There’s nothing like going to a baseball game, and few experiences compare to witnessing a match in the iconic – and very old – Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs.
The National League legendary team – who went 108 years without winning a World Series before finally getting a championship in the magical 2016 season – plays in one of the most magical venues in the United States.
The Cubs are currently third on the NL Wild Card Race, fighting against the defending champions Los Angeles Dodgers, the always flashy San Diego Padres, and the always competitive New York Mets. The fight will not be easy, but the Chicago team is confident that they can earn a spot on the playoffs.
Cubs players and fans get the fright of their lives
At Wrigley Field, a late-game calm turns into chaos when a formation of fighter jets blasts overhead. The sudden roar sends the Cubs dugout scrambling, heads ducked and gloves pressed to their ears. Justin Turner jumps, Pete Crow-Armstrong flinches, and for a split second the whole bench thinks something is wrong.
Up in the booth, “Star Wars” actor Hayden Christensen and his daughter are starting “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.” The flyover hits on the first notes, the crowd gasps, then laughs, and Hayden powers through as the stadium finds the beat again.
The jets were rehearsing for Chicago’s Air and Water Show this weekend, but nobody told the timing. Cameras catch every reaction, including Matt Shaw hugging Ian Happ after the scare. The Pirates still win 3-2, yet the loudest moment of the day belongs to the sky.
Chicago is going through an offensive slump
Since the calendar flipped to August, Chicago Cubs offense has been in a team-wide slump, including an extremely cold turn from center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong out of the heart of the lineup. He has 27 homers, 30 steals and an .820 OPS overall this year.
Since that date, Crow-Armstrong had hit .053 (2-for-38 with two singles in a 10-game span, entering Friday. Before Friday’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, the 23-year-old outfielder spent some time in the office of manager Craig Counsell.
Even as Crow-Armstrong ranks second to Shohei Ohtani in the National League in fWAR (5.5) and is closing in on joining legendary player Sammy Sosa (1993 and ’95) as the only Cubs in history with 30 homers and 30 steals in a season, there are lessons to be gained.
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