Epstein: Young Cubs remind me of ‘Idiots’
NEW YORK— Cubs president Theo Epstein has had more than a few flashbacks to his early years running the Red Sox while watching this young Cubs team play, slug, win, party and take on New York for a pennant.
“We went through different periods makeup-wise in Boston,” Epstein said. “In ’03 and ’04, it was the ‘Idiots’ and ‘Cowboy Up.’ They were carefree. This is what that reminds me of, how loose it is, how they don’t have a care in the world.
“They just enjoy each other’s company, making each other crack up, coming out raking and going back laughing about it. It’s a very similar vibe. But all these guys are younger than those teams were.”
That was the Red Sox group that ended the franchise’s 86-year championship drought. A team that played back-to-back epic series against the Yankees in the American League Championship Series.
“It brings back some memories of having to go through New York to get to the World Series,” Epstein said. “I love that feeling of coming into New York as the visiting team, as the enemy, walking around town seeing in the past the Yankees caps and now the Mets caps, and maybe getting a few knowing glances.
“I’mnot a player, so it’s not that big a deal, but you still get that feeling of being in enemy territory in one of the biggest, best cities in the world.”
Need for speed
The Cubs made only one change on their postseason roster heading into the National League Championship Series: replacing injured shortstop Addison Russell (hamstring) with base-stealing specialist Quintin Berry.
Berry, who was acquired in late August after being released by the Red Sox, is 32-for-33 on steal attempts in his major-league career, including 5-for-5 in the postseason.
“We just thought that the potential for the running situation might occur more often,” manager Joe Maddon said.
This and that
Chris Coghlan is back to being considered a second baseman with the Cubs’ NLCS roster down a shortstop.
Maddon said before the game he hadn’t decided which order Kyle Hendricks and Jason Hammel would make their starts in Games 3 and 4, Tuesday and Wednesday at Wrigley Field. Mets ace Jacob de Grom starts Game 3 and rookie Steven Matz Game 4.
Maddon never considered bringing Simon the Magician back to the Citi Field visitors’ clubhouse for a return engagement in the playoffs.
“There’s so much going on; you don’t need more going on,” said Maddon, who enlisted the magic act after a five-game losing streak. “We’re in a good spot now.”
The Game 1 winner in the NLCS has gone to the World Series 18 of the last 23 years.
Maddon’s battling a head cold he says he gets annually this time of year. The rest of the team seems to have avoided the bug (except for hitting coach John Mallee).
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