Cubs take time off to trick or treat
CHICAGO – The Cubs’ bus won’t leave for the airport Monday until 7 p.m., giving players a chance to spend the day at home. “We’re excited to have a day off tomorrow, go trick or treating with the kids and be a normal dad for a little bit,” David Ross said. “Then we’ll go to Cleveland.”
The Cubs might even have their own Halloween party on the plane. After Game 5, the digital board with the team’s travel information read: “Halloween costumes are encouraged on the plane.”
LINDOR HITS BIG TIME
Francisco Lindor was already one of baseball’s rising stars before the postseason began, but the Indians’ 22-year-old shortstop has had a stellar month, opening eyes around the league.
He certainly gotten Joe Maddon’s attention after going 7-for-15 in the first four games, a .467 average. For the postseason, Lindor is hitting .370 (17-for-46) with a 1.063 OPS through Cleveland’s first 12 games. He was 1-for-4 with one of the Indians’ two RBI in Sunday night’s loss to the Cubs.
“He’s unique, and he’s very young, just like our guys,” Maddon said. “He’s quite a talent.”
CURSES
Terry Francona managed the Red Sox to the World Series title in 2004, ending Boston’s 86-yearold Curse of the Bambino. Has Cleveland’s 68-year championship drought made this year’s run with the Indians more special?
“I think for fans it does, and I get it, and I think it’s really cool,” Francona said. “But for us, it can’t enter into it. I mean, it’s hard enough to go beat Jon Lester.
“I’ve kind of joked with the local guys a lot, I don’t feel responsible for the fact that my dad wasn’t good enough to win when he played here. Winning is hard enough. I get it that fans have lived through maybe not winning, and it’s fun to talk about it or to commiserate, but it’s also unfair to the group in there to ask them to win for other people.”
ROSS THE BOSS
Ross started behind the plate in Game 5, playing his final game at Wrigley Field before he retires after the series. Maddon recalled his first conversation with the catcher before Ross signed with the Cubs last year. “I was totally impressed with the entire conversation, how upbeat he was, how just motivated to win,” Maddon said. “His thoughts and ideas about team and team concepts. Everything was like right in that first conversation. Then you get to know him and he’s all of that.”
It was a fitting ending at Wrigley for the veteran catcher, who brought in what proved to be the winning run with a sac fly in the fourth inning.
“Everybody talks about veterans all the time, veteran influence,” Maddon said. “I’m telling you, veteran influence can also be bad if you have the wrong veteran. He’s absolutely the right veteran. He’s passionate about his craft, and I think he makes everybody around him a little bit better. Honestly he does.”