Chicago Cubs great Williams thinking of Banks, Santo
Chicago Cubs Hall of Famer Billy Williams had a pair of special teammates in mind when the Cubs clinched the National League pennant Saturday night at Wrigley Field.
Fellow Hall of Famers Ron Santo and Ernie Banks aren't here to enjoy the moment, so Williams carries on for them.
"I think about those guys all the time," Williams said amid Saturday night's postgame celebration, after the Cubs beat the Los Angeles Dodger 5-0 to win the NL championship series in six games.
"I started out with Ronnie in Double-A baseball. This is 1959. Of course, Ernie was here hitting all the home runs, and (general manager) John Holland brought us up and said, 'Why don't you help Ernie hit some home runs?' So we did."
Williams, a senior adviser for the Cubs, turned his attention to the current club.
"It's been great," he said. "The guys have been playing great all year. This is icing on the cake. But I often say we've got another hill to climb. We're going to Cleveland. We want to continue to play good baseball.
"I'm happy for them. Most of all, I'm happy for the fans. I'm involved here because I've been part of his organization for so long. To see these individuals go out and play this great baseball that they've been playing all year, it really gives me a great feeling within to see that.
"They started out in spring training and people were picking them to win the World Series. They didn't look at that. They had to go out and play, and they went out and played good, sound baseball."
Rotation roulette:
The Cubs could come back with staff ace Jon Lester in Game 1 of the World Series, Tuesday in Cleveland. That would leave Lester on his normal rest, as he pitched this past Thursday in Los Angeles.
Lester has spent plenty of time in the American League, mostly with Boston. For his career, he is 7-1 with a 3.03 ERA against the Indians. At Progressive Field, he is 4-0 with a 3.72 ERA.
It's possible the Cubs could go with Lester in Game 1 and Jake Arrieta in Game 2 on Wednesday. Kyle Hendricks, who won the NLCS clincher Saturday, would be ready for Friday's Game 3 at Wrigley Field.
The Indians have announced Corey Kluber as their Game 1 starter. Kluber went 18-9 with a 3.14 ERA during the regular season.
Youth is served:
Saturday night's NLCS game ended with the Dodgers' Yasiel Puig grounding into a double play, from shortstop Addison Russell fielding the grounder and firing to second baseman Javier Baez, the co-MVP of the NLCS.
Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer said that was only fitting.
"That's who we are," he said. "We're a veteran team in some ways. We're a young offensive team, and we're really athletic in the field. It is kind of fitting those guys turned the double play right there."