Cubs fired up as World Series finally returns to Wrigley Field
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,” relief pitcher 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 Hal Newhouser and the Detroit 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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