Players enjoy what may be once-in-a-lifetime experience
Both managers said they were trying to approach Wednesday night's Midwest League game like any other.
That might have been a little difficult since the setting was Wrigley Field.
The event was the third "Road to Wrigley" game, and it featured the Kane County Cougars against the Cubs' Class A farm club from Peoria.
The Peoria club came away with a 5-2 victory before 8,994 fans as Jae-Hoon Ha hit a 3-run homer off Neuqua Valley High School product Ian Krol to break a 1-1 tie in the fourth.
"Honestly, playing at Wrigley Field is not just any major-league ballpark," said Cougars manager Aaron Nieckula. "It's Wrigley Field. There's some history behind it. Some of these guys might never, ever get to play in a big-league stadium again. So you just kind of go out there, have fun and enjoy the moment and create some memories they can take with them for a lifetime."
Nieckula's counterpart, Peoria manager Casey Kopitzke, said he noticed some wide eyes among his players.
"Definitely," he said. "It's an exciting time for these guys. They get to come out and play in an arena they're striving to get to. You can tell that a lot of guys, when they walked out of the dugout, it's a big experience for them."
Krol, no stranger to Wrigley Field as a Naperville native, pitched creditably, as his record fell to 6-3 with a 2.15 ERA. The lefty worked 5 innings, giving up 7 hits and 4 runs. He lamented giving up the homer to Ha because it came on an 0-2 pitch.
"I threw the ball right down the middle," Krol said. "What more does a hitter want? That's what he's looking for."
Nieckula admitted "manipulating" the Cougars' rotation to get Krol a start at Wrigley.
"I grew up a Cubs fan; my family is Cubs fans," Krol said. "It's unbelievable to be pitching on that field, especially as a 19-year-old. The feeling is just overwhelming. I didn't have too many nerves out there."
The Cougars got a single, double and triple from Mike Gilmartin.
Getting the win for Peoria was Rob Whitenack (7-6, 5.69). He worked 5 innings, giving up 4 hits and 1 run. The home run by Ha, a product of South Korea, was his third of the year.
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