lady of Baseball in Chicago.

"I'm like, 'Where did I get that title?' But I like baseball and I love the Cubs. My kids are baseball fans. They are kind of sports fans really. But I don't know. It just happened I guess."

At 87 years old, Caray features the energy of someone 20 years younger. She was in Harry Caray's at 5 a.m. on Tuesday for a pre-World Series party. She ended up relaxing and watching the Cubs' Game 1 loss at her home later that night.

Maybe being married to the seemingly immortal Harry Caray for a couple of months shy of 25 years plays a part in Dutchie's energy level. Her husband was a Ford C. Frick Award winner from Baseball's Hall of Fame and a beloved broadcaster for more than five decades. He worked for the St. Louis Browns, St. Louis Cardinals, Oakland A's and , before joining the Cubs prior to the 1982 season.

As a part of the Cubs' broadcasting booth until he died on Feb. 18, 1998, in California, Caray became a cultural icon. He was a Cubs fan and a Bud man. His phone number was listed in the book for fans to call. He was married to Dutchie, but Harry Caray belonged to Chicago.

"People just still love Harry," Dutchie said. "The other day, Monday when we were here, a couple of people came up to me and they went on and on and on about Harry."

"If he wasn't at a ballgame, he was at a bar or a restaurant," said Grant DePorter, the CEO of Harry Caray's Restaurant Group. "He wanted to be with people. Harry never charged for an autograph. He wanted to be the most fan-friendly person, and fans knew that."

The first Harry Caray's restaurant opened in 1987, and Harry often could be found at his establishment. There's now Harry Caray's Tavern at Navy Pier, and a 7th Inning Stretch at Water Tower Place, including a Chicago Sports Museum. There's a restaurant at Midway Airport's Main Terminal, one in Rosemont and two in suburban Lombard with one being Holy Mackerel! Seafood. They also have a catering company.

Customers fill the venues because of the great food and exceptional service. But Chicago and its surrounding areas have seen athlete-themed restaurants come and go without the staying power of Harry Caray's.

"I'm not going to name other names, but a lot of athletes around the country have come here to try to figure it out, I've gotten phone calls from major, major people, trying to figure it out," DePorter said. "Harry passed away in 1998, and we've only grown since. Dutchie Caray is very active with me. I talk to her every day.

"She's the world's greatest person. Then, Harry, his entire life was made for the restaurant business."

A 1991 video of Caray has circulated since the Cubs reached the postseason where he talked about the team making the World Series someday "as sure as God made green apples" and "maybe sooner than we think." But DePorter shared a supernatural sort of tale involving Caray and the new Cubs' regime topped by the Ricketts' family ownership, Theo Epstein and .

A white bronze bust of Caray sits in the lobby of the Kinzie restaurant, marking a popular photo opportunity for diners and tourists alike. It has been there since 1999, but when the Ricketts family bought the Cubs, the statue started making noise for the next 24 hours and has made no noise since per DePorter.

"Our customers came in with recorders," DePorter said. "We think that Harry was celebrating that the Ricketts family bought the team because he knew that the Ricketts family would be the ones to be able to take the Cubs to the World Series and win it."

Three more wins will be needed for that title to be fulfilled, setting off a celebration across the city, across the country, and of course, throughout Harry Caray's establishments. All of those who knew Caray can make an educated guess as to the euphoric reaction if he were here to witness this amazing run.

"He probably would have bought a round of Budweiser for the entire country," DePorter said. "I'm sure Harry right now is celebrating with his best friend, Pete Vonachen, and Ernie Banks and Ron Santo."

"Oh, my God. He'd be so excited. I don't know if we could contain him," said Dutchie, who has formed a friendship with Cubs manager Joe Maddon and his wife, Jaye. "He really would be on Cloud 9."

"What made him so fun is he got into the moment like the fans did," said , Harry's grandson, a one-time Cubs play-by-play announcer and an accomplished broadcaster. "I would imagine, and it's only imagination because it never happened, that he'd be laughing, roaring, crying, hugging. Every range of emotion that the fans had. I know he'd be happy."

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Cubs.com Even as PH, Schwarber still a factor By Phil Rogers

CHICAGO -- As quickly as Kyle Schwarber had worked his way back into the Cubs' lineup, he is out of it again.

There goes the World Series parade, right?

Uh, no. Not even close.

With doctors declining to give Schwarber medical clearance to play the outfield in these middle three games of the Series, the Cubs are right back to where they were before Tuesday -- a 103-win team with the deepest starting rotation in the Majors and the best fielding unit, one that won't be compromised by Schwarber's uncertainty.

As badly as Schwarber wanted to give left field a try after collecting two singles and a double as a designated hitter in Cleveland, even he seemed to sense that the Cubs should be just fine without him.

"It's good, man,'' Schwarber said late Thursday afternoon, after a workout at Wrigley Field. "I mean, I remember going through some interviews [during the season], I'm like, 'Man, these guys are doing just fine. I'll just stay out of the way.' I've got a lot of trust in this whole team, just watching it throughout the whole year. These guys played unbelievably. It was fun to watch.''

While Schwarber will cast a long shadow from the bench, awaiting his turn to contribute as a pinch-hitter, the Cubs should be more fun to watch on Friday night than any time in the last 71 years.

The Cubs will be playing the first World Series game at Wrigley since 1945, tied with the Indians at one win apiece after games at Progressive Field. The designated hitter rule allowed Schwarber to jump into the starting lineup after missing the last 159 games of the regular season with torn ligaments in his left knee, but it's not permitted in the National League park.

Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein seemed physically pained that he could not talk doctors into clearing Schwarber. He was dazzled by how Schwarber put together quality at-bats against Corey Kluber, Andrew Miller and four other Cleveland , going 3-for-7 with two walks, two RBIs and one run scored.

"We're all disappointed,'' Epstein said. "We'd love to see Kyle out there getting four-plus at-bats a game. But I think it was important to talk to a medical professional, who's objective and detached from the situation. I think we're all wrapped up in seeing how well Kyle swung the bat and how it impacted us and the stage that we're on and our desire to win, that there is the possibility of us getting carried away and throwing caution to the wind.''

Schwarber said he had no idea he would even be able to DH until a week ago. The Cubs should count their blessings he got up to as a hitter as quickly as he did, and that he didn't do anything to re-injure his knee swinging the bat or running the bases.

As popular as it would have been to start Schwarber in left field, it's a sucker bet after his two hugely impressive games as the DH. Also, there's no need for it.

While Schwarber's bat improves the lineup, he's a huge question mark in the outfield, and the nature of manager Joe Maddon's team is to catch every ball put in play. That's how he got hurt in the first place, smashing into Dexter Fowler at Chase Field in Arizona in April.

The Cubs essentially won 110 games without Schwarber, and while it's great to have him back, they should put their best defensive team on the field behind NL ERA leader Kyle Hendricks.

Defense matters in October. The Cubs haven't surrendered an unearned run in the postseason; the Indians have given up only two, one apiece in the two games they've lost.

The wind's expected to be blowing out on Friday night, possibly with force, and that argues for Ben Zobrist in left and in right.

Maybe Zobrist in left and rookie Jr. in right, if you don't think the former can work a count or two to get himself on base. Almora's a right-handed hitter, and Indians starter Josh Tomlin is a reverse-split guy -- meaning he has more success against same-handed batters -- like Game 2's Trevor Bauer.

Almora is an interesting option. He's considered a Gold Glove-caliber fielder, and while he has played mostly center field, he made a terrific running catch on the right-field line to take extra bases away from the Giants' Buster Posey in the NL Division Series, even turning a double play with that catch. His strong throw to Anthony Rizzo arrived ahead of Brandon Belt.

Jorge Soler will tempt Maddon, given his proclivity to launch fly balls. He could run into a homer against Tomlin, although his 0-for-October (0-for-10, really) performance makes that a risky move.

No matter what, there's no need for the Cubs to double down on Schwarber.

"I think we're all disappointed, but we're all really excited about his opportunity to impact the game as a pinch- hitter in a big way,'' Epstein said. "[We're] fully confident in the other 24 guys on the roster to go out there and help win us some ballgames.''

If you're looking for Schwarber this weekend, check the new underground batting cage. He'll be in there whacking and waiting for Maddon to pick a spot for him.

"There is no being sad about [this],'' Schwarber said. "There's no nothing. I know my role now, and I'm going to embrace it.''

It's the right role for him for now, as he works to get all the way back from surgery. He's got a huge future ahead of him, possibly as soon as the late innings of Game 3.

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Cubs.com Russell rewarded as Gold Glove nominee By Carrie Muskat

CHICAGO -- It's been quite a year for Cubs shortstop Addison Russell. He was named a starter on the National League All-Star team for the first time, he is now playing in the World Series, and, on Thursday, he was named as a nominee for a Gold Glove Award.

Russell, 22, was one of four Cubs players who were nominated, joining first baseman Anthony Rizzo, right fielder Jason Heyward and pitcher Jake Arrieta. Heyward is the only one of the quartet who has ever won the top defensive award, doing so in 2012, '14 and '15.

"It's something I've wanted ever since I was a little kid," said Russell, who posted a .975 , committing 14 errors in 141 starts.

"You definitely have to put in a lot of work," Russell said. "You're not going to get a good sense of the talent I have or my presence until you watch a few games. If you watch over the course of the year, I think that's where I kind of excel."

Major League managers and coaches, voting only within their league and unable to vote for players on their own teams, account for 75 percent of the selection process. The other 25 percent goes to the sabermetrics community. The winners will be revealed Nov. 8 on ESPN.

The Cubs' last Gold Glove winner was second baseman Darwin Barney in 2012.

Arrieta, the D-backs' Zack Greinke and the Cardinals' are the National League nominees at pitcher; Rizzo was named along with the D-backs' Paul Goldschmidt and the Padres' Wil Myers; and Heyward's competition will be the Rockies' Carlos Gonzalez and the Braves' Nick Markakis. Russell is a nominee along with the Giants' Brandon Crawford and the Phillies' Freddy Galvis.

"It's all coming in my first full year," Russell said.

Timing: Game 1 of the World Series took 3 hours, 37 minutes and Game 2 was even longer at 4:04. Cubs manager Joe Maddon, however, isn't checking his watch between innings.

"You get so involved in the moment, I had no idea," Maddon said of the lengthy games. "As the game gets deeper, too, you really get like right here just thinking about your pitching, primarily, maybe pinch-hitting. Like coming back to the National League side, there is more to think about in the game in progress. On the American League side, there is a lot less to think about. So really a game, the deeper the game gets, the less you're aware of time, as far as I'm concerned.

"I know what time the bus was last night," Maddon said. "I got on the bus at 12:30 [a.m. ET], I know that. I got back to my place at 3:00 in the morning. I do know that. But regarding length of the inning, length of the game, how much time a guy's taking between pitches, I have no clue."

Superstition: When Arrieta was holding the Indians hitless through 5 1/3 innings on Wednesday at Progressive Field, rookie reliever Carl Edwards Jr. was in the bullpen, sticking to a routine.

"Every inning we were hitting, I would walk up to the fence, and watch, and if we got a hit or an out, I'd always walk back to the heater for a little bit," Edwards said Thursday. "If we got a hit or an out, I'd walk back to the heater and then walk back. If he was pitching, I'd walk in a circle, and then I'd sit there and watch. I just kept doing it."

What's funny is that Edwards didn't even realize Arrieta had a no-hitter until the fifth inning.

Good luck charm: Ever since the fifth inning of Game 4 of the National League Championship Series, Rizzo has been using one of Matt Szczur's bats. He hit a home run leading off the fifth inning with the bat, and continued to use the same one through the NLCS. He also has held onto the same bat for the World Series.

"He feels good with it, and he'll run with it until it stops," Szczur said. "If it breaks, he's going to ask for another one. He won't have to ask. I'll put one there for him."

Szczur knows the bat isn't really making the difference. Just don't tell Rizzo.

"It helps build confidence," Szczur said. "If that bat is helping Riz do what he's doing now, it's building his confidence, and then he could use a broomstick up there and he'll be fine."

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ESPNChicago.com Breathe easy: Kyle Hendricks was built for his World Series moment By Jesse Rogers

CHICAGO -- His heart rate is bound to be slower than most in attendance come Friday night when Game 3 of the World Series begins at Wrigley Field. Kyle Hendricks showed us that ability when he took the mound and closed out the National League Championship Series with a masterful performance for the on Saturday.

Can the 26-year-old from Southern California keep his emotions in check once again now that the Fall Classic has hit the North Side? Don’t bet against it; he’s as cool a customer as you’ll find in baseball.

“My personality and his personality are not alike when it comes to pitching,” Jon Lester, Hendricks' teammate and owner of two World Series rings, said in an envious tone Thursday. “You don’t know if he’s up five [runs] or down five when he’s out there.

“I’m in awe of what he’s able to do as far as controlling his emotions. He may be going a mile a minute inside his head but you would never know.”

Ask Hendricks, and it doesn’t sound as though things are going extraordinarily fast inside his head while pitching. That’s because preparation is his key.

“You can think about dinner, think about family, anything,” Hendricks said. “Then you come back, put your hat on, go out to the field, and it's on to the next one, on to the next process. If your preparation is there, you know what your game plan's going to be, you know what you're going to be doing to the hitters, you don't have to think about it that much in between innings.”

Hendricks refined his routine at the major league level, but the roots of his process go back to his days at Dartmouth, and before that, growing up in Mission Viejo, California, where he was overlooked by some scouts: A teammate with more zip on his pitches -- Tyler Matzek -- was drafted in the first round while Hendricks went in the eighth. Guess which one is still pitching in the big leagues? Cubs manager Joe Maddon gives Hendricks’ deliberate demeanor some of the credit for the right-hander's rise.

“I've only known him for two years now, but I've never seen him rush through anything,” Maddon said. “I'm sure he takes time brushing his teeth. I would imagine his cup of coffee takes two hours to drink. I mean, this guy is just, he just has this really -- and he's a good golfer -- I would bet that he has the slowest backswing in history. He is just that guy, he's that guy.”

Hendricks was standing near Maddon when he said that, and confirmed he does have a slow backswing, but he doesn’t drink coffee. That’s no surprise, because when it comes to vices, Hendricks just isn’t the type. Writing is right up his alley, though, and that Ivy League education came in handy during his first spring training in 2014, when he agreed to do a first-person diary for ESPN.com as a little-known prospect making his way through the Cubs' system.

Even then he was figuring out his process.

“Before the game, it was honestly not much different than any game I had pitched in the minors,” Hendricks said in 2014 of his first spring outing with the Cubs. “There were some nerves, but it was more just excitement to throw in the new stadium in a big league game. [Pitching coach Chris] Bosio just talked to me a little bit about holding runners on and then let me go through my routine as I normally would.”

Hendricks didn’t make the Cubs to start that season, but his commitment to success was clear.

It has been three short years since that shy rookie took the mound for the first time as a Cub, and now he’s doing it at Wrigley Field on the biggest stage there is. The environment has changed, but Hendricks hasn’t.

“Does Kyle talk?” Lester asked rhetorically. “No, no.”

Maddon concurred. His conversations with the Cy Young contender are short and sweet because that’s all that is needed.

“It's kind of a brief, effective, right-to-the-point conversation when you speak with him, and I think, again, that just speaks to his personality,” Maddon explained. “Very bright, as witnessed by where he attended school. Not just anybody can walk in those doors.”

Dartmouth prepared him for what was to come, as did pitching for Capistrano Valley High School while his dad was working for the Angels. Everything he learned along the way has brought him to this point: the World Series. With a 2.13 ERA during the regular season and a 0.71 mark in the National League Championship Series, you can understand if his confidence is sky-high. And as you would expect, Hendricks is taking it all in stride.

“It doesn't seem like three years,” Hendricks said of his rise to the top. “It seems like a lifetime ago, honestly. ... I'm just going to take advantage of it. I mean, how often do you get these opportunities? You dream of it as a kid.”

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ESPNChicago.com Wait 'til this year: At last, the Fall Classic returns to Wrigley By

CHICAGO -- Suppose the ivy could talk. Think about it.

What would you ask it? What would it say?

On a magical Friday night on the north side of Chicago, the World Series will arrive at Wrigley Field for the first time in the lifetime of everyone from Kyle Schwarber to David Ross, from Albert Almora to Joe Maddon, from Eddie Vedder to Bill Murray.

The last time, before this night, was Oct. 10, 1945. That was 25,950 days ago. That was 622,800 hours ago. That was a dozen presidents ago.

But only one ivy crop ago.

The ivy withers every winter and regenerates every spring. The leaves fall off, but the vines remain. It has been that way since the ivy was first planted in 1937. So not only does that ivy cover the outfield wall and make Wrigley famous. That ivy has seen it all.

It was there when Cubs starter was knocked out in the first inning in Game 7 of that . It was there when and Kerry Wood couldn't finish the deal in Games 6 and 7 of the 2003 NLCS. It was there, basically, for everything.

So what would that ivy say if we could just ask it about this year? About these Cubs. And about Friday night at the corner of Clark and Addison, Cubs versus Indians, Game 3 of the . A night of history. A night of celebration. A night to appreciate all the Fridays in all the Octobers where all a World Series meant was "happening somewhere else."

"What would the ivy say? 'I don't believe it,' " former Cubs reliever said.

"What would the ivy say? 'Uncharted territory,' " said grounds-crew member Dan Kiermaier (who is, yes, the brother of Kevin, the Rays' own human highlight reel in center field).

"What would the ivy say? 'I ... must ... hang ... on ... to ... this ... vine ... to ... see ... us ... win ... it. ... all,' " quipped ESPN's Doug Glanville, a one-time No. 1 draft pick of the Cubs.

Now the Cubs can't win it all Friday evening, obviously. This World Series is tied at one win apiece. So nobody can win anything before at least Sunday. And let's not ever forget that the Indians aren't exactly the Washington Generals, so they have no interest in letting the Cubs win, period.

But that doesn't make this night any less memorable. Not when it has been 71 years since the last game of this magnitude at Wrigley. Not when there were no fewer than 16 (yes, 16) different places you could find the words, "WORLD SERIES" plastered or painted or electrified all over Wrigley on Thursday -- on the dugout roof, on the dugout railing, sprayed onto the infield grass or shining brightly from every video board and message board in the joint.

And not when the ivy has begun to turn red.

"If your team is still standing and you're actually playing baseball at Wrigley Field and the ivy is turning red," Glanville said Thursday, "that means you've done something great [because] you have to play pretty late in the season to see red ivy. ... That only happens one time of the year. The problem for the Cubs is that it's been like Halley's Comet. When it only comes around like every 75 years, that's not good. But if you can make it an annual event, now you've got a dynasty."

When these Cubs arrived back at Wrigley the other night, several hours (and one airplane ride) after their Game 2 win in Cleveland, they got an instant reminder of what had happened in this ballpark the last time they played a home game, a mere four days earlier.

"The locker room was a mess," catcher David Ross reported, with a laugh. "We walked in last night at about 2:30 [a.m.], and they still had the fans going on the carpet if that tells you anything. It was a wreck in here."

It was the last vestige of the cleanup following a raucous celebration Saturday night, the night the Cubs eliminated the Dodgers in the NLCS and earned the right to bring the World Series back to Wrigley. But it wasn't only the baseball team that celebrated that night.

There were 42,386 people inside Wrigley Field -- and who knows how many thousands outside the gates. And their own celebration was just as loud, just as long and just as emotional. It was a not-so-sneak preview of the sort of electricity you can expect to see at Wrigley again on Friday. Better power up the spare generators.

"I have never been to a sporting event in my life like Saturday night," said Plesac, who actually grew up hating the Cubs as a White Sox fan in -- until he pitched for the Cubs in 1993 and '94, and began to understand what makes the franchise so unique. "I mean, I walked around this ballpark -- and goosebumps."

He watched 42,000 Cubs fans hug and bond and sing "Go Cubs Go" with tears streaming down their faces. And the only word he could think of to describe them was "euphoric" -- because they'd waited a lifetime for this night. So they wouldn't let it go, couldn't let it go.

Thousands remained inside the gates of Wrigley for nearly two hours after the game, trying to hang on to the moment. The streets of Wrigleyville were so jammed well after 2 a.m., it looked like rush hour in a lot of towns.

"People were not ready to go home," said Leah Spagnoli, the general manager of Yak-Zies, a famed hangout for the past 27 baseball seasons. "The energy that night was unlike anything I've ever seen. It was dreamlike."

When players finally left the park well after midnight, they were blown away by what they saw -- the sight of decades of bottled up emotions spilling into a party that looked as if it might never end.

"Just getting out of here was kind of crazy," Ross said. "The parking lot over there where our families are was just wall-to-wall with people and family, and everybody hugging and congratulating them. ... I don't think we got out of here until 1, maybe 2 o'clock in the morning. So it was crazy. I heard even the Dodgers' bus couldn't leave right away."

And the bash was still going the next day, too. Utility man Chris Coghlan told a tale of venturing out of the house to go to Whole Foods the day after the game and running across "a different buzz" all around town, complete with dogs trotting around wearing Cubs jerseys.

But it feels as if that buzz began six months ago and has barely let up since. You will feel it right through your TV screen Friday night, because this World Series is the culmination of a special journey, not just of a baseball team but of a fan base.

"This has been unlike anything I've ever experienced before," said Spagnoli, who has worked at Yak-Zies for eight years. "The energy is different. The people are different. The crowds are different."

Her grandfather, Kenny Miller, founded the original Yak-Zies at a different North Side address back in 1966. Her father, Joe, then ran this location for more than two decades after it opened in 1990. So they've been dealing with Cubs fans for half a century. But never, ever have they had a year like this year, as people gravitated toward a special team and a special ballpark.

"We're third generation," Leah Spagnoli said. "And this is what we've been waiting for."

But of course, this is what all the generations of Cubs fans have been waiting for -- that season that didn't break their hearts. That season when the ballpark was the big stage for the baseball team, not the other way around.

So on this night, as the World Series heads back to Wrigley Field, you'll be able to feel the presence of Ernie Banks and Ron Santo, of Ryne Sandberg and , of Fergie Jenkins and , of all the stars who never had a moment like this one. But for Wrigley and the Cubs of 2016, nostalgia is finally just the background noise in a much bigger saga.

"We are very much aware of everything that's gone on in the past," Maddon said Thursday. "But we have to live in the present. Otherwise, you'll never be able to get to this juncture in the season."

Well, they've clearly pulled off that juggling act because here they are. It's Game 3 of the World Series, in the shadow of the reddening ivy. So if last weekend's euphoria was any sort of preview of what is to come Friday night, you know what that means.

"Yeah," said Leah Spagnoli. "Order a lot more beer."

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ESPNChicago.com Down, not out: How Schwarber can help Cubs topple Tribe By Bradford Doolittle

CHICAGO -- Cubs folk hero Kyle Schwarber -- the Schwarbino! -- has not been cleared to play in the field. With that bit of news, passed down during Thursday’s off-day workouts at Wrigley Field, the last of the Schwarber-related World Series drama seems to have been resolved. Well, maybe not the last.

We might not see Schwarber in the field, but we will see him at Wrigley Field as the series -- tied 1-1 -- shifts to the National League park for three games, beginning with Friday's Game 3. We’ll most likely see the 23-year-old three times against the Cleveland Indians, each as a pinch hitter. Schwarber could be placed into the game in a different role, but even Cubs manager Joe Maddon isn’t crazy enough to make that experiment in late October. No, the Cubs will have their rust-proof, lefty-hitting powder keg for three pinch-hit appearances.

Now the onus falls on Maddon about how to leverage the precious trio of plate appearances into their maximum value. He has three wishes; no more, no less. He can’t wish for Schwarber’s doctor to change his mind, and Maddon can’t wish for more wishes. So what does he do?

FACTORS TO CONSIDER

Let’s lay out a few factors here. First, Schwarber doesn’t have a long history as a pinch hitter, and what exists hasn’t been very good. He is 0-for-9 in the role. Only one of those at-bats was against a lefty: Cole Hamels. In the eighth inning of Hamels' no-hitter at Wrigley Field on July 25, 2015, the ace induced a groundout from Schwarber. Of course, to read too much into that is to ignore everything we’ve seen of Schwarber since he returned from his injury.

We can also assume Schwarber will be reserved for high-leverage spots, at least until Maddon thinks one isn’t likely to come up. For example, say the Cubs lead 8-3 and have two guys on in the bottom of the eighth with the pitcher’s spot due up. If Maddon hasn’t already played the Schwarber card, he’ll probably just send him up. It’s not high leverage, but you might as well use him while you can.

Most high-leverage spots arise in the later innings. A great framework for thinking was developed in the sabermetric masterpiece “The Book,” which produced this table to illustrate the leverage index for every given situation.

The few high-leverage spots that can come up for a manager in the earlier innings tend to be bases-loaded situations when a team is either tied or a run(s) behind. Those situations produce an interesting dilemma for

Maddon. Unless his starting pitcher is having a terrible night, he’s not likely to pull him in the first three or four innings. But what if Jason Heyward is up in a potentially game-turning spot? Maddon knows he has Albert Almora Jr. on the bench to keep the defense strong, and Chris Coghlan as an additional option, so why not roll the dice here with Schwarber? You might not get another chance.

Really, though, we’re just pointing out that high-leverage spots do come up early in games. It would be shocking if Maddon didn’t hold back Schwarber until the sixth inning or later, when it’s more plausible to pull a starting pitcher. That being the case, we can guess what matchups Schwarber will be facing. Indians manager Terry Francona has relied heavily on his bullpen, and if high-leverage spots arise, he’s going to have some order of Dan Otero, Bryan Shaw, Andrew Miller and Cody Allen going in those situations.

SCHWARBER VS. OTERO/SHAW

We’re lumping these two together, though Shaw has been more of a go-to pitcher for Francona. Otero actually had the better bottom-line metrics this season, but Shaw has faced nearly three times as many hitters in the playoffs. Both right-handers could be relevant for Schwarber. High-leverage situations in which Schwarber could be used against them would most likely happen in the fifth, sixth or seventh innings if the Indians are clinging to a lead. Otero has a full arsenal for a reliever, mixing in a slider and two different off-speed offerings to go with the fastball with which he does the bulk of his work. Shaw throws basically nothing but cutters to lefties.

Righties tend to be very sparing with the fastballs against Schwarber, so Otero’s variety of pitches could help. But there’s a problem for both players in this matchup: Schwarber doesn’t hit curveballs, and while Otero throws them, he’s not good at it. Here’s Schwarber’s OPS against righties by pitch type so far in his career: fastball .984, changeup .934, slider 1.194, curveball .377. Throw him a curve, Danny! But here’s Otero’s OPS versus lefty hitters over the past three seasons by his pitch types: changeup .372, slider .643, fastball .789, curveball 1.143.

In other words, for Otero to attack Schwarber, he’d be tempted to go after him with his worst pitch. So even though Otero is one of Francona’s big four relievers, this isn’t a great matchup for him.

As for Shaw, Schwarber has an .819 career OPS against cutters, but the sample is small. That makes this matchup a bit of a wild card, but you'd expect Francona to choose Shaw over Otero to face Schwarber. Of course, Otero and Shaw aren’t Francona’s only righty options out of the pen. Other options include Danny Salazar, Jeff Manship, Mike Clevinger and Zach McAllister.

Allen, on the other hand, is a handful for Schwarber, because he throws curves about 35 percent of the time to lefties. Allen is basically a fastball/curveball closer, and that’s not a great situation for Schwarber. Lefties have put up a .247 OPS against Allen’s curve the past three seasons. So if Schwarber faces him, it’s a case of tracking the pitch and laying off the curve in hopes Allen is not commanding it, then going after his fastball. All you have to do is look at Allen’s ERA to know that approach doesn’t work often for batters, and Schwarber struck out against Allen the one time he faced him. Plus, chances are, if Schwarber faces Allen, it’s a bottom-of-the-ninth, game-on-the-line situation. Exciting stuff.

SCHWARBER VS. MILLER

We’ve seen this one already. Game 1 served as the only time Miller has faced the same hitter twice in a game all season. Schwarber’s walk against Miller was the only walk the dominant lefty has issued to a lefty hitter all season. That’s why you have to take all of this stuff with a grain of salt: Schwarber is the kind of guy who thumbs his nose at logic. But, still, we know Schwarber versus Miller is not an ideal matchup for the Cubs, and we know Francona is going to use Miller in the high-leverage spots. And not just one, but a swathe of them over two or three innings. Schwarber has a .481 OPS in his career against lefties. Miller gets everyone out. And let’s not forget Francona has a second lefty in the bullpen: man-of-the-hour Ryan Merritt.

It’s a tough decision for Maddon. Do you hold Schwarber back in hopes that Francona eventually inserts Allen? When do you insert Schwarber when facing Miller? Or do you seek out a high-leverage spot earlier in the game, before Miller enters, that can turn an Indians advantage into a Cubs advantage, or extend a Cubs lead, or break an early tie that keeps Miller in the bullpen?

Folks, this is the good stuff. Of course, either team could simply supersede all this strategy talk by jumping out to a big lead, as has happened in each of the first two games of the World Series. Trying to figure out when and how Maddon should use Schwarber, and Francona’s tactics for combating that, will make for great baseball drama.

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ESPNChicago.com World Series or not, outfield too risky for Kyle Schwarber By Stephania Bell

When Chicago Cubs outfielder Kyle Schwarber suffered major damage to two of the four primary ligaments of his left knee this spring, his season was officially declared over.

And yet, there was Schwarber in Games 1 and 2 of the World Series, back in uniform as a designated hitter, even notching two RBIs in Game 2.

The Cubs organization had been pleasantly surprised when Dr. Daniel Cooper, the orthopedic surgeon who reconstructed Schwarber's ACL and repaired his LCL, gave clearance for Schwarber to participate in the Fall Classic as a DH. After all, multiligament knee reconstructions are complex; depending on the extent and location of the damage, the typical window for returning to play post-surgery starts at nine months. But, when Schwarber had his six-month checkup with Cooper, the surgeon was impressed by the stability of the knee and Schwarber's strength. Cooper gave the go-ahead for the outfielder to begin hitting and running the bases. Schwarber proved he could do both, and suddenly found himself in the lineup.

After he exceeded expectations by not only returning for the start of the World Series but also by delivering at the plate, perhaps Cubs fans assumed it was only natural Schwarber would be cleared days later to play in the outfield.

He was not.

Team president Theo Epstein announced Thursday that Schwarber did not receive medical clearance to resume playing in the field. Just days after the social media world responded with admiration for Schwarber's work ethic and determination, there were some who expressed disappointment in the decision to keep Schwarber relegated to a potential pinch-hitting role as the series resumes at Wrigley Field.

What could possibly keep someone out of the lineup when the World Series is at stake?

Well, there's a reason medical decisions are left to the medical personnel familiar with the athlete and his injury. No one knows better than Cooper the detail of what was involved in reconstructing Schwarber's knee. And, since Cooper is considered one of the leading experts in multiligament knee reconstruction, his recommendations are probably worth following.

For those looking for the rationale behind the decision to hold Schwarber out of playing the outfield, here are some things to consider:

1. ACL grafts continue to strengthen over the first year. At six months, the ACL has not yet achieved its maximum strength.

2. The ACL helps control deceleration and rotation at the knee; movements that combine the two are the most demanding on the ligament and therefore the riskiest (for example: planting and cutting laterally or jumping and landing while twisting).

3. The addition of uncontrolled variables increases the level of difficulty for the athlete, thus increasing injury risk. Uneven terrain (from the outfield grass to the warning track), change-of-pace running (speeding up or slowing down while tracking a ball) and obstacles (the outfield wall or other outfielders, which is how Schwarber was originally injured) are all examples of uncontrolled variables in a game setting.

4. Recent research shows that reinjury rates following ACL reconstruction decrease significantly when a return to full sports occurs at a minimum of nine months after surgery.

5. A second injury would not only potentially cause Schwarber to miss another full season, but there is no guarantee his recovery would match what he has already accomplished. In other words, it could be career- threatening.

Schwarber incurred some risk simply by returning to hit, run the bases and slide, but that risk was far less than what he would face playing the outfield. An athlete can practice hitting, running and sliding and can repeat the effort in virtually the same manner both when practicing and playing. There is no way to simulate every scenario an athlete would encounter in the outfield. Additional months of training -- and recovery -- are warranted before returning to the most complex activities.

Decisions about returning to play following an injury are always informed by medical evidence, along with considerations of risk versus reward. Clearing Schwarber to do as much as he has already done did not come without these discussions. It is perfectly reasonable for him to have been cleared for hitting and not cleared for fielding.

Schwarber is a competitive athlete. Of course he would love to be playing at full capacity in the ultimate competition. But he appears to have accepted his role and is, as he said, "going to embrace it."

If Schwarber and the Cubs can live with the decision, maybe everyone else should, too.

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ESPNChicago.com Kyle Schwarber not cleared to play field in Wrigley Field By Jesse Rogers

CHICAGO -- Despite calls for him to start in left field to keep his bat in the lineup full-time, Chicago Cubs slugger Kyle Schwarber will stick with pinch-hitting duty only during World Series games at Wrigley Field.

After speaking with doctors on Thursday, the team decided it was best he not play defense.

"Kyle has not been medically cleared to play the field, so he will not be in the lineup the next three games," team president Theo Epstein said. "But we do look forward to him impacting the game as a pinch hitter for us, and certainly should the series return to Cleveland, he'll be eligible to continue as a designated hitter."

Schwarber and his surgically repaired left knee had been cleared to hit and run the bases 10 days ago, but not to do any lateral running needed to play the outfield. He was the designated hitter for Games 1 and 2 in Cleveland, but despite stating his case to play the field in Games 3-5, Schwarber will start on the bench.

"It's not disappointing at all," Schwarber said. "It was a long shot at the most. You know, obviously I want to be out there for my teammates and everything, it's just the competitor inside me, but facts are facts. I just can't physically do it."

Schwarber went 3-for-7 with two walks and two RBIs in Games 1 and 2, giving the team a needed lift at the plate after the benching of right fielder Jason Heyward. Over the past four playoff games, Cubs manager Joe Maddon has started four different right fielders, proving there was more than an opening for Schwarber in the outfield. But it wasn't meant to be.

"There's no being sad about it," Schwarber said. "There's no nothing. I know my role now, and I'm going to embrace it."

Schwarber became the first position player in MLB history to have his first hit of the season in the World Series after missing nearly the entire year.

"I'm living the dream," Schwarber said. "We're playing in the World Series. What else could you ask for? I'm just going to keep riding the wave until it ends."

The fourth pick in the 2014 draft is already a fan favorite after hitting five postseason home runs in 2015, becoming the all-time franchise leader in that category.

Schwarber singled twice in Game 2 on Wednesday, each time driving in a run, then he walked as the Cubs evened the Series at one game apiece.

"We're all disappointed," Epstein said. "We'd love to see Kyle out there getting four-plus at-bats a game. But I think it was important to talk to a medical professional, who's objective and detached from the situation."

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ESPNChicago.com Jason Kipnis returns home for World Series; who will be cheering for him? By Jesse Rogers

CHICAGO -- Cleveland Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis was clear about one thing during the first few days of the World Series: He’s not conflicted. Not in the least. The Chicago native -- and big-time Cubs fan -- would like nothing more than to extend the Cubs' championship drought a little bit longer.

“I started in the [Ryne] Sandberg, [Mark] Grace era,” Kipnis said before departing for Chicago and Friday night's Game 3. “I was around high school watching [Sammy] Sosa. In 1998 it was, ‘Get to the television and watch him.’ ... I was a fan.”

And now?

“There’s not one part of me that doesn’t wish this curse keeps going,” he said with a laugh.

Kipnis is loyal to the Indians, of course, but where he grew up and went to high school was all Cubs country. Kipnis and I went to the same high school, though I was there several years before Kipnis came along and became the talk of the town as a standout player in several sports.

“He had the high school record for home runs and stolen bases, soccer goals on the freshman team and varsity touchdown receptions,” said Steve Zohn, one of his youth coaches.

Kipnis and I are from Northbrook, , which is 21.1 miles northwest of Wrigley Field. Almost everyone in the suburbs north of Chicago is a Cubs fan, but now some of his best friends and his family are torn. It's the first time someone close to them is in the World Series, and it’s against their team.

“It’s pretty special,” Kipnis said. “When you think of the benefit of it [for him]. I get to play on the biggest stage in front of everyone I know. It’s a cool opportunity not many people get to experience.”

Kipnis isn’t sure who people at his high school, Glenbrook North, are rooting for -- he hopes it’s the Indians -- but he’s looking forward to returning after the season is over. He doubts he can make it back home this weekend, as the demands of being in the World Series are big enough. His parents will take care of ticket requests, but most are “on their own.”

“Whether they’re wearing Kipnis jerseys or Cubs jerseys, it’s going to be fun for me to see them in the stands,” Kipnis said.

Kipnis was most passionate in talking about another Northbrook native, Steve Bartman. The infamous fan who reached over the railing and interfered with a foul ball in a key moment of Game 6 of the 2003 NLCS hasn’t been heard from much since, but Kipnis remembers everything about the night and subsequent days of news coverage in his hometown.

“The only thing I’m mad at Bartman for is missing a fly ball,” Kipnis said of the fan often decried for ruining the Cubs' 2003 title hopes. “Every other fan was going for the ball. There is no blame on him and there never should have been.”

Kipnis even advocated for Bartman to throw out the first pitch this weekend, but there are no such plans for an event of that magnitude. The World Series already has enough drama, beginning with two franchises that haven’t won a title in decades. For the Indians, it’s been since 1948. For the Cubs, it’s been quite a bit longer -- 108 years.

“Theirs is the only drought that can make ours looks small,” Kipnis said. “It’s neat that one of them will come to an end here.”

Kipnis recalls the moment the Cubs clinched a World Series berth on Saturday, when they defeated the in Game 6 of the NLCS. He didn’t know what to feel.

“All I was seeing on social media was Cubs posts,” Kipnis said. “You’re happy for all the friends and family back home rooting for the Cubs. I don’t know if I was happy, sad, mad -- but I was emotional. I was like, ‘Oh no, what does it mean right now?’ But it’s just excitement for both cities.”

Kipnis thinks it will hit him a bit harder when he steps onto Wrigley Field for the first time this series as a member of the opposition, trying to thwart the Cubs' hopes of breaking their long drought. He broke up Jake Arrieta’s no- hitter with a double in Game 2 after helping his Indians to a Game 1 victory the night before.

Kipnis is the enemy now, leading him to think there could be a change to the rec center he’s building at his high school.

“They might name it something else,” Kipnis said with a laugh.

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CSNChicago.com Cubs’ Kyle Hendricks Ready For The Next Biggest Start Of His Career By JJ Stankevitz

Kyle Hendricks succeeded in the spotlight Oct. 22, taking his methodical, measured mentality into a nervy Game 6 clincher against Los Angeles Dodgers ace . The result was 7 1/3 innings of two-hit shutout ball in which the 26-year-old Dartmouth alum faced the minimum to beat a guy many consider the best pitcher in baseball, and it sent the Cubs to their first World Series since 1945.

The playoff stage clearly hasn’t been too big for Hendricks, who led baseball in ERA (2.13) and soft contact rate (25.1 percent) in the regular season. He’s carried that success into October, allowing only three runs over 16 1/3 innings in the 2016 postseason. The way he’s gone about pitching those games and processing the magnitude of them hasn’t been any different than how he worked from April through September.

“I've never seen him rush through anything,” manager Joe Maddon said. “I’m sure he takes time brushing his teeth. I would imagine his cup of coffee takes two hours to drink.”

Hendricks, who was standing about 20 feet away from Maddon when his manager grinned through those comments Thursday, laughed when he got his turn at the podium: “I don't drink coffee, which probably doesn't come as a shock.”

But that deliberate approach Maddon was alluding to with his coffee comment has helped Hendricks maintain his effectiveness as the playoff pressure has mounted over the last few weeks.

“It took me a long time to fall into this mindset,” Hendricks said. “You can find yourself falling out of it and falling back into it. A lot of it has to do with confidence, I think. At the end of the day, if you are in that mindset where you're having simple thoughts, really you're on the mound, you know you can clearly recall your game plan, what you're trying to do to this hitter, and then you can simplify your thought and commit to just one pitch. When you have those kind of thoughts going through your head, you feel pretty confident, and you know you're going to do pretty well.”

Hendricks’ changeup has been an outstanding put-away pitch in the postseason, with the right-hander mixing it in well with his four-seam fastball and two-seam sinker. Opposing batters are swinging and missing at 21.7 percent of Hendricks’ changeups, according to TexasLeaguers.com, in his three playoff starts (among Cubs starters in the playoffs, that’s the second-highest whiff rate on any pitch only to John Lackey cutter, which has a 23.7 percent swing-and-miss rate).

Hendricks, too, has looked extremely comfortable in his starts at Wrigley Field — like that Game 6 outing against the Dodgers — posting a 1.32 ERA while limiting opposing hitters to a .589 OPS at home in the regular season (those numbers were a 2.95 ERA and .643 opponent OPS on the road).

So the stage is set for Hendricks to make, and succeed in, what will either be his final or second-to-last start of the 2016 season. Friday will mark Hendricks’ first career World Series start, but he hasn’t shown any reason to think the moment will be too big for him.

“I'm just going to take advantage of it,” Hendricks said. “I mean, how often do you get these opportunities? You dream of it as a kid. This is what you work all year long for.”

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CSNChicago.com How Kyle Schwarber Is Such A ‘Baseball Rat’ That Cubs Used Him In Their Draft War Room By Patrick Mooney

Matt Dorey and Lukas McKnight had just scouted a California Baptist University pitching prospect as they rode toward the Los Angeles Airport Marriott and pulled into the parking lot.

Dorey watched the Cubs game on his phone as the valet guys approached the car: “Holy s---!” Kyle Schwarber crashed into Dexter Fowler as the two outfielders converged in the left-center field gap, both of them tumbling to the ground as leadoff guy Jean Segura sprinted for an inside-the-park home run at Chase Field.

Dorey, the team’s amateur scouting director, and McKnight, the assistant director, walked into the hotel’s sports bar with this sort of thought in mind: Make it a double. On the night of April 7, the Cubs really didn’t know what damage this might do to Schwarber’s career, or if a severe injury could shred the franchise’s World Series plans.

“The pit in my stomach at that moment,” Dorey remembered. “Everybody starts texting me: ‘Oh, this doesn’t look good.’”

It looked like an awful high-speed collision that might derail the 2016 Cubs. It didn’t matter that Schwarber had only turned 23 a month earlier and only had one full season of on his resume.

The Cubs had witnessed his quick, compact left-handed swing at Indiana University and understood what his magnetic personality meant in building the Hoosier program, using the fourth overall pick in the 2014 draft on Schwarber with the belief that those qualities would strengthen the Wrigley Field clubhouse.

An MRI at a hospital in the Phoenix area revealed a torn ACL and LCL in Schwarber’s left knee, as well as a severely sprained ankle, what was supposed to be season-ending trauma. Except Schwarber has already notched three hits and two walks in the World Series, including a double off the Progressive Field wall against winner Corey Kluber in Game 1.

A stunning performance that left teammate predicting “they’re going to make a movie about him” couldn’t get Schwarber medically cleared to play defense on Friday night as Wrigley Field stages its first World Series game since 1945. But in what’s now a best-of-five battle, the Cleveland Indians will have to worry about Schwarber walking up to the plate for what could be a season-defining pinch-hit at-bat.

“I’m a baseball rat,” Schwarber said. “I want to be involved in it as much as I can. A lot of (credit) goes to this team and this organization for allowing me to be around. They were a big rock in my rehab.

“I could have easily just gone to Arizona, gone through the motions in rehab. But these guys really made me kick it up a notch. I’m sitting here today mostly because of those guys.”

Beyond the grueling physical exercises, Schwarber studied video, helped prepare scouting reports, brainstormed with catchers and attended meetings with pitchers. In no uncertain terms, president of baseball operations Theo Epstein made Schwarber untouchable in trade talks, allowing the Indians to acquire All-Star reliever Andrew Miller from the .

Cubs officials also invited Schwarber to observe their draft process in June, allowing him to sit in as they gathered in an unfinished section of the new underground clubhouse in Wrigleyville.

“We got him a computer,” Dorey said. “He had access to all of our analytics. We had the video up. I asked him questions about catching. We asked questions about guys he played against.

“A lot of the pitchers that we were considering – in the Big Ten especially – we’re like: ‘Kyle, what do you think?’ He’d be like: ‘This guy sucks, man.’

“He was just so invested in it. He was so into it. Even for the better part of four or five days – and during the actual draft – he sat in there and he (found) a couple guys that he really liked. He was like: ‘Man, I’m just trying to get my guy.’

“There was a hitter (he really liked). I’m like: ‘Kyle, dude, we’re not taking many hitters.’”

Even without Schwarber getting a hit during the regular season, the Cubs are so loaded on offense that they scored 808 runs. In the fourth round, the Cubs drafted Tyson Miller, the Cal Baptist right-hander Dorey and McKnight scouted the day Schwarber wrecked his knee.

“It was just so fun,” Dorey said. “I was so appreciative of his willingness to try to see the organization from a different lens.

“Most guys – not that they don’t care about it – they just don’t take the time to understand what happens on a day-to-day basis to see how we bring new guys into the organization.

“It was great for our scouts to see – and great for all of us to hear a different perspective (with Kyle) talking about players that he’s seen. And he’s seen what it takes to play at this level.”

Out of that gruesome injury came another chapter in the legend of Schwarber, a baseball gym rat who’s supposed to lead the Cubs back into October for years to come.

“It was really tough to see,” Dorey said. “But I also look at it now like Kyle just went through the biggest obstacle or adversity in his career. He worked so hard to get back to this point. It’s just pretty inspiring to see that he’s even taking BP – let alone hitting 5-hole in Game 1 of the World Series.”

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CSNChicago.com Anthony Rizzo, Addison Russell Among Four Cubs Finalists For Gold Glove Award By Paul Roumeliotis

Four Cubs have been recognized for their defense in 2016 on Thursday.

Jake Arrieta, Jason Heyward, Anthony Rizzo and Addison Russell were all named finalists for the Gold Glove Award at their respective positions. Winners will be announced Tuesday, Nov. 8.

Arrieta was tied for second among National League pitchers with five Defensive Runs Saved. Mets pitcher Bartolo Colon led with eight.

Heyward, who's a three-time NL Gold Glove Award winner, had the most DRS for right fielders with 14 and also led Defensive Wins Above Replacement with 1.3.

Rizzo's 5.7 Ultimate Zone Rating ranked second among first basemen in the NL, according to fangraphs.com, and his .996 field percentage ranked fifth.

Russell was tied for most DRS among NL shortstops with 19 (the second-best had nine).

The two most notable Cubs left off the list were Javier Baez and Ben Zobrist due to their versatility throughout the regular season.

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CSNChicago.com Why Cubs Won’t Risk Playing Kyle Schwarber In The Outfield During World Series By Patrick Mooney

Kyle Schwarber plays baseball with the same run-through-a-brick-wall mentality that once made him an All-Ohio linebacker in high school. The Cubs feed off that energy and the explosive power that’s already made him a legendary playoff hitter, even though he still hasn’t played a full season in the big leagues yet, and even after a layoff that lasted more than six months.

As bad as Schwarber wanted this – and as much as president of baseball operations Theo Epstein senses the chance to eliminate the Cleveland Indians and make history – the Cubs couldn’t make such an important decision based on emotions.

After consulting with Dr. Stephen Gryzlo, the team’s orthopaedist, and Dr. Daniel Cooper, who performed the surgery on an extremely valuable left knee, the Cubs couldn’t get medical clearance to start Schwarber in the outfield for World Series Games 3, 4 and 5 at Wrigley Field this weekend.

“Of course, we’re all disappointed,” Epstein said. “We’d love to see Kyle out there getting four-plus at-bats a game. But I think it was important to talk to a medical professional, who’s objective and detached from the situation.

“We’re all wrapped up in seeing how well Kyle swung the bat and how it impacted us and the stage that we’re on and our desire to win.

“There is the possibility of us getting carried away and throwing caution to the wind. But that’s why you have to consult the doctors and follow their professional judgment.”

Whatever disappointment he may have felt after initially getting the news, Schwarber buried it by the time he followed Epstein into the makeshift interview room after Thursday’s workout at Wrigley Field, vowing to be ready to pinch-hit at any time and giving future Hall of Fame manager Terry Francona something to think about in the visiting dugout.

“It’s not disappointing at all,” Schwarber said. “It was a long shot at the most. Obviously, I want to be out there for my teammates and everything. It’s just the competitor inside me. But facts are facts. I just can’t physically do it.”

Schwarber refused to concede after a full-speed collision in the outfield on April 7, attacking his rehab process with the same intensity that made him the fourth overall pick in the 2014 draft and such a force on last year’s 97-win team (16 homers in 69 games plus five more in the playoffs).

Showing virtually no signs of rust, Schwarber went 3-for-7 with two walks and two RBI as the designated hitter while the Cubs split Games 1 and 2 at Progressive Field.

“The doctors were very convicted that there’s just too much risk in playing the outfield,” Epstein said, “because of the dynamic actions involved, the instantaneous reactions, the need to cut in the outfield, the dynamic, athletic movements that are unanticipated in the outfield.

“This was not just an ACL tear. This was a complete blowout of his knee, multiple ligaments (involved and) an expected eight-month, return-to-play, best-case scenario.

“We have to look out for Kyle’s long-term interests. We have a lot of confidence in other guys, too. We won 103 games. We have all the faith in the world in our other outfielders. And on top of that, we now have Kyle off the bench to take maybe the most important at-bat in the game at a given point.”

One of those outfielders – Chris Coghlan – understands the big-picture concerns for Schwarber after tearing the meniscus in his left knee during an on-field pie-to-the-face celebration with the Florida Marlins in 2010.

“That’s my biggest worry for him personally,” Coghlan said. “I rushed back and reinjured it. And I don’t say that to scare him. They got doctors. They got a million people running over it. But what he’s doing is remarkable.

“To be able to go in there and just put competitive at-bat after competitive at-bat on the biggest stage (after) being out six months and only having maybe eight at-bats (in the ) – it’s just a testament to his character and his perseverance. And that’s what makes him a special player.”

Knowing how Schwarber is wired, the Cubs probably couldn’t have cut a deal where he gave something less than a maximum effort in the outfield and conserved his body to take vicious left-handed swings. But the medical experts did not present that option.

“There would not have been a player to be cleared under this scenario,” Epstein said. “But that said, if we had been able to clear him only under the condition that he only go 60 percent: a.) I don't think Kyle knows how to go 60 percent, especially in a World Series-type game; and b.) At 60 percent, you’re such a tremendous defensive liability, it’s probably not worth the offense that you get on the other side, anyway.

“But that wasn’t the case. It was black and white. He simply is not medically cleared to play, regardless of his effort level.”

A crowd already delirious from the franchise’s first World Series at Wrigley Field in 71 years will still create a deafening roar at the sight of Schwarber walking up to home plate with a bat in his hand.

“Deep down in my heart, I really wanted to,” Schwarber said. “But there’s obviously the doubts (about) the injury. It was a huge injury. And that’s the facts. Not many people get this opportunity that I’m in right now, so I’m embracing (it). I’m going to cheer my teammates on. And when my time comes, I’m going to be ready.”

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CSNChicago.com Cubs 'Can't Imagine' What Wrigley Field Atmosphere Will Be Like For World Series By Paul Roumeliotis

The Cubs already know they have some of the most loyal fans in all of sports. Fans have brought their enthusiasm to Wrigley Field on game days all season long.

But the Cubs also know the energy at The Friendly Confines may reach a new level when they host a World Series game for the first time since Oct. 10, 1945.

"It's going to be an absolute blast," said manager Joe Maddon. "Beanie's (Maddon's mom) coming in. My kids are coming. Everybody's coming in. It's going to be great. So I know that people have been waiting for this for a long time are going to savor it, and hopefully on our part we can do something to really make it even better."

Ben Zobrist is no stranger to the World Series, with 2016 being his third appearance and second consecutive. He knows what the main stage's atmosphere can be like, but for a fan base that's waited 71 years?

"I can't imagine. They're probably just as excited, if not more excited than we are to see that game played there," said Zobrist, a Eureka, Ill. native. "It's been a long time. They've been waiting patiently and they deserve to have these games played there. Hopefully we can get some Ws there for them. We know it's gonna be electric and a really fun atmosphere."

The Cubs understand what this moment means for their fans. They've also heard all the narratives and they don't care.

"We are very much aware of everything that's gone on in the past, but we have to live in the present otherwise you'll never be able to get to this juncture in the season," Maddon said. "So I really am impressed whatever I've read or have heard, the respect our players have shown about every part of this entire situation, organizationally, city-wide, fanbase, all that stuff. I think our players have been outstanding in the way they've handled all that. But at the end of the day, you want to get on that field for the last out, and you want to celebrate among each other.

"I mean, we've been after this for a bit, like everybody else has. We've been after it a bit. Last year started, this year Spring Training. All season long people have been after us, and our guys are still standing. Give them a lot of credit for that. Like Manolo just pointed out, pretty young team on the field last night."

The Cubs' batting order for Game 2 at Progressive Field featured six players age 24 or younger, which marked a postseason record. One of those men included designated hitter Kyle Schwarber, who made a surprise return in Game 1 after suffering a significant knee injury in the third game of the regular season.

Although Schwarber wasn't medically cleared by doctors to play the field for Games 3-5 at Wrigley Field, he will be available to come off the bench and pinch hit.

As if the crowd didn't have something to cheer about already, they won't have to wait long to recognize Schwarber for his return, as player introductions will take place prior to Game 3.

"It's going to be great," Schwarber said. "I remember just walking out on the line, when I first got injured, and back for the first playoff game and everything like that, they welcomed me very well. This time, you know, I'm just going to embrace the moment.

"It's going to be awesome. It's the World Series at Wrigley Field. It's going to be electric. It's going to be a fun atmosphere. So I'll definitely soak it in."

Count Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein among those excited to see how loud Wrigley will get when Schwarber runs out of the dugout after his named is called.

"I'll let it speak for itself," Epstein said. "I mean, we were here on Opening Day when he walked out with one crutch, and it was deafening. I think our fans also have a special connection with Kyle, and I'm sure they'll take advantage of the opportunity to let him know how much they appreciate him tomorrow night. Hopefully during the game, too."

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Chicago Tribune Nights to remember on deck for Cubs fans this weekend at Wrigley Field By Paul Sullivan

Wrigley Field is ready for its close-up.

Seventy-one years after last playing host to a World Series game, the iconic ballpark at the corner of Clark and Addison streets returns to the national spotlight Friday night for Game 3 between the Cubs and the Indians.

When Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks throws the first pitch at 7:08 p.m., the long wait finally will end, and those fans fortunate enough to be inside will think instantly of the loved ones who never got this chance.

But even taking away the 71-year drought and the Cubs' 107-year quest for a championship, intriguing storylines are everywhere.

Kyle Schwarber returns home after missing six months and then starring in Games 1 and 2. David Ross takes a final bow in the place that adopted him as "Grandpa." And, of most importance, the Cubs will try to take a 2-1 lead in the Series after leaving Cleveland with a split.

So what will the atmosphere be like Friday?

"Electric," Kris Bryant said.

"Insane," Anthony Rizzo countered.

Jon Lester said "it can only get so loud" inside Wrigley.

"It'll probably be a little crazier outside than inside," Lester said. "Probably a little more mellow in here."

Wrigley Field is 102 years old and has been the Cubs' home for 100 of those seasons. It has been host to World Series games in '29, '32, '35, '38 and '45, and the Cubs have lost all five series.

The most famous World Series moment at Wrigley was, of course, from a Yankee. 's called-shot home run off in Game 3 of the '32 World Series is considered a piece of Americana, like Custer's Last Stand or Neil Armstrong landing on the moon.

The young Cubs stars of today, however, aren't really up on their Wrigley history.

"I don't know any of that," second baseman Javier Baez said.

Google it, Javy.

Shortstop Addison Russell had heard of Ruth's called shot but didn't know it occurred at Wrigley.

"That was here? Sweet," Russell said. "You just hear about him pointing, but I had no idea it was here. And in the World Series? Sick."

Which Cub would be most likely to call his shot this weekend?

"I would say three lefties might be able to," Russell said. "Of course Schwarber and Rizzo and, though some might not agree with me, I believe Miggy Montero could call his shot. He has been huge in the clutch."

Russell said it's a "stretch to think" he could do it but added, "If I ever feel I'm feeling too sexy for myself, I might."

When you think of Wrigley Field, what comes to mind?

The Friendly Confines. Beautiful Wrigley Field. Let's play two. No lights. A playground for the (bleeps). . Falling concrete. Ivy-covered burial ground. Ernie, Billy and Ronnie. Bartman.

So many stories, so much fun and, let's face it, an unhealthy dose of heartbreak from years and years of losing.

William Wrigley, who took control of the Cubs in 1921, changed the name from Cubs Park to Wrigley Field in 1927 to help sell his chewing gum. Despite early rumors the Ricketts family would consider selling naming rights after buying the team in 2009 from Tribune Co., the park has remained Wrigley for 89 years.

Over the years there has been a long struggle between traditionalists who preferred the quaint, uncluttered, nostalgia-tinged version of Wrigley and modernists who believed a video board, ads and other amenities would increase the Cubs' chances of building a championship team without offending anyone's sensibilities.

Advantage, modernists.

The ballpark's most distinguishing feature is the outfield ivy, which is turning colors now but won't peak for another week or so. Hall of Famer planted the Boston ivy in 1937 during an early renovation of Wrigley, probably not realizing it one day would be revered.

Veeck, the former Indians and White Sox owner, always sat in the upper center-field bleachers in his final years. He also erected the hand-operated scoreboard that is the backdrop of a million selfies.

But perhaps the man most responsible for creating the Wrigley mythology was not a player, owner or writer but WGN-TV director Arne Harris. It was Harris who chose the shots Cubs fans saw on TV — the rooftops, the bleachers, the home runs bouncing onto Waveland Avenue and those ubiquitous hat shots.

Harry Caray, and before him , served as august broadcast narrators of the Cubs' daily sagas at Wrigley — from the 1950s until Caray's death in 1997 — making the ballpark always sound like the place to be whether the Cubs were competitive or not.

Owner P.K. Wrigley kept the ballpark bathed in sunshine, refusing to install lights like everyone else in the 1940s or '50s and making day baseball a tradition that made the Cubs a unique ballclub, along with their inability to win.

When Tribune Co. bought the team in 1981, incoming President immediately set out to get lights, suggesting it was a competitive disadvantage for the players to play all day games.

Major League Baseball told the Cubs in 1985 that if they did not install lights, any home playoff games would be moved to Busch Stadium in St. Louis, the home of their hated rivals. The Cubs underachieved, making it a moot point.

After much bickering between the Cubs and Chicago politicians, an agreement finally was reached to allow eight night games in 1988, with the first game to be played on Aug. 8, or 8-8-88, and 18 games a year until 2002.

The first night game was treated like the opening of a Broadway show, and Morgana the kissing bandit interrupted the action by running onto the field to kiss Ryne Sandberg. A deluge halted the game, which eventually was rained out, and a group of players led by bellyflopped onto the wet tarp to entertain the fans, receiving a wrist-slap afterward from manager Don Zimmer.

In 2013, the Cubs asked for 54 night games and were granted up to 46, making them close to an average team. A jumbo-sized video board in left field was installed in 2015 as part of the Rickettses' ongoing renovation plan.

The video board and a grating sound system the Cubs have declined to fix have changed the atmosphere, often making it so loud it's hard to have a conversation with someone sitting next to you.

But most fans like the additions.

Despite the changes, some Wrigley traditions still exist, whether old or new.

Fans in the bleachers still throw opposing home run balls back onto the field, as they have done since the early '80s. Cubs pitching coach Chris Bosio still throws packages of sunflower seeds from the dugout onto the dirt before Dexter Fowler leads off in the first, a two-year tradition.

"Sprinkling the baseball gods," Bosio said. "All the time. Always early in the game, always for Dex, and the kind of ka-bang is when Rizzo comes up."

In the end, Wrigley is really about the relationship between Cubs fans and the team. It's a bond few other professional sports franchises enjoy, and the players feel like they're all part of one big extended family.

"It's pretty evident if you go out that they feel a connection," Ross said. "I've gone out and had people without asking coming up and hugging me, putting their arm around me.

"They feel part of this group, and it makes me laugh sometimes after they walk away. Who walks up to strangers and hugs people without permission?"

Cubs fans do.

That's just the Wrigley Way.

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Chicago Tribune Kyle Schwarber embraces pinch-hitting role in World Series games at Wrigley Field By Mark Gonzales

The surreal hitting performance of Kyle Schwarber in the first two games of the World Series can't be replicated in Games 3, 4 and 5 against the Indians this weekend at Wrigley Field because the Cubs medical staff didn't clear the young slugger for outfield play.

But his teammates can follow his lead in working deep counts and being selectively aggressive at the plate while taking advantage of the comforts of home for the first Series games to be played there since 1945.

"Kyle provided a nice spark, just by seeing his quality at-bats," Kris Bryant said. "Everyone feeds off that, keeping the chain moving."

President Theo Epstein acknowledged his disappointment that Schwarber, who went 3-for 7 with two walks in Games 1 and 2, will be available only for pinch-hit duty for the next three games because there is no designated hitter in National League parks.

But he reiterated his faith in an offense that posted all but two of its 103 regular-season victories without Schwarber after he tore two ligaments in his left knee.

"(But) we now have Kyle off the bench to take maybe the most important at-bat in the game at a given point," Epstein said.

Schwarber was told he could not play the field before the Cubs' workout Thursday, in which he hit several home runs during batting practice but merely stood in left field with coaches Dave Martinez and Mike Borzello.

"It's not disappointing at all," Schwarber said. "It was a long shot at (best). Obviously, I want to be out there for my teammates. It's just the competitor inside me, but facts are facts. I just can't physically do it. I'm going to be ready at any time to pinch hit."

Schwarber initially tried to challenge the decision from Daniel Cooper, who performed his surgery in April, and team orthopedist Stephen Gryzlo, but became more realistic as he gathered more information.

"No one's going to be upset about this decision," Schwarber said. "So I'm not. I'm embracing the (pinch-hit) role."

Schwarber had been expected to be sidelined until spring training. But expectations soared after Cooper cleared him to run and hit when he was examined Oct. 17 in Dallas and then produced so well in the first two games of the Series as a designated hitter in an American League park.

"(But) medically the doctors were very convinced there's just too much risk in playing the outfield because of the dynamic, athletic movements that are unanticipated, your instinct in reacting to balls," Epstein said. "That isn't the case when you're running the bases. This was not just an ACL tear. This was a complete blowout of his knee, multiple ligaments. An eight-month expected return-to-play, best-case scenario."

Cubs pitchers batted a respectable .157 during the regular season, and Schwarber is excited about his pinch-hitting duties for the next three games.

"Not many people get this opportunity that I'm in right now, so I'm embracing (it) and I'm going to cheer my teammates on," Schwarber said. "And when my time comes, I'm going to be ready."

So are his teammates, who look to create their own legacy of the Cubs winning the World Series for the first time since 1908.

"It is a new age," shortstop Addison Russell said. "We have this young core. We have a chance to not only do something great this year but do something great with years to come. With the camaraderie on the team, we can only get stronger."

Even if it means Schwarber coming off the bench for the next three games.

"Who knows if he gets a big pinch hit?" second baseman Javier Baez said. "Why not?"

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Chicago Tribune Kyle Schwarber 'living the dream' and fulfilling one for 10-year-old fan By David Haugh

At a loss to explain the inexplicable, Cubs slugger Kyle Schwarber shows no interest in analyzing how he became the baseball story of the postseason, a budding Chicago sports folk hero who looks like so many guys playing 16- inch slow-pitch softball at Grant Park.

Schwarber wants no part of the Legend of the Fall label, insists on putting team goals ahead of any individual glory and even scoffed when asked if going from the Arizona Fall League to the World Series in 24 hours took a mental toll.

"Hey, man, I'm living the dream,'' Schwarber said with a smile after Game 2.

Just as significantly, Schwarber quietly has been helping fulfill the dream of a sick 10-year-old boy in the Phoenix area.

Campbell Faulkner suffers from a rare form of mitochondrial disease, and the rubber green bracelet he gave Schwarber in March 2015 came up during Wednesday night's postgame news conference. A reporter who noticed how the green wristband Schwarber still wears on his left wrist as a tribute "stands out" on television wondered about its significance.

Suddenly, Schwarber no longer was grasping to find the right words. By Schwarber standards, he gushed. He explained how they met at his first spring training, hit it off because of Faulkner's positive attitude and kept in touch through email and visits enough that he saw his young friend last weekend during his two-game rehab stint with the .

Suffice to say you won't have to worry about Schwarber needing perspective to deal with the disappointment of not being medically cleared to play the outfield in the World Series games at Wrigley Field. It came as no surprise to anybody who knows Schwarber that he accepted the doctor's decision Thursday, the mature response from a guy with the awareness and sensitivity to find inspiration from a 10-year-old fan he met signing an autograph.

"He always has a big smile on his face that draws attention to him and is living life to the fullest even though he has something to overcome,'' Schwarber said of Campbell. "He's a smart kid, man. He has an IQ of like a college kid for being so young. … That's a person you want to look up to right there.''

When Carrie Faulkner, Campbell's mother, saw a videotape Thursday morning of Schwarber's comments, she gasped. Then she fought back tears. Campbell watched the first two World Series games at home in Queen Creek, just outside Phoenix, with his parents, Carrie and Shane, who bought Chicago-style hot dogs and Cracker Jack for the occasion at his request.

"When Campbell saw Kyle wearing that green band on TV during the World Series, it was … so powerful,'' Carrie said in a phone interview, pointing out green is the color of mitochondrial disease awareness.

She paused as her voice became choked with emotion.

"Kyle took part of my son to the World Series with him,'' Carrie said. "It's absolutely precious what Kyle has given Campbell and the way his involvement has impacted his life so positively.''

Campbell's life poses more challenges than most fourth-grader's. He struggles to maintain a healthy weight, so standing and walking for extended lengths of time weakens him. The life-threatening disease, an inherited chronic illness with no known cure that causes debilitating physical, developmental and cognitive disabilities, requires Campbell to rely upon two feeding tubes in his stomach.

The Faulkners, who have two sons and a daughter besides Campbell, say prayers and cling to hope. They find strength in Schwarber, who made a mad dash across the dugout last weekend at in Mesa when he saw Campbell arrive without the wheelchair and oxygen tank that usually accompany him.

"Kyle rushed over to give Campbell a high-five and a hug and Campbell gave him a couple of new green bands,'' Carrie said. "He was excited. What a great day.''

On the not-so-great days, Campbell finds comfort with one of his prized possessions courtesy of his favorite Cub. Schwarber asked Dinger Bats, his bat supplier out of downstate Ridgway, to manufacture a personalized bat for Campbell.

"Sometimes when things are bad around here, he sleeps with that bat Kyle gave him,'' Carrie said. "As far as we're concerned, under that Cubs uniform is a superhero named Kyle Schwarber.''

Funny, almost everybody in baseball was saying something similar this week after Schwarber looked nothing like a hitter seeing his first live major-league fastball in 201 days. Schwarber went 3-for-7 with two walks in Games 1 and 2 but even more impressively has seen 40 pitches in nine plate appearances, displaying discipline surpassed only by his intensity. Everything Schwarber does since returning demonstrates a flair for drama, from connecting on a 3- 0 pitch for an RBI to celebrating wildly on first base as he shouted back at the Cubs dugout.

So many players have had their careers defined by what they do on this stage, in October, at the World Series. . . . David Freese. You can come up with dozens of other deserving names — and now Kyle Schwarber's.

"I'm just going through the mental Rolodex right now and I don't think I've seen that,'' Cubs manager Joe Maddon said.

Can you offer any explanation, Terry Francona?

"Special players can do special things,'' the Indians manager said.

How refreshing when special players do things that reveal them as special people too.

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Chicago Tribune Game 3 starter Kyle Hendricks keeps emotions in check, even on biggest stage By Paul Skrbina

Coffee isn't Kyle Hendricks' cup of tea. The right-hander's nerves don't call for it.

But if they did, Cubs manager Joe Maddon is positive his World Series Game 3 starter would take his time drinking it. Patience in the moment has been essential to Hendricks' success this year.

The Dartmouth-educated 26-year-old led the big leagues with a 2.13 ERA, not by virtue of a 95 mph fastball but by outwitting hitters at his pace.

That dominance has spilled into the postseason. In three starts, Hendricks is 2-1 with a 1.65 ERA. He has struck out 11 and walked four in 16 1/3 innings, and opponents have hit .164 against him.

"I've never seen him rush through anything," Maddon said Thursday. "I'm sure he takes his time brushing his teeth. I would imagine his cup of coffee takes two hours to drink."

Maddon may not be hip to Hendricks' beverage preferences — "I don't drink coffee, which probably doesn't come as a shock," Hendricks said with a laugh — but he knows slow and steady usually wins the game when Hendricks is pitching.

He will be on the mound Friday against the Indians in the first World Series game at Wrigley Field in 71 years.

The circumstances don't seem to matter. Hendricks allowed the Dodgers two hits and walked none in 7 1/3 innings of the deciding Game 6 in the National League Championship Series.

The elevated stage Friday night will do little to change that, according to Cubs left-hander Jon Lester, who isn't shy about showing his feelings — good and bad — on the field from time to time.

"I'm in awe of what he's able to do as far as controlling his emotions," Lester said. "He may be going a mile a minute inside that head of his, but you never know. As a guy that pitches with emotion, it's impressive to watch. You don't know if he's up five or down five."

Much like a duck, Hendricks is calm and collected on the surface, but his mind paddles inconspicuously beneath it. He said he learned that through experience.

"You get the anxiety and nervousness before you get out there," Hendricks said. "Once you're on the mound, it kind of goes away and you're in the element.

"You'll have stray thoughts for sure. The key for me is when you're on the mound, that's the time you have to be locked in and have simple thoughts."

The man who takes the mound to Aerosmith's "Sweet Emotion," shows none between the lines. Instead, he relies on command and fastball location to make batters hit the ball where he wants them to. He was 12th in the majors with 237 groundouts and 21st with a 48.4 groundout percentage.

Batters who reached against him rarely scored. His 81.5 left-on-base percentage and .250 batting average on balls in play ranked fourth.

"Does Kyle talk?" Lester said. "No."

So far this season, he hasn't needed to. His pitching has spoken for itself.

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Chicago Tribune Mike Napoli ready for Indians' party to hit Wrigley Field By Colleen Kane

Indians manager Terry Francona stated for the record Wednesday that he never, in fact, has been to a party at Mike Napoli's place.

"Uh-uh," he said. "I don't want to get injured."

Perhaps that might change if the party comes at the end of the Indians' World Series clash with the Cubs over the next week.

Francona was referencing the "Party at Napoli's" T-shirts that could be spotted all over downtown Cleveland and at Progressive Field for Games 1 and 2 of the World Series. They're a charitable venture started by the Indians and their veteran first baseman after a fan made a sign and shirt with the slogan, referencing Napoli's night of celebration after the Red Sox won the .

They're fitting because Napoli can look back on a long list of playoff parties after appearing in the postseason in eight of the last 10 seasons. This is the third World Series for the 34-year-old, his first in 2011 with the Rangers. He also has played in four championship series.

In his first season in Cleveland, the 11-year major leaguer has helped to lead yet another team to postseason shenanigans, and it's not necessarily a coincidence. Francona said Napoli's veteran impact goes beyond his numbers, which included a .239 batting average, 34 homers and 101 RBIs this season.

"The numbers are really good, but all of the other things aren't overstated," Francona said. "I mean, what he's done is legit, and it's powerful. Sometimes you just get lucky along the way where you get pretty special people and you try to take advantage of it."

After the Cubs evened the series at 1-1 with a 5-1 victory on a frigid night in Cleveland on Wednesday, Napoli and the Indians will try to use the vibe from the party at Wrigley Field to their advantage.

Napoli said before the Series started he was hoping to play the Cubs, not only because he liked the idea of meeting up with former teammates like Jon Lester and David Ross.

"I wanted to play against the Cubs because I knew the atmosphere would be unbelievable," Napoli said. "Early in my career I got to come here, and it's just so much history. … Tomorrow's going to be unbelievable. I watched when they clinched to go to the World Series and how crazy it was and seeing the fans in the streets where they had to have police escorts. It's going to be fun."

The Indians appeared loose before the team's workout in Chicago on Thursday evening.

Napoli stood in the back of starting pitcher Josh Tomlin's media session and called for the microphone to ask a question.

"Josh, who is better at Cribbage, you or Mike Napoli?" he said, getting a laugh out of Tomlin.

Francona talked about the Indians' "pretty cool" flight to Chicago.

"Our attitude (Wednesday) night was tremendous," Francona said. "We had a bigger plane. I wanted the guy just to fly around for a while."

The Indians say they knew they weren't going to breeze past the Cubs anyway, so that makes bouncing back from the loss easier.

"We knew coming into this we weren't just going to steamroll the Cubs," Napoli said. "We have a lot of respect for them. They're a great ballclub. They won over 100 games, so we knew it was going to be a tough series."

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Chicago Tribune Chris Bosio's advice to Mike Montgomery paid off at right time By Mark Gonzales

After the Mariners traded Mike Montgomery to the Cubs on July 20, the left-handed reliever heeded some advice from pitching coach Chris Bosio that was instrumental in the victory Wednesday night over the Indians in Game 2 of the World Series.

"(Bosio) really emphasized throwing my curve a lot more and my sinker down and away," Montgomery said. "Those are my go-to pitches and (I) have used that as the base of my pitching."

Montgomery fanned four in only two innings Wednesday night, including a two-out strikeout of Carlos Santana on a curveball with two runners on base to preserve the Cubs' 5-1 lead in the seventh.

At the start of the season, Montgomery said he was getting acclimated to a new coaching staff with the Mariners and stuck with the advice he received. Though he pitched well for them, he didn't use his curve as much.

"It's just one of those instances," Montgomery said in a diplomatic tone.

Cubs vs. World: The Cubs' lengthy postseason could influence the decisions of players invited to play in the World Baseball Classic next spring.

Joe Torre, 's chief baseball officer, already has contacted some players to gauge their interest. Spring training starts at least one week earlier when the WBC is held, and often players are torn whether to play for their countries or commit exclusively to their teams.

First baseman Anthony Rizzo, who played for Italy in 2013, said in June that he could be torn if asked to play in the WBC because of the Cubs' World Series goals.

Jim Leyland, who will manage Team USA, marveled over the talent from the participating countries but insisted he wouldn't try to sway uncommitted players.

"We don't get involved in that," Leyland said. "We want everyone to feel comfortable with whatever their decision is and take it from there. Whoever we get who commits to us will be great."

Solid gold: Shortstop Addison Russell was delighted to learn he was one of four Cubs selected as a finalist for a National League Gold Glove Award.

"I take a lot of pride in it," Russell said. "I work at fielding ground balls more often than I do practicing hitting. It's something that comes natural to me."

The other Cubs finalists were Rizzo, right fielder Jason Heyward and pitcher Jake Arrieta. Right fielder Adam Eaton of the White Sox also was named a finalist in the American League.

Winners will be announced Nov. 8.

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Chicago Tribune Kyle Schwarber not cleared to play outfield; can pinch hit during Games 3-5 of World Series By Mark Gonzales

The Cubs’ hopes of expanding slugger Kyle Schwarber’s role to the outfield for Games 3, 4 and 5 of the World Series suffered a setback Thursday that essentially served in his best interests.

Schwarber, who went 3-for-7 with two walks as the designated hitter in Games 1 and 2 of the World Series, didn’t receive medical clearance from doctors Stephen Gryzlo and Daniel Cooper to play left field after undergoing major surgery six months ago to repair two torn ligaments in his left knee.

“This is not disappointing at all,” said Schwarber, who was supposed to be out until spring training but got medical clearance about 10 days ago to run and hit. “It was a long shot at the most. Obviously I want to be out there for my teammates. It’s the competitor inside me. But facts are facts. I just can’t physically do it. I’ll be ready during the game to pinch-hit.”

Schwarber stood in the outfield during Thursday’s workout at Wrigley Field, but it was evident that he wasn’t going to chase any flies in his direction. Nor did Schwarber work on his defense after being cleared.

“It was part of the plan,” said Schwarber, who injured his knee April 7 and was operated on by Cooper two weeks later. “Just the what if? I wanted to give it a shot. You got to respect the opinion of the doctor. He has the best interests for me.”

President Theo Epstein was disappointed that Schwarber, who hit five home runs in the 2015 postseason, wasn’t cleared to play the outfield but respected the doctors’ decision after telephone conversations prior to Thursday’s workout.

“Medically, the doctors were very convicted there was too much risk in playing the outfield because of the dynamic actions involved, the instantaneous reactions , the need to cut in the outfield, the dynamic athletic moments that are unanticipated in the outfield,” Epstein said.

“There was too much risk associated with playing the field at this time, and we have to look out for Kyle’s best interests.”

Epstein reiterated that he has faith in the Cubs’ other outfielders, stressing they won 103 games despite missing Schwarber for nearly all of the regular season.

“We’re all disappointed but excited about his opportunity to impact the game as a pinch-hitter in a big way and the confidence in the 24 other guys,” said Epstein, added that Schwarber initially pushed back and had a lot of questions for the doctors but eventually understood the decision.

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Chicago Tribune Singer had 'horrendous cold' before Game 6's winning anthem By Phil Thompson

The last time John Vincent sang the national anthem at Wrigley Field, the Cubs won the National League pennant for the first time in 71 years. Just saying.

Little did fans know then that he performed "The Star-Spangled Banner" despite coming down with a nasty bug a few days before Game 6. An ear, nose and throat doctor inserted a tube with a camera into his nasal passage and found swelling in his throat.

"I had a horrendous cold on Saturday when I sang," Vincent told Inc. on Thursday, still coughing over the phone. "I was in the steam room, I was drinking hot tea all day, I was doing everything, taking a hot shower, taking vitamin C, gargling with salt water — everything. My voice just started getting a little better today.

"When I wasn't a singer, I never cared. … Oh, I lost my voice, no big deal," the 44-year-old Lincoln Park resident said. "Now when that happens, you freak out." On game day he just powered through it, still managing to pull off the signature technique where he holds the last note on "land of the free" for an extended period (Cubs TV analyst Jim Deshaies timed him at 21.1 seconds).

Vincent, a regular performer at Mike Ditka's downtown restaurant, said his voice is stronger now, and as a Cubs fan he'd love to do the honors for Game 3 at Wrigley Field on Friday, or any game during the weekend homestand, though those opportunities usually go to national pop and country artists.

"It would be an extreme honor. I would be extremely excited, honored, surreal and very nervous. I get very nervous," Vincent laughed, "that would be the main feeling. Just thinking about it, if it happens, my palms start sweating."

Vincent, who grew up John Vincent Pierorazio in the Garfield Ridge neighborhood, had never planned to be a singer. He played offensive tackle for the Duesseldorf Panther football team in Germany in 1995 then returned to Elmhurst College to graduate in 1996, and got a job recruiting accounting and finance professionals. But he could always do a mean Frank Sinatra, and with encouragement from relatives and co-workers he started picking up restaurant gigs in January 2001. A manager from the Ditka's restaurant chain caught wind of his style and asked him to audition. "I sang 'New York, New York' for Mrs. Ditka a cappella; she goes, 'Hire him.'"

Now he has a lifetime contract with Ditka's, performing American pop standards Wednesdays through Saturdays in the vocal styles of Sinatra, Ray Charles, Michael Buble, Louis Armstrong and Dean Martin, as well as singers of other genres, such as Elvis Presley and Kenny Rogers.

Ditka formed Ditka Records in 2006 just so Vincent could put out his first and only album, "Eleven." "It didn't go big at all," Vincent said. "I think some people used my CDs to keep a table from being wobbly."

Vincent has made a living, however, from private events and live venues such as Ditka's, Las Vegas casinos and the House of Blues, where he headlines "Sinatra Sunday" on Nov. 6. The Packers fan (yeah, he gets plenty of grief for it) has sung the anthem at a game at Lambeau Field in each of the last four years. He's also friends with fellow anthem singers and .

"When I hear those guys, that really fires me up. When Chicago thinks of anthem singers, it has to be Jim and Wayne," Vincent said. "Those are the guys. They're the best."

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Chicago Sun-Times Going to the game? What Cubs World Series fans need to know By Fran Spielman, Andy Grimm, Mitch Dudek and Jacob Wittich

Even if you live there, forget about parking on the streets near Wrigley Field this weekend.

Because of the extraordinary security measures tied to the Cubs’ first World Series appearance in 71 years, even neighborhood residents who’ve paid for residential permit-parking stickers will be required to move their cars off the streets surrounding the ballpark for the entire weekend.

“They’re gonna have to move them out, [or] they’ll be towed,” Ald. Tom Tunney (44th) said Thursday. “If they do not have their own garage, they’re gonna have to take it basically out a mile away, out of the neighborhood.”

From noon Friday until 4 a.m. Monday, there will be no parking on the following streets:

• Clark from School/Aldine to Irving Park.

• Sheffield from Roscoe to Irving Park.

• Addison from Halsted to Southport on both sides of the street and from Southport to Ashland on the north side of the street only.

• Racine from Roscoe to Clark.

• Patterson, Waveland, Eddy, Cornelia and Newport from Racine to Clark.

• Clifton, Kenmore and Seminary between Grace and Waveland.

• Grace and Waveland from Clark to Wilton.

• Inner Lake Shore Drive on the east side of the street between Belmont and Addison.

• Waveland on the south side of the street between Fremont and Halsted from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday.

Tunney’s advice for how those who, because of the “extreme parking measures,” have to park a mile away are supposed to get home? “Uh, public transit, walk, Uber.”

School and other city-owned parking lots aren’t an option, according to the alderman, because, “In our neighborhood, the school lots are being used for Cubs parking.”

The last time Chicagoans faced such a broad order to move their cars off the streets was during the Blizzard of 1979, when Mayor Michael Bilandic demanded that people move their cars to city-designated lots so snow plows could get through — and the city failed to remove the mountains of snow from those lots. City Hall’s response to the blizzard tanked Bilandic’s chances of being reelected.

Getting there

• The CTA will run more Red Line L trains Friday, Saturday and Sunday to accommodate World Series crowds. Also, it will run Yellow Line / Skokie Swift trains until 2 a.m. and is adding buses on the No. 80 Irving Park and No. 152 Addison lines for the three Cubs home games.

• Divvy is offering “valet service” outside the ballpark at Sheffield and Addison, where riders who grabbed one of the blue bikes at stations around the city can hand off their bikes to Divvy employees from 4:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.

• There are two designated spots where Uber passengers will be picked up and dropped off: north of Wrigley Field on Irving Park between Seminary and Clark and south of the ballpark on Clark south of Belmont. Halloween normally is Uber’s second-busiest weekend, behind only New Year’s Eve, according to spokeswoman Molly Spaeth, who recommends that riders check pricing before agreeing to a ride because higher demand for the World Series will mean higher prices. She also urges people to match the license plate of the car they’re about to get into with the plate that pops up on the app.

Be patient sending photos, video

Sharing photos and video from a cell phone at Wrigley Field could be difficult this weekend.

“It really depends on how many people are trying to send at any given time,” Verizon spokesman Steve Van Dinter says “If it’s the end of the game and there’s a home run and everyone is taking photos and video and trying to send, you can expect they might not go through right away.

“That many people texting and Snapchatting and Facebooking, you will see reduced data speeds. But give it a little time, they’ll get there.”

Making calls and sending texts that don’t contain photos or videos hasn’t been a problem, according to Van Dinter and AT&T spokesman Phil Hayes.

Both companies have taken extra steps to increase the coverage in and around Wrigley Field this postseason, including parking trucks near the ballpark to serve as mobile cell towers.

Ticket prices have soared

As of Thursday, tickets for the games at Wrigley Field have sold on StubHub.com for an average of $3,000 for Game 3, $3,700 for Game 4 and $3,550 for Game 5. The online ticket reseller says the median sale prices for Game 1 and 2 in Cleveland were $1,000 and $995 — among the highest ever for World Series games.

The average asking prices, according to StubHub rival SeatGeek.com, for Game 3 seats is $3,588, $4,446 for Game 4 and $4,423 for Game 5.

Both say prices might drop as we get closer to game time.

SeatGeek spokesman Nate Rattner points out that prices dropped for games at Wrigley Field after the Cubs’ dismal 6-0 showing in Game 1.

For those willing to head to Cleveland if the series doesn’t wrap up Sunday, tickets for Games 6 and 7 are selling for around $1,500.

Bars jacking up prices

Don’t be surprised to find cover charges at some Wrigleyville bars topping $100 this weekend — with some of them charging an even heftier premium for a table.

Any chance of seeing a 1945 Cub at a game?

No. The last of the 1945 World Series-losing team — shortstop — died last year, according to team spokesman Julian Green.

How ’bout getting a player’s autograph?

“During the regular season, this has occurred when time permits during warm-ups and BP,” Green says, but he adds that it’s “not likely during WS.”

Are there really people up there in the scoreboard?

Yes, including Fred Washington, 66, who came to work for the team in 1984, has been part of the crew operating the vintage scoreboard since 1990 and will retire after the series.

Can you get some Wrigley Field sod after the World Series?

Probably, though no details yet on when. The Cubs dump 18-inch squares of infield and outfield turf after most seasons and leave it in a parking lot on Waveland Avenue for fans to scoop up on a first-come, first-served basis. Last year, it was all gone within three hours. Green says the team “very likely” will put out the sod again after the World Series.

Best-selling jerseys

Three of the top 10 jerseys sold this season were Cubs, according to Major League Baseball. Kris Bryant ranked No. 2, behind only retiring Red Sox star . First baseman Anthony Rizzo was No. 4, and Jake Arrieta was No. 7. No other club had more than one player in the top 10.

‘Go Cubs Go’

The song — written by the late Chicago folk singer Steve Goodman, recorded in 1984 and played at Wrigley Field after every Cubs victory — is seeing a surge in popularity at the jukebox, according to TouchTunes, maker of the electronic jukeboxes found in taverns and bars across the United States. The song has been played 28,751 times on jukeboxes so far this year, according to TouchTunes — more than double the total for all of 2015.

Last Saturday, the night the Cubs beat the Los Angeles Dodgers to get to the World Series, ”Go Cubs Go” was played on TouchTunes machines 1,494 times, the company says.

‘CUBS WIN’

The state has issued 1,719 vanity license plates that include the letters C-U-B or C-U-B-S, according to Elizabeth Kaufman, spokeswoman for the secretary of state’s office.

Also, Kaufman says Cubs fans have purchased 6,733 Cubs team license plates. That’s the second-fewest among the five Chicago professional teams for which the state issues special license plates and only about half the number of White Sox plates that have been issued. This probably will change over the next few months.

Does Eddie Vedder ever sit down at games?

“I have never seen him sit down for a game,” Green says of the Pearl Jam singer and devoted fan who’s been one of the frequent celebrity presences at Cubs games.

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Chicago Sun-Times Will Cubs win World Series at Wrigley? Press ‘play’ and find out By Steve Greenberg

Nearly two years ago, the Chicago Cubs won the World Series.

No, really, it happened right there in front of Jon Lester’s face. On a television screen, or maybe it was a laptop. Lester, then a , watched a video created for him by team president Theo Epstein and his staff in which the Cubs won the mother of all championships at Wrigley Field with the strapping lefty on the hill.

Ah, the magic of post-production.

Lester inked a six-year, $155 million deal after being taken on that fanciful ride. But now the whole scenario could be about to — just imagine it, in all its nuttiness — play out in real life.

“It could,” Lester said Thursday, one day before Game 3 of the World Series against the Indians. “Especially with this organization, with the history and the past, I think that’s their big selling point.”

Who wouldn’t love to be the guy to finally get the Cubs over the top in October?

For the Lester recruiting video to come true, the Cubs have to win the series in five games. That means winning four straight over the Indians after dropping Tuesday’s opener in Cleveland. The Cubs, who are tied at 1-1 in the series, will have No. 34 on the mound in Sunday’s Game 5.

“That’s why (I) came here, you know?” Lester said. “This is it, right here, this moment.”

Do the Cubs believe they can win all three weekend games at Wrigley and end the suspense right then and there? Indeed, they do. This is a team that won a franchise-record 57 games at home during the regular season. Of course they believe it.

Kyle Hendricks — unhittable at home — is pitching in Game 3 and opposing some guy Mike Timlin. Sorry, Mike Tomlin. Sorry again, Josh Tomlin.

Then comes Indians ace Corey Kluber in Game 4 — ask Clayton Kershaw how difficult it is to pitch on short rest at Wrigley. And raise your hand if you think the Indians’ Game 2 loser, Trevor Bauer, is capable of beating Lester and the Cubs in an elimination game.

Didn’t think so.

Look, we’re just saying there might not be any particular need to go back to Cleveland.

“It would be huge,” shortstop Addison Russell said. “I think it would definitely give people a lot to think about going into next year. If we finish up here, that would be awesome.”

Then again, the Indians — who themselves have been pretty awesome all year and especially in the playoffs — can hardly conceive of such a dark turn of events.

“Can I imagine (losing four straight)? No,” shortstop Francisco Lindor said.

And why is that?

“Because I don’t want to imagine it. With the guys we have, I’m sure we can bounce back. We’ve done it all season long. It’ll be a fun ride. The games will be really good games because they’ve got a good team, good fans, but we’ve got a good team too.”

And there’s another thing. Seriously, it’s a big one. Guess how many times the Indians have lost four consecutive games since Opening Day?

Answer: zero.

“On paper, no one talked about us getting here,” said veteran slugger Mike Napoli. “People didn’t think we’d get past Boston (in the divisional round). People didn’t think we’d get past Toronto (in the ALCS). We flat-out beat them.

“We haven’t lost four in a row all year. We’re able to bounce back. We’ve got a great club. We know that.”

But the Indians know not what they haven’t seen. Or something like that. Just ask the Cubs and Lester. The video evidence is powerful.

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Chicago Sun-Times Willson Contreras has earned Joe Maddon’s trust By Toni Ginnetti

Veteran catcher David Ross will take in all that he can about baseball, Wrigley Field and a World Series ending his career in these last three days.

And at the same time he will pass the torch to a rookie catcher who has catapulted to maturity in all of three months – Willson Contreras.

“Willson is great,’’ Ross said of Contreras, 24, and one of the cornerstone 20-somethings leading the Cubs. “He’s proven to everybody what kind of player he is and what kind of ability he has.

“His at bats are special and he has such energy, and he has a cannon for an arm. And his calling-of-game skills have continued to get better. He’s proven he can handle the load.’’

Manager Joe Maddon is placing the load on Contreras for the rest of the series, except for games Jon Lester might yet pitch with Ross as his battery mate.

“You saw it [Wednesday night],’’ Maddon said of Contreras, who is hitting .360 in the post season (12-for-25) with a home run and four RBI. “He didn’t have his hits, but he still worked good at-bats and did a great job of receiving.’’

The defensive part is a key for Maddon and the Cubs, and even though Contreras has had two interference calls against him, it hasn’t restrained his approach.

“I heard there was some concern about his trips to the mound [Wednesday],’’ Maddon said. “But they were absolutely necessary.

“It’s about strategy. Sometimes pitchers get off course, and he’s really good at following a game plan, so I loved his trips to the mound,’’ Maddon said. “I didn’t like them—I loved them.’’

Contreras guided Jake Arrieta through 5 2/3 innings of two-hit ball and Mike Montgomery (two innings) and Aroldis Chapman (1 1/3 innings) the rest of the way.

He has done it in 11 other post-season games so far, either as a starter or entering as a defensive replacement or pinch hitter.

And he has done it after a world wind rookie season, debuting June 17 and going on to hit .282 with 12 homers and 35 RBI.

“He’s a first year player who gets it,’’ Maddon said. “He plays with enthusiasm and passion. I know it actually comes through the TV monitors or screens, too. I’m certain of that.’’

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Chicago Sun-Times Indians’ Josh Tomlin excited for Game 3 start By Toni Ginnetti

All the emotions that will electrify Wrigley Field Friday won’t just be in the stands among Cubs fans.

They will be stirring for Cleveland Indians starter Josh Tomlin, who will have his father Jerry with him for the first time since emergency surgery for a rare spinal cord condition hospitalized the elder Tomlin in August.

Jerry Tomlin was paralyzed from the chest down with a rare malady causing blood vessels to tangle in the spinal cord. Josh took an emergency leave to be with his father in the Tyler, Texas hospital where he was operated on and confined.

They haven’t seen each other since, with Jerry watching Josh pitch in two post-season games from his hospital room.

But he was cleared Wednesday to travel, with Chicago the destination.

“It means a lot,’’ Josh Tomlin said. “It wasn’t looking like he was going to get to come to a game at all. But the fact we get to experience the World Series together is pretty neat.

“It will be good to get to see him and have dinner with him [Thursday] and then get to work tomorrow,’’ he added.

Tomlin and manager Terry Francona know they will have their work cut out for them in what will be an historic night.

“I think it will be a tremendous atmosphere, and I thought the one in Cleveland was too,’’ Francona said. “I think it’s good for baseball. I don’t think there’s going to be a ton of people cheering for us. But then, that’s where the feeling of the clubhouse comes in.’’

An “us against the world’’ view is how Francona sees it, and in Tomlin, he will have a pitcher not unlike the Cubs’ Kyle Hendricks leading his team.

Tomlin, 32, was 13-9 with a 4.40 ERA in the regular season, his stats skewed by a 0-5 month of August when he couldn’t command his curveball.

He is 2-0 with a 2.53 ERA in 10 2/3 innings of post-season work.

“You talk about his demeanor, attitude or whatever,’’ Francona said. “I just think he’s built to pitch good all the time. I think when you get challenged, like [Friday] is going to be an incredible atmosphere, it feels good to send him to the mound.

“He’s going to compete, and he makes the opposing team beat him. He doesn’t walk people. You can’t run on him.

“Sometimes the opposing team beats him, but he’s not going to beat himself.’’

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Chicago Sun-Times Rizzo heating up for Cubs as World Series shifts to Wrigley Field By Gordon Wittenmyer

As the World Series shifts to Wrigley Field deadlocked at one game apiece, keep an eye on Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo, who has suddenly become one of the Cubs’ hottest hitters in the postseason after a 2-for-28 start.

Why?

“Usually I always say, `It’s baseball,’ “ he said. “But I’m going to go out on a limb here and say it’s the bat. Szczur’s bat. It’s just got me feeling good. And I just want to stay there.”

Teammate Matt Szczur laughed when told of Rizzo’s comment after he’d reached base three times in the Cubs’ Game 2 win, including an RBI double in the first.

But he doesn’t laugh at the power of comfort and confidence in baseball, even if the source is the bat a teammate borrows with no intention of returning after going 8-for-19 with two homers and three doubles in less than five games.

“I’m sure if it breaks, he’s going to ask for another one,” Szczur said. “But he won’t have to ask. I’ll put one there for him. … But I’m sure he could use a broomstick up there and be fine.”

Glove affairs

Rizzo also was among four Cubs named finalists for National League Gold Glove Awards, it was announced Thursday.

The three others: shortstop Addison Russell, right-fielder Jason Heyward and pitcher Jake Arrieta.

“It makes my day a little bit better,” Russell said, smiling, after hearing the news Thursday. “I take a lot of pride in [fielding]. It’s the part of my game where I’m most consistent. I work at fielding ground balls more than [batting practice].”

Three finalists were announced for each position in each league. Winners will be announced Nov. 8.

Montgomery wards off butterflies

Mike Montgomery had pitched in the two previous playoff series for the Cubs. But this was the World Series.

“I’m not going to lie and say it isn’t different — it is,” said Montgomery, after two scoreless innings of relief served helped beat the Indians in Game 2. “I tried to remind myself that it’s about the same as any postseason game but the first time you go through it there’s always going to be more adrenaline.”

And too much adrenaline can be a bad thing for a pitcher. Overthrowing never works.

“My adrenaline was going after the first hitter,” the left-hander said. “I really had to slow things down, tell myself it was just another game – my first time getting out there in the World Series.”

Montgomery, who’s in his first full season in the majors, is in the mix for a job in the starting rotation next spring. The World Series experience won’t hurt.

“Sometimes when you feel good as I did, the adrenaline is flowing too much, and it can be a challenge to throw the ball where you want,” he said. “But I feel like I did well with that. This is good for me going forward.”

Home cooking

After producing the best regular-season home record in Wrigley Field history (57-24), the Cubs have won four of five postseason home games this month.

The lone loss: 1-0 to Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers in Game 2 of the National League Championship Series. They outscored the Giants and Dodgers 19-6 in the four other home games combined.

Daryl Van Schouwen contributed to this report.

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Chicago Sun-Times Sneed: Cubs have 108-year-old lifetime fan running on adrenaline By Michael Sneed

Are there angels in the outfield?

Pull up a bleacher.

Hazel Rueckhardt Nilson, 108, who was born in Chicago 54 days before the Cubs won the World Series in 1908, hopes so.

A die-hard Cubs fan who often quips, “The angels that came for me must have gotten lost,” is now counting on angels navigating her beloved Cubbies to a championship.

“I couldn’t sleep at all last night,” said Hazel, who now lives in an assisted-living facility in New Hampshire. “My adrenaline was really running after that game Wednesday night.

“You tell the Cubs there’s a bunch of old people rooting for them here at the home, cheering for them.

“I went to my first Cubs game alone and walked over to Wrigley Field because we lived nearby,” said Hazel, who grew up above her father’s bakery shop.

“I had to watch them all the time.

“Then I married a guy from the South Side and he was a big Sox fan!”

Hazel, who graduated from Lake View High School, met her husband, Herbert, at Indiana University — and eventually became a teacher. During the depression years, they followed jobs to New York.

In 1928, they bought a used Ford for $28 and drove to Chicago to see a Cubs game, her husband’s first.

“That’s when Herbert became a Cubs fan!”

Hazel, who is nicknamed “dynamite” by her friends, claims her favorite players were and . “I also was a fan of Lou Boudreau [a former Cleveland Indians shortstop who became a Cubs radio announcer.]”

Ernie Banks?

“You couldn’t help but to love him,” she added.

“Those were the days.

“Right now, I’d have to say my favorite player on the team is [Anthony] Rizzo.

“I have been a fan of the Cubs, win or lose, my whole life. For years and years. I am 108 years old, ya know. When I thought they were going to win years ago, it broke my heart.

“When that fan [Steve Bartman] grabbed the ball, it was a heartbreaking moment for me. I never forgot about that.

“The Cubs are so lovable. They’re always in my memories. I can see the whole team and what they do still. They [Cubs] make you feel like you know them personally. Like you are part of the team, you know them and they know you. Over all these years and teams.”

Then Hazel added: “I would love to be at the field to see them play in the World Series. They have been my number one team for all these years, win or lose.

“I love them all. And I haven’t forgotten any of these players.”

Amen.

Geez, Frank!

Sneed is told Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s office reached out to Cleveland Mayor Frank G. Jackson’s office over the weekend to place a friendly wager on the World Series, only to find out he has a strict policy against them.

“We offered a strong wager, but they declined,” said mayoral spokesman Adam Collins. “Apparently, the mayor there is really superstitious and thinks it’s bad luck for him to wager on sports games. That’s okay, though. The only thing we really want from Cleveland is a trophy anyway.”

The numbers game . . .

Sports impresario Grant DePorter is now a prognosticator.

• Translation: If the number 108 is the Cubs’ magic mojo number — as DePorter predicts — as of Wednesday night’s game, the Cubs had played 105 postseason games in the history of the franchise. And if they win the next three games at Wrigley Field, it would mean that the Cubs will have won the World Series on their 108th postseason game ever played.

Right?

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Chicago Sun-Times A strange dream come true: A World Series game at Wrigley Field By Rick Morrissey

A baseball game inside Wrigley Field as October drains away, the ivy changing colors, the air fragrant with earthiness and subtle decay. What a fantastical idea that is, a nice jumping-off point for a novel. A child looks through one of Wrigley’s gates and falls into Narnia or a secret garden or a .

For the longest time, nobody gave more than a moment’s thought to a World Series game being played in the old ballpark. Too outlandish a notion, too much bad history, too something or other. Too often, the Cubs and other teams weren’t even in the same ballpark competitively.

The last time the franchise played a game this late in the year at Wrigley was never. The latest the Cubs played there was Oct. 21, 2015, when they faced the Mets in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series. So this is where they are now, hacking through the thick vegetation of uncharted territory. They’ll face the Indians in Game 3 of the World Series on Friday night, and the atmosphere figures to be … well, how to describe what the eye has never seen?

There are indeed people who saw the Cubs face the Tigers in the 1945 World Series, the last time the franchise played for the championship. And there are people who saw the Cubs play in some of the other five Fall Classics at Wrigley after the ballpark was built in 1914. But only a tiny percentage of the people walking the earth have seen the Cubs play a World Series game at Wrigley. And never this close to November.

“I know that the people who have been waiting for this for a long time are going to savor it, and hopefully on our part we can do something to really make it even better,’’ Cubs manager Joe Maddon said Thursday.

There’s a feeling of enormity to all of this because the scale is so large. We’re talking about a team playing in its first World Series in 71 years with a chance to win one for the first time in 108 years. No matter how good the Cubs have been this season, we struggle to get our heads around the possibility.

I love that Cubs outfielder Ben Zobrist predicted the atmosphere at Wrigley would be electric Friday night. It wasn’t until 1988 that the old ballpark got lights, which in Cubs years is yesterday. Electric? For too long, the Cubs felt like the Gaslit Gang. If there were any justice in this world, Friday’s game would be played in the daylight. History looks better in sunshine.

Does anyone look more yesteryear than Kyle Schwarber? Squat and thick and blessed with a mighty swing, he looks like he could have been the roommate Babe Ruth kicked out every night on the road. And speaking of wondrous tales, Schwarber’s story is sounding more mythical by the moment. Ohio kid plays 69 regular-season games his rookie year, and by the time the playoffs are done, he owns the Cubs’ record for most home runs in the postseason. This year, fate barges into his knee, tearing two ligaments in his second game of the season. After just two minor-league games, he miraculously returns in time for the World Series, and immediately becomes one of the team’s best hitters because, well, who needs the regular season anyway?

It’s only a matter of time before the kid walks to the plate at the old barn and points to centerfield.

Wrigley Field will eat it up, and Wrigleyville will drink it up. That’s one of the few things I can predict with any degree of certainty heading into the first World Series game at Wrigley in forever. The corner of Clark and Addison figures to be the intersection of crammed and crazy, which, come to think of it, won’t be so different from normal.

“I drive down Clark every day from downtown, and as you get closer, you see all the venues that support all this, and also the people milling around,’’ Maddon said. “Anyplace I’ve been, I haven’t seen that with any ballpark to that level. So its enormity in its entirety, it’s just different, but to have actual living spaces surrounding the ballpark is pretty cool.’’

The neighborhood has that lived-in look, but the ballpark doesn’t have that played-in look, as it relates to the playoffs. That’s about to change in a very big way. It won’t be long before people can finally see what they have dreamed about furtively. They should get comfortable. A strange, remarkable story is about to be told.

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Chicago Sun-Times Schwarbummed: Cubs slugger ruled out for starts in Games 3, 4, 5 By Gordon Wittenmyer

Just when it looked like the legend of Kyle Schwarber was about to upstage the World Series, the kid slugger ran out of phone booths for his Superman act.

Schwarber, who captured the imaginations of fans across the country with an unprecedented return from a season-long injury, was ruled out of the Cubs’ starting lineup for the next three games when his surgeon would not medically clear him Thursday to play in the field.

“Deep down in my heart, I really wanted to, but there’s obviously the doubts of the injury,” said Schwarber, who suffered a devastating knee injury April 7 on an outfield collision. “It was a long shot at the most. I want to be out there for my teammates and everything. It’s just the competitor inside me. But facts are facts. I just can’t physically do it.”

It might not have been a question in the first place if Schwarber hadn’t stolen the show in Games 1 and 2 as the Cubs’ designated hitter – going 3-for-7 with two walks and a pair of RBIs as the Cubs and Indians split the first two games.

Playing big-league games for the first time in 6½ months, Schwarber became the first player in history to get a hit in the World Series after going hitless for the entire regular-season.

That hit: A double off the right-field wall in his second at-bat Tuesday, against former Cy Young winner Corey Kluber, who allowed only three other hits in the game.

“They’re going to make a movie out of him,” teammate Kris Bryant said after Schwarber came back Wednesday with two more hits in the Cubs’ 5-1 win.

Instead, he’ll settle for what’s expected to be a rock-star welcome from the crowd before Friday’s Game 3 – the first World Series game at Wrigley Field since 1945.

“I remember just walking out on the line [for the home opener] when I first got injured and then back for the first playoff game,” Schwarber said of the huge ovationshe received. “It’s going to be awesome. It’s the World Series at Wrigley Field. It’s going to be electric. I’ll definitely soak it in.”

Even before Game 2 in Cleveland, Schwarber’s stunning performance and quality of all his at-bats in the first game inspired repeated media questions about whether he could play in the field when the Series shifted to Wrigley for Games 3, 4 and 5, without the DH rule.

By the time they finished Wednesday’s win, Schwarber and team officials already had started talking about exploring the possibility with doctors once they returned to Chicago.

It was only a week ago Monday that Schwarber got the surprising word from his Dallas-based surgeon during his six-month that his knee was stable enough to clear him to hit and run the bases. He was specifically not cleared to play in the field.

“When we told everyone [all summer] that there was no chance, that wasn’t hiding anything; that wasn’t spin,” Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer said of the word from doctors that Schwarber would not be ready to play games until sometime during winter ball seasons at the earliest. “It’s a testament to him that he’s able to push up his timeline that much and work that hard on his rehab to do it.”

Schwarber took his glove on the field Thursday and after taking batting practice headed into the outfield with coaches Dave Martinez and Mike Borzello.

But he did little more than stand in left field while teammates hit, then left the field through an outfield door.

As big as the national storyline had become – as big as his postseason legend had grown to that point – it turned out that not even Schwarber could pull this one off.

“The doctors were very convinced that there’s just too much risk in playing the outfield,” team president Theo Epstein said, “because of the dynamic actions involved, the instantaneous reactions, the need to cut in the outfield, the dynamic, athletic movements that are unanticipated in the outfield – your instinct in reacting to balls—that just aren’t the case when you’re running the bases.”

If he had been cleared, Schwarber would have started in left field, freeing hot-hitting Ben Zobrist to move to right and help solve the Cubs’ production gap from that spot.

Instead, the kid who set the Cubs’ postseason record as a rookie with five home runs in the playoffs last year, becomes the team’s top pinch-hitting threat for the next three games.

If the Series continues in Games 6 and 7 back in Cleveland, he would be in the lineup again as the DH.

“We have a lot of confidence in other guys, too. We won 103 games,” Epstein said. “And on top of that, we now have Kyle off the bench to take maybe the most important at-bat in the game at a given point.”

Epstein, who pointed out the “complete blowout of his knee” was an injury that was expected to require eight months of recovery and rehab time.

“I think we’re all wrapped up in seeing how well Kyle swung the bat and how it impacted us and the state that we’re on and our desire to win,” Epstein said, “[and with] that there is the possibility of us getting carried away and throwing acution to the wind. That’s why you have to consult the doctors and follow their professional judgment.”

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Chicago Sun-Times Hendricks has skill, mindset for World Series stage By Daryl Van Schouwen

The Cubs are giving the ball to Kyle Hendricks in their pivotal Game 3 of the World Series.

They could not be in better hands.

Granted, Jon Lester is the recognized staff ace with the $155 million contract, the Game 1 pitcher in each postseason series, and Jake Arrieta is the defending Cy Young Award winner who possesses superior stuff to Hendricks’ non-threatening yet wonderfully executed arsenal of pitches.

But it’s Hendricks who led the NL with a 2.13 ERA this season, and it’s Hendricks who has pitched to a 1.65 ERA in three postseason starts. The 26—year-old right-hander’s only postseason loss in was a 1-0 Dodgers win behind Clayton Kershaw in Game 2 of the NLCS, and he answered that by pitching 7 1/3 near-perfect innings against the Kershaw and the Dodgers in the NLCS clincher his next time out.

What’s more, Hendricks was 9-2 with a 1.32 ERA in 15 games (14 starts) at Wrigley Field, where Game 3 – the first Fall Classic spectacle of its kind at the Friendly Confines since 1945 – takes place on Friday night.

“Postseason is different,’’ Lester said. “But it goes back to his ability to control his emotions. You never know what stage he’s on, whether it’s a start in April or Game 3 of the World Series. Or Game 6 the other night, one of the biggest games in the history of the organization to get to this point. The guy goes out and gives up two hits.’’

Hendricks is no longer the smart, crafty Dartmouth pitcher that could. He’s the pitcher who is drawing comparisons to Greg Maddux who can and has.

He’s actually been better than Lester and Arrieta this postseason.

“I’m just going to take advantage of it,’’ Hendricks said Thursday. “I mean, how often do you get these opportunities? You dream of it as a kid. This is what you work all year long for.’’

Lester looks at Hendricks, marvels at his calm and thinks Hendricks might be the least nervous person in the ballpark.

“You don’t know if he’s up five or down five when he’s out there,’’ Lester said. “I’m in awe of him as far as what he’s able to do controlling his emotions. As a guy who pitches with emotion it’s impressive to watch.’’

Hendricks does everything slowly and deliberately, manager Joe Maddon said.

“I’ve never seen him rush through anything. I’m sure he takes time brushing his teeth,’’ Maddon said. “I would imagine his cup of coffee takes two hours to drink.’’

Maddon guessed that Hendricks, who plays a good game of golf, has a slow backswing like Walter Hagen’s. To which Hendricks, standing next in line at the off-day interview podium at Wrigley Field Thursday, confirmed.

For him, it’s about mapping out a game plan for his start and executing it.

“It’s easy to have outside forces coming at you — the crowd — you never know what’s going to be going on in a game,’’ Hendricks said. “If you can stay grounded and stay in that mindset, it’s enjoyable for me to try to find that state, that zone, I would say. You’ve got to have a love for the game, I think, to always be striving towards that. But it’s obviously a fun, fun part of the game for me.’’

Game 3 of the World Series. As a pitcher who has been excellent and is the calmest guy in the room, Hendricks seems the perfect choice to start the biggest event Wrigley Field has staged in most of our lifetimes.

What could be more fun than that?

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Chicago Sun-Times Cubs fan: Broken foot in the service of a World Series worth it By Mitch Dudek

Nell Bochenek was sitting on the couch in her living room in Glen Ellyn on Saturday when she says she predicted it: A double play was about to send the Cubs to the World Series.

She gleefully jumped up from the couch when Javier Baez touched second base for the force-out and threw to first to complete the double play that finished off the Los Angeles Dodgers

And she promptly broke her left foot.

“I just barely lifted off the ground, just a little jump, and landed,” says Bochenek, 38. “And my foot rolled, and I heard a snap.”

“I think I just broke my foot,” she informed her husband, Kevin Bochenek.

He’s a St. Louis Cardinals fan. So maybe his take on what happened shouldn’t be surprising: “No good could ever come from the Cubs making it to the World Series.”

Bochenek could not disagree more. “At least, it was for a good reason,” she says.

Her good mood Thursday was helped by having her mother, Nancy Shields, around to help chase the couple’s 11- month-old son Jack and 2-year-old daughter Nora around the house.

“Luckily, I have an awesome mom,” says Bochenek. “Grandma’s here to save the day.”

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Chicago Sun-Times Wrigleyville residents ordered to move their cars off streets By Fran Spielman

Wrigleyville residents without private garages will be required to move their cars off the streets surrounding Wrigley Field for the entire upcoming weekend because of extraordinary security measures tied to the Cubs’ first World Series appearance in 71 years.

From noon Friday until 4 a.m. Monday, there will be no parking on the following streets:

 Clark from School/Aldine to Irving  Sheffield from Roscoe to Irving Park  Addison from Halsted to Southport on both sides of the street and from Southport to Ashland on the north side of the street only  Racine from Roscoe to Clark  Patterson, Waveland, Eddy, Cornelia and Newport from Racine to Clark  Clifton, Kenmore and Seminary between Grace and Waveland  Grace and Waveland from Clark to Wilton  Inner Lake Shore Drive on the East Side between Belmont and Addison

 Waveland on the South Side of the street between Fremont and Halsted. That parking ban will remain in effect from 7 a.m. to 5 pm. Friday.

Local Ald. Tom Tunney (44th) acknowledged that the extraordinary parking restrictions will be a major inconvenience for local residents and those from the neighboring 46th Ward.

They apply even to those residents who have purchased residential permit parking stickers that would normally give them the right to park on local streets where parking is otherwise restricted.

And just what are those residents supposed to do with their cars?

“They’re gonna have to move them out [or] they’ll be towed. If they do not have their own garage, they’re gonna have to take it basically out a mile away. Out of the neighborhood,” Tunney said.

“This is a century event. … This is police. This is Homeland Security. This is not something that, certainly I would want to wish on my residents. … When you have Homeland Security and public safety, it comes first. We’ve had a set of restrictions up until this weekend that were manageable and safe. But there is a whole different level for this weekend.”

If residents are forced to park their cars a mile away, how are they supposed to get home?

“Uh, public transit, walk, Uber. What I’m trying to tell you is, get the word out. Normally, it’s a 24-hour notice. Well, in our neighborhood, once people get a parking spot, they’re there for the weekend. [They say], ‘I’ll be good,'” Tunney said.

Tunney advised anyone living within three or four blocks of Wrigley who is parking on the street to go out and check the street signs.

Chances are, they are impacted by the “extreme parking measures” that will remain in effect through Monday morning as part of the expanding Wrigley security bubble.

“For the first round, we had a series of parking [restrictions]. But, this has gotten to be much bigger. There’s a potential between my ward and Cappleman’s, there’s like 30 percent of our residential streets are going to be no parking for the whole weekend,” Tunney said.

“We don’t have parking excess. We don’t have any place to park. So we’re gonna be going door-to-door on the buildings. The red-and-white signs are up. But that doesn’t do a heckuva lot of good … If you live around the ballpark, you’ve got to pay attention because these restrictions are first-time ever restrictions.”

Since the city is requiring residents to move their cars off the street, Tunney was asked why the city doesn’t also make available school and other city-owned parking lots as a temporary alternative.

“Well, in our neighborhood, the school lots are being used for Cubs parking,” he said.

“Maybe we can get there. But, we’ve got 24 hours. I want to make sure we get as many” people informed as possible.

The last time in recent memory that residents were ordered to move their cars off the street in such a broad area was during the Blizzard of 1979 that buried then-Mayor Michael Bilandic.

Bilandic demanded that residents move their cars off the streets to city-designated lots so city snow plows could get through. But, the city failed to remove the mountains of snow from those lots.

Newspapers at the time showed photos of the lots under the headline, “Mayor Bilandic Says You Should Park Here.”

As for his “century event” remark, Tunney stressed that it should not be misconstrued.

It was a reference to the Cubs’ past futility — the 108-year wait for a World Series title that stands as the longest drought in the history of professional sports. It was not intended as a future prediction.

“The team is young enough for there to be a nice run for a few years,” he said.

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Daily Herald Imrem: For Chicago Cubs fans, flying the W a winning ritual By Mike Imrem

A digital information sign overhangs the Kennedy Expressway on the way toward Wrigley Field.

Thursday afternoon the message read, "Fly the W but keep your eyes on the road."

The W.

It's everywhere.

A W -- though not THE W -- was on the Wrigley Field turf on this day in the first letter of the "World Series" logo.

Game 3 will be played there Friday night … so how about a loud WoW for that?

Some sports symbols and rituals are good and some stink.

The Steelers' terrible towel is good. The Angels' rally monkey stinks.

The Cubs' blue W on a white flag … good!

Perhaps surprisingly.

Trust me, I'm not a fan of the W flag only because if you turn it upside down it's an M for Mike.

However, while the Cubs own the copyright on W, I am consulting with lawyers to see whether it's possible to copyright M for when I become as wildly successful and popular as they are.

(Stifle those snickers, please.)

Most Cubs fans know that the W for Win and L for Loss began flying on the center-field scoreboard in the late 1930s.

The ritual was instituted to inform passers-by heading home on foot or on the "L" -- for elevated train -- could see whether the Cubs won or lost.

Sounds absurd now with all the newfangled ways that a baseball fan can find out how his or her team fared.

Heck, doesn't it seem that if you hit the correct key on your smartphone it'll tell you the outcome of a game before it starts?

Hit the result button.

"Cubs beat Indians."

Hit the "how" button for details.

"Rizzo blasts 3 homers."

Hit the "schedule" button for when.

"Two hours, 28 minutes, 37 seconds in the future."

Yet, as hard as it is to comprehend today, back in the day one of the fastest ways to learn the outcome of the Cubs game was to check the flags for a W or L.

(By the way, nobody can remember the Cubs flying a T for Tie, R for Rainout or YWBWJCDT for You Wouldn't Believe What Jose Cardenal Did Today!

Don't ask me why the W -- let's call it the CubDub -- is fine with me when, say, Clark the Cubs mascot seems like the waste of fur.

(Actually, I might be on board with the Cubby creature if he, she or it were named W … W the mascot … has a ring to it.)

The W is prominent if you drove east on Irving Park Road and then around the ballpark.

There it was on the walls of the Tapestry Fellowship building across from Independence Park; then on a little square in the lower middle of the back window of the Ford directly up ahead; then hanging high up on lamp posts ….

Wait, there are even red Ws on so many buildings on so many street corners? … Oh, they're on Walgreens stores.

Never mind.

My favorite came last week as I turned from Irving Park onto Clark Street, where a W flag flew on the back of a police motorcycle.

You won't see as many Ws on the South Side, and please don't take that as another barb at the White Sox's won- loss record.

Maybe the W is cool because it's so simple. Just a letter -- just one letter -- the meaning of which just about everyone knows by now.

(By the way, did you see the Indians fan raise an L flag after beating the Cubs in Game 1 at Cleveland?)

The W for Win is so much better than that darn rally monkey … though not nearly as neat as upside down it's an M for Mike.

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Daily Herald Cubs fired up as World Series finally returns to Wrigley Field By Scot Gregor

If the crowd is half as excited as the Chicago Cubs' roster when Game 3 of the World Series moves to Wrigley Field Friday night, keep an eye out for spontaneous combustion.

"Woo," Carl Edwards Jr. said Thursday as an overflow crowd of media flooded the Cubs' clubhouse. "Man, tomorrow. I can't even imagine what that crowd is going to be like."

It's nearly impossible to imagine, considering the Cubs last played a World Series home game in 1945, when they lost to Hall of Famer and the Tigers in the deciding Game 7.

Then again, the Cubs have a fairly good idea what to expect.

"These fans never cease to amaze me," said outfielder Albert Almora. "They've been unbelievable, even in the regular season. The atmosphere we have here is incredible.

"I mean, we played the Dodgers in the NLCS to advance to the World Series and that was insane. I can just imagine that times 20. The energy here is electric to begin with, so imagine how it's going to be in the World Series. I'm super excited to be a part of it."

Getting to the World Series for the first time in 71 years is one thing. Winning the World Series for the first time since 1908 is quite another, and it's the only goal remaining on this season's Cubs' original to-do list.

"This is why you come to Chicago," catcher David Ross said. "If you're a professional athlete that wants to do something special, you go to a city and try to change history. That's what we have an opportunity to do."

The Cubs lost the World Series opener at Cleveland on Tuesday, but they bounced back with an impressive win in Game 2. Not one player has asked what day the championship parade pushes off, but being at Wrigley for three games with a head of steam makes the Cubs a tough team to beat.

"We wanted to get at least one win over there (Cleveland) and bring it back home," second baseman Javy Baez said. "Everybody is excited to be back here in Chicago. It's really crazy. There's already people outside, and last night when we came in, we saw fans and they were jumping around. We've got a good feeling about this."

The last time the Cubs were at home, Saturday, they closed out Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers in the NLCS and set off a wild celebration inside and outside Wrigley.

If they can win three more in a row at home, there's really going to be a party.

"It feels great," shortstop Addison Russell said. "It's definitely an atmosphere that we're all used to, so there's not going to be that much nervousness. I think the game is going to be more intense being here because we want to get in front of our crowd and our fan base.

"It's definitely exciting. It is a new age. We have this young core and we have a chance to not only do something great this year but to do something great in the years to come."

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Daily Herald World Series a unique experience for this Cubs fan, front office alum By Connie Kowal

As a kid growing up in Glen Ellyn, playing baseball at Glenbard West High School and later at Western Illinois University, my dream was to wear the pinstripes and play for the Chicago Cubs. That didn't happen.

But I did get to wear a different kind of "pinstripes" for 14 years as a Cubs marketing executive, with an office at Wrigley Field.

That's given me a unique "dual Cubs experience" -- lifetime fan and front office alum.

I've had the good fortune and the privilege to have worked with, and gotten to know, hundreds of Cubs players, dozens of legendary Cubs broadcasters, and hundreds of members of the Cubs front office staff. I'm so thrilled for everyone with the organization today. And I'm also thrilled for all those Cubs alums who played for and worked for the Cubs organization.

I've got a lifetime of stories and memories.

Since last Saturday night when the Cubs won the pennant, I've been able to enjoy and share the excitement with family, friends, former teammates, business associates and fans I know. I've connected, and in some cases, reconnected, with many friends who are fellow Cubs alums: players, broadcasters, front office execs and others who have worked for the organization. The list includes former Cubs TV broadcaster Chip Caray, longtime ticket director Frank Maloney and vocalist Wayne Messmer.

We've been able to go down memory lane and, most of all, enjoy these special Cubs World Series moments.

From sports front office experience, I have a great appreciation for what goes into each new season for a team. It takes a lot of hard work, long hours, dedication, sacrifices, commitment, hustle and needing to perform great to achieve success. It needs to be one organization working together -- the team on the field and the team off the field -- to achieve the ultimate goal, which in baseball is winning the World Series.

The 2016 Cubs players, coaches and manager Joe Maddon are doing their jobs on the field in a spectacular way. This team is special. The Cubs front office staff also is doing a spectacular job, much of it behind the scenes.

And now it's happening.

So Cubs fans everywhere, phone someone, text someone, email someone, hug someone ... reconnect with someone. Enjoy it and share it.

The Cubs are coming home to Wrigley Field. Let's cheer on the Cubs! And when the Cubs do their job and win it all, it will give the front office execs one more job to do: plan a Cubs World Series parade in Chicago.

Go Cubs Go!

• Libertyville resident Conrad "Connie" Kowal is director of the Libertyville Sports Complex and has been a sports executive for more than 35 years, including in the front office of the Chicago Cubs from 1985 to 1998.

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Daily Herald Chicago Cubs' Schwarber not cleared to play defense By Bruce Miles

The legend of Kyle Schwarber already has grown to near-mythic proportions among Chicago Cubs fans.

Just think of what it may be if he steps to the plate over the next three days in the style of Roy Hobbs or Kirk Gibson and hits a mighty blast.

That's the silver lining Schwarber and the Cubs are looking at in light of Thursday's decision by doctors not to clear him to play the field in Games 3, 4 and 5 of the World Series at Wrigley Field this weekend.

Schwarber, who had major knee surgery in April, served as the designated hitter in Games 1 and 2 in Cleveland, going 3-for-7 with a double and 4 RBI as the teams split two games.

The fact that Schwarber has been able to play is somewhat of a medical marvel. It was just more than a week ago, at his six-month checkup, that his surgeon, Dr. Dan Cooper, cleared Schwarber for batting and baserunning.

The Cubs and the 23-year-old Schwarber had hoped to push it further this weekend, but word came down Thursday that it was too risky.

So Schwarber will be limited to pinch-hitting duties this weekend, when the DH is not in use at the National League park.

Cubs president Theo Epstein said Schwarber "pushed back at first," but in the end, the catcher-outfielder went with the program.

"Oh, it's not disappointing at all," Schwarber said. "It was a longshot at the most. You know, obviously, I want to be out there for my teammates and everything. It's just the competitor inside me.

"But facts are facts. I just can't physically do it. So I'm going to be ready at any time during the game to go out there and pinch hit."

Schwarber stretched and took batting practice with his teammates during Thursday's off-day workout at Wrigley Field. He carried his glove out to left field but did not shag any baseballs.

Still, he held out a glimmer of hope after performing so well at the plate in Cleveland after being away from major- league pitchers for sixth months.

"Deep down in my heart, I really wanted to," he said. "But there's obviously the doubts of the injury. You know, it was a huge injury, and that's the facts.

"Not many people get this opportunity that I'm in right now, so I'm embracing this opportunity that I've got, and I'm going to cheer my teammates and when my time comes I'm going to be ready for that opportunity."

Schwarber tore the ACL and MCL in his left knee on April 7 in a collision with center fielder Dexter Fowler at Chase Field in Arizona.

He got after the rehab hard and impressed the Cubs and his teammates all the way. Even with the hard work, playing the outfield presented too many risks, according to the medical people.

Epstein said: "Medically, the doctors were very convicted that there's just too much risk in playing the outfield because of the dynamic actions involved, the instantaneous reactions, the need to cut in the outfield, the dynamic, athletic movements that are unanticipated in the outfield, your instinct in reacting to balls that just aren't the case when you're running the bases."

Epstein admitted the Cubs were disappointed, but "that's why you have to consult the doctors and follow their professional judgment."

Schwarber has gained larger-than-life status, in part because of his postseason heroics last October, when he hit 5 home runs, including one against the St. Louis Cardinals that landed atop the videoboard in right field.

He was cheered loudly before Opening Night at Wrigley Field in April and again before the earlier playoff rounds. The fans have taken to Schwarber's determination to rehab his knee and also to his everyman persona.

"He's always had that type of personality," Epstein said. "If you go back and talk to people he played with in high school, that's the way he was in high school on the baseball field, on the football field, in the school choir, dance choir."

Manager Joe Maddon also weighed in.

"You how much I dig on that," he said of Schwarber's status. "Maybe, I don't know, five guys might have been able to to pull off what he's done. He's an incredible young man."

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Daily Herald Rozner: HOFer Williams basking in Cubs' WS glory By Barry Rozner

Billy Williams stood in the visitors dugout at Progressive Field and smiled.

For a few moments, he couldn't stop giggling long enough to answer a question.

Williams simply stared at the massive scoreboard that spanned the left-field bleachers.

It read: "WORLD SERIES 2016."

He pointed to the logos on the field, the signs on the walls and the writing on the dugout.

"We're really here. This is really happening," he shouted. "The Cubs are in the World Series."

And he laughed rather loud.

Hey, why not?

The 1961 Rookie of the Year has been affiliated with the Cubs since 1956, minus a couple of years in Oakland at the end of his career, and he's seen more heartbreak than a Hall of Fame player should have ever seen.

As tough as anything he experienced was being dealt to the Athletics before the 1975 season, to a team coming off three consecutive World Series titles.

"That's the reason that I went there," Williams said. "(Cubs GM) John Holland called me in the office and said, 'We can make a trade to get you somewhere that you can win, or you can stay here if you want and go through another youth movement.'

"I said, 'John, I don't want to do that. I want a pennant. I want to get to the World Series. I've done everything else.'

"Oakland owner Charlie Finley called me and said they wanted me to come out there for two years. And can you believe it? It was the same time left and went to New York. If we had him, I'd be wearing an Oakland ."

Instead, the dynasty ended with a sweep in the 1975 ALCS at the hands of the .

"Reggie (Jackson) and Bill North, and my wife and me, we were eating dinner in Boston," Williams remembers like it was yesterday. "And Reggie said, 'This is for you. We won in '72, '73, '74, and we're gonna win it for you this year.'

"But we made so many errors in that series. Claudell Washington threw a ball away. We made errors all over the field in Boston. They took Carl Yastrzemski and put him in left and Cecil Cooper at first, and they wore the Oakland pitching out.

"It was bad timing for me."

Williams really thought the Cubs were destined to win it all in 1969, a season that ended in infamy, and one Williams thinks of often.

"It really hurts, even to this day, because we had it right in our grasp," Williams says. "A lot of people talk about how (manager) Leo (Durocher) played guys too much, but I don't think that's true.

"I always said that we didn't lose the pennant. The Mets won it. They had the pitching. When you got good pitching, like we have now, it makes all the difference. The Mets had the pitching that year. They had the pitching last year, too, and you saw what they did to us.

"You can't beat good pitching."

But now the Cubs have finally made it to the big dance after 71 years, and Williams thinks frequently of his good friends recently departed.

"It's hard not think of Ron (Santo) and Ernie (Banks)," Williams said. "When that double play was made (to clinch the pennant), I stood up and threw my hands up in the air, and they're the first people I thought about.

"They gave their hearts to Chicago and to this team."

No one more than Santo.

"We played together for so many years and we tried to bring this to Chicago, this World Series," Williams said softly. "We wanted this so bad as players, but we just couldn't get there.

"That's one of the things I thought about, those guys not being here to enjoy this. They would have loved this so much.

"Ronnie lived and died with this team like no one I ever knew. Once he retired, and then he became a broadcaster, he became the biggest Cub fan.

"No player had more passion for the team or cared more about it than he did. He lived and died with the team as a player and later as a fan and broadcaster. It's hard to explain, but no one wanted to win more than he did.

"He showed it all the time. Some guys hold it in, but Ronnie let it out. He let it out on the field and he let it out as a broadcaster. And people love that. They like a guy who shows his emotions like that."

Williams doesn't need anyone to tell him about failures past. He's lived through them all, but he's convinced this season is different.

"We got good pitching now, good catching, a great middle infield and prototype center fielder. That's the backbone of the club right there," Williams said. "It's gonna happen this time. I'm gonna get the ring this time."

And no doubt if it happens, he will take a moment to remember his pals who won't be here to share it.

Billy Williams is hoping that somewhere they're smiling, too.

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Daily Herald Cubs' starting rotation depth should be big factor in Game 3 By Scot Gregor

The Cleveland Indians are surprisingly good, there's little doubt about that.

Under the steady hand of manager Terry Francona, the Indians overmatched the Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays in the American League division and championship series, going 7-1 to reach the World Series.

And while they are tied 1-1 with the Chicago Cubs heading into Game 3 Friday night at Wrigley Field, the Indians' lack of depth in the starting rotation is already showing.

Corey Kluber is a legitimate ace for Cleveland, as he showed in a Game 1 6-0 win over the Cubs.

After that, the Indians have to go with Trevor Bauer and Josh Tomlin because Carlos Carrasco is out with a broken hand and Danny Salazar is still not ready to start after missing the final month of the regular season with a forearm strain.

Bauer didn't give Cleveland much of a chance in Game 2, lasting just 3⅔ innings in a 5-1 loss.

Before Kluber starts Game 4 for the Indians on short rest, Josh Tomlin takes the mound in Game 3. Bauer is tentatively scheduled to start Game 5 on short rest, and Tomlin would be hurried back for Game 6, if necessary.

"At this point in the season, I don't think fatigue, I think adrenaline takes over when you get into the game," Tomlin said. "You might not feel as good going out there and warming up. But once you get between the lines and you know the job you have to try to accomplish and try to help this team win, I think that adrenaline kind of takes over and it's just another game."

"After this series, this is it, so we have a lot of time to rest after that. I think if you were to ask any of us right now, we'd pitch every single day if we had to. It's just one of those things where you're trying to do everything you can to help this team win."

During the regular season, Tomlin was 13-9 with a 4.40 ERA and the right-hander allowed 36 home runs, the third highest total in baseball behind the White Sox's James Shields (40) and the Angels' Jered Weaver (37).

While Tomlin has been pushed up in the Indians' banged-up rotation, the Cubs have the luxury of sending Kyle Hendricks out for Game 3.

Expected to strongly contend for the National League Cy Young Award after going 16-8 with baseball's lowest ERA (2.13) for a starter, Hendricks is 1-1 with a sparkling 1.65 ERA in three playoff starts.

Hendricks has been machine-like on the mound from the beginning of his breakout season.

"You get the anxiety and nervousness before you get out there," he said. "Once you're on the field and on the mound, it kind of goes away and you're in your element. So I guess going through the experiences of just starting game after game after game, learning how to deal with those feelings, after a time you just learn how to kind of let it push to the side and know when you get out on the field, everything's going to be how it is."

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Daily Herald Cubs Rizzo, Arrieta, Russell, Heyward are Gold Glove finalists By Bruce Miles

Four Cubs players are finalists for Rawlings Gold Gloves, presented for defensive excellence. The awards will be announced Nov. 8.

Pitcher Jake Arrieta, shortstop Addison Russell, first baseman Anthony Rizzo and right fielder Jason Heyward were among the finalists voted on by managers and coaches. There also is a sabermetrics component involved.

Heyward is a three-time Gold Glove winner. The other players have been nominated for their first such award.

"Pretty good," said Russell, who faces stiff competition from the Giants' Brandon Crawford and the Phillies' Freddy Galvis. "My head is not into all the publicity and stuff like that. It's good hearing it from you guys (media). It's pretty exciting."

Russell, 22, quickly is becoming one of the best shortstops in baseball.

"I take a lot of pride in it," he said of his defense. "It's definitely part of my game. I think I'm more consistent. I think I work at fielding groundballs more often than I do practicing hitting at the plate.

"It's something that comes very naturally to me. It's something that I take pride in, and I just want to get better at the end of the day."

Not worried about time:

Game 2 of the World Series, won 5-1 by the Cubs, took 4 hours and 4 minutes to play. The Cubs had one NLCS game go 3:58 and another go 4:16. All three of these were nine-inning games.

Manager Joe Maddon said Thursday he doesn't notice.

"Nope," he said. "You get so involved in the moment. I had no idea. I couldn't even tell you how long those games are.

"The American League side, there's a lot less to think about. So really, the deeper the game gets, the less you're aware of time as far as I'm concerned."

This and that:

The Cubs' victory in Game 2 was the Cubs' first World Series win since Oct. 8, 1945 against the Tigers … Jake Arrieta's 5⅓ innings of no-hit ball was the longest such bid in a World Series game since the Mets' Jerry Koosman went 6 no-hit innings in Game 2 of the 1969 series against Baltimore.

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Daily Herald North: A World Series digest of Cubs-a-palooza By Mike North

Here's a Cubs-a-palooza edition of random thoughts.

• With the World Series tied at one game apiece and shifting to Wrigley Field for the next three games, I believe the Cubs will finally get it done. Cleveland, however, has been living the same dream as the Cubs, and they won't be easy to beat.

• I'm not worried about the Cubs possibly facing ace pitcher Corey Kluber in Game 3. He's good, but they will beat him just like they beat Clayton Kershaw and the Los Angeles Dodgers in his second game.

• Someone asked me how right-fielder Jason Heyward got an eight-year $184 million contract from the Cubs. I really don't know, but I am more troubled about his seven remaining years.

How will that affect what they are able to pay some of the young players in the future who are clearly underpaid right now? Guys like Kris Bryant making $652,000 or Kyle Hendricks at $500,000.

As long as they are winning, Heyward just has to grind it out until the end of the season.

• Kyle Schwarber, or as I like to call him the "Baby Bambino," is turning into a folk hero. After being out for six months with a knee injury, he returned to the postseason as a DH, reaching base 5 times in 9 at-bats. Now check this fact out: Schwarber has 12 RBI in postseason play while the great Boston Red Sox Ted Williams had only one!

• It's amazing what the Cubs owners are doing in Wrigleyville! You wouldn't even recognize the area if you haven't been down there in awhile. The Ricketts family is smart, and they aren't afraid to spend.

• was shown on Sports Center rooting for the Indians. I can't blame him -- he was a stud for the Indians for over a decade, is a member of the team's Hall of Fame, and now works for the Chicago White Sox.

• I was downtown the other night for the first time in awhile with my good buddy Jonas Knox from Radio. It was good to see the city so alive and happy.

• My wife and I are so happy and proud of Jesse Rogers, who covers the Cubs for ESPN. Jesse was our producer for seven years when and I worked at the Score. Jesse is as good as it gets.

When I talked to him the other day, I told him how thrilled we were for him. He did nine TV hits that day alone, and he's riding high with the Cubs. It couldn't happen to a nicer guy!

• A shout out to Mike Greenberg, another former Score guy, and Mike Golic. Their ESPN radio morning show is making an appearance at .

• And another shout out to Doug Glanville and Cassidy Hubbarth, Evanston's very own, all now working at ESPN.

Program notes: I will be co-hosting with Mancow Muller today and Tuesday from 6-9:30 a.m. on the Loop 97.9-FM.

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Daily Herald The lesson in the relentless positivity of Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon By Jena McGregor

Chicago Cubs skipper Joe Maddon did not sound like a guy whose team had just gotten clobbered in its first World Series game in 71 years by a of 6-0 Tuesday night. "I liked our at-bats overall against Miller," Maddon said of the Cleveland Indians' dominant reliever during a postgame interview. Then: "I'm not upset whatsoever. Like I said, they pitched really well tonight."

And: "I have no concerns. I thought we were ready to play. Our guys looked really good. They were great in the dugout today. It's the first game. I'm fine, we're fine."

Maddon's postgame interview was a stream of unyielding positivity, Zen-like calm and rosy confidence. He praised the other team's pitching. He acknowledged his own team's shortcomings in a factual rather than critical manner. He refused to express feelings of defeat. "I'm not disappointed by any means except for the fact that we did not win," he said.

It was also classic Maddon, known as much for his upbeat style as he is for his unconventional approach to managing his team -- the roster shuffling, the themed road trips, the quirky stunts. After a Game 2 loss in last year's National League Championship Series put the Cubs down two games, he said "I have a real strong belief system in our guys ... you can't dwell on things like that."

After a strong start to this season turned to a string of mid-May losses, Maddon remained positive despite a disappointing loss in St. Louis. "We worked good at-bats, we played really well in the field, we ran the bases well, and we lost the game," Maddon said at the time. "That's what I saw." And following two shutout losses in this year's pennant race, Maddon still kept his cool. "I can't get over the top and take a trip to negative town now just because we've had two bad days," he said.

Again and again, Maddon's optimism is cited as one of the defining ways he leads his team -- one that has both upsides and downsides. "What typifies Maddon most of all is a rah-rah positivity, driven by an appreciation for how difficult this child's game is to play at the highest level," a Chicago Reader profile declared. "The lenses in his iconic horn rimmed glasses are always rose-colored," ESPN's Steve Wulf wrote in a 2013 feature, when Maddon was managing the . In another 2013 profile, the Rays' executive vice president of baseball operations called him "a serial optimist. That can be his worst quality, too. Joe is almost too loyal. He has patience with guys that maybe we should move on from."

That optimist's approach has not only won him plaudits from baseball pundits, but from those who see lessons for managers beyond baseball's fields. Crain's Chicago Business cited how he "pumps the lineup with struggling hitters," a way to show them he believes in their talent. A management professor at Northwestern University told Chicago Magazine "What Maddon wants to do is create a culture that rewards players for good work but doesn't limit their inventiveness and individuality."

How Maddon's positivity plays as the World Series shakes out remains to be seen. Too much optimism in the face of defeat can end up looking like overconfidence. It can seem mismatched with the urgency needed when the stakes are highest, especially for a manager who's been called a "half hipster-shrink."

But for Maddon's players, it's a wise choice over the alternative. All too often, sports leaders seem to think their audience in postgame interviews are the people in front of them: The reporters looking for a close-up, critical analysis of what went wrong in a losing game -- and how they intend to fix it. Maddon, meanwhile, seems to be putting his players first, knowing they too will hear his words and hear his confidence. Phrases like "It's the first game. I'm fine, we're fine," seem directly spoken to them.

Baseball is a game of failure. One where hitting just 3 out of 10 pitches can make you a star. In that world, propping players up makes more sense than cutting them down. Reassurance can be a better strategy than public criticism.

That's especially true when your team is not only among the youngest and most hyped teams ever to play the game -- but facing the pressure of becoming the first Cubs team to win a World Series title since the Ford Model T was first introduced. Maddon's calm, confident positivity could go a long way with his players if he can sustain it. As he said, it's only the first game.

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Daily Herald Imrem: Cubs' Bryant, Rizzo both worthy of MVP By Mike Imrem

One player as league MVP and a teammate as their club's MVP is not an unusual circumstance.

The Cubs might become the latest example with Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo.

They showed why again Wednesday night.

Both Bryant and Rizzo were valuable in Game 2 of the World Series at Cleveland.

The Indians led the best-of-seven series 1-0. A second consecutive loss would plunge the Cubs into a deep hole.

This wasn't a must-win situation, but it was close.

Bryant did his part as the Cubs' second batter by singling with one out in the first inning. Rizzo followed by doubling him home.

Indians manager Terry Francona said, "I thought in the first inning Rizzo had a real good at-bat."

Scoring first is so important in postseason baseball, and the Cubs proceeded from there to even the series with a 5- 1 victory.

Crowds in Wrigley Field chant "M-V-P! M-V-P! M-V-P!" for "Bryant! Bryant! Bryant!"

And why not?

In his second big-league season, Bryant batted .292 with 39 home runs, 102 runs batted in and a league-leading 121 runs scored.

League MVP numbers, for sure, and Bryant is the favorite to win the award.

Meanwhile, it says here that Anthony Rizzo is the Cubs' most valuable player for what he does on the field and in the clubhouse.

As good as Bryant was this season, a case also could be made for Rizzo as the league MVP, and some voters will make it.

Bryant's advantage seems to be that he played so many different positions on defense this year.

Utility players are supposed to relocate from third base to left field to right field to wherever else Cubs manager Joe Maddon's whims prefer them.

Bryant does so as one of baseball's, excuse the expression, most valuable run producers.

If sampling multiple positions is one of the criteria for "M-V-P! M-V-P! M-V-P!" … well, it's just one more reason Bryant is worthy.

Heck, he'd be worthy of the award if he never left his natural position of third base.

So it's odd to declare that Rizzo is more valuable to the Cubs, but he is.

For one thing, Rizzo's statistics aren't too shabby: .292 batting average (same as Bryant); 32 home runs (7 fewer than Bryant); 109 RBI (7 more than Bryant).

Rizzo is so much more than stats. He's a leader, a spokesman when something needs to be spoken and a heartbeat pumping life into the Cubs when they need a jolt.

If sports had foxholes -- thank goodness they don't, even though athletes like to imagine they are in them -- teammates would want Rizzo in theirs. That's not to slight Bryant or any other young Cub.

But there's something about Rizzo, a presence that sets him apart as a leader. Bryant and Addison Russell have a certain cool. Javier Baez and Willson Contreras have a certain fire.

Rizzo is a combination of cool and fire, a baseball sophisticate with a welcome edge.

Diverse personalities are just one more characteristic that has the Cubs positioned to be baseball's team of the decade.

Rizzo needs someone like Bryant to pick him up when he slumps. Bryant is a quiet leader who is better off letting Rizzo be vocal when necessary.

They're a nice combination … Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant … take your pick for "M-V-P!"

One for the National League and one for the Cubs seems about right.

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