DIGGING THE VIBE
Without fans in the stands, Cubs are providing energy from the dugout, and their chemistry is benefiting
CINCINNATI — If you tune in to watch a Cubs game these days, you’ll probably hear loud cheering. No, it’s not the fake crowd noise being piped in, it’s actually the Cubs’ dugout.
In a season without fans and no instant reaction to plays, the Cubs have had to create their own excitement as a group and bring that fandom on the field, with a cheer, a clap, even a friendly jeer or two. Even facing a large deficit in Wednesday’s 12-7 loss to the Reds, the Cubs have found ways to stay engaged.
“That’s been a big thing here in our clubhouse. You know, we’re having more fun than anything,” Javy Baez said. “I think Rizzo has been, you know, crazy trying to make us be together, and it’s working. We know we got to keep our distance, but it’s been really fun. It’s been really fun with all the guys here.”
“The dugout has been crazy,” Kris Bryant said with a chuckle. “Honestly, it makes it feel like college. There’s not too many people in the stands, and you can just go crazy in the dugout.”
The word ‘energy’ often is overused when referring to a team’s morale and demeanor on the field and in the clubhouse. However, in a season with only 60 games, when each game has more meaning than the last, if ever there was a year in which it’s important, it’s this one.
“It makes me think of a few years ago,” Willson Contreras said. “The atmosphere. The chemistry that we have right now is really good. Rossy was a great addition for our team because he makes that chemistry better.”
“I think they’re adults that bought into this environment and are trying to make the best of a tough situation, which is, I think, the most rewarding thing about what I’ve seen so far,” manager David Ross said. “Each guy is trying to make the best of this with no fans.”
Through their six games this season, the Cubs have been noticeably more vocal and visibly enthusiastic than their opponents. The bullpen also has been a big part of the action, and during the four-game set in Cincinnati, they’ve attempted to match the dugout’s excitement.
“We rely on energy so much from fans,” Ross said. “You just do, and the fact that they’re picking each other up in that respect and you see it. Guys pointing to the bullpen when they hit homers or get big hits. It really feels like a total group that cares about one another and has each other’s back. It’s nice.”
The Cubs won’t always be on a winning streak or scoring eight runs each game, and as the highs and lows of the season continue to come, maintaining the high level of enthusiasm becomes even more crucial.
Ross is the boss when it comes to what happens in the Cubs’ clubhouse and dugout, but he acknowledged that the directive to bring consistent energy from first pitch to final pitch has come directly from his players.
“They’ve made it a priority to lift each other up and try to bring that energy that we usually rely on from fans. Fans are greatly missed, and they bring so much to gain that we’re missing. But there’s a lot of freedom in our dugout to cheer, and if you want to be a little loud, I think it’s encouraged.
“It’s fun to come to a park, we don’t have a lot of outside interactions with other people, so the fact that these guys have taken that and bonded with one another and created that energy is awesome.”