The Cubs Bullpen is Playing Foul Ball Chicken, Toying With Disaster
By Kyle Koster
The Chicago Cubs have a six-game lead over the San Francisco Giants for the National League’s second wildcard. Barring a monumental collapse, they’ll have a chance to make a postseason run.
With an infusion of young talent and the charismatic Joe Maddon skippering the North Siders’ ship, it’s been easy to get caught up in the feel-good story. In doing so, we forget the Cubs are the Cubs and therefore genetically predisposed to having their dreams dashed by a freakish occurrence. From the billy goat in 1945 to the black cat in 1969 to Steve Bartman in 2003, some unforeseen event has jumped up to bite the franchise at an inopportune time.
This year, however, it seems like we have a pretty good idea about what that’s going to be, thanks to a story in today’s Chicago Tribune.
It seems the team’s bullpen has taken to playing a high-stakes game of foul ball chicken in order to pass the time.
"Here’s how the contest is played: During the game, as the pitchers are sitting in the bullpen, either on the bench along the wall or on folding chairs in front of the bullpen mound, they face the batter. If a foul ball comes their way, the object is to remain as still as possible, regardless of how close the ball comes to them, or even if it hits them. “It keeps things interesting down there,” veteran Jason Motte said. “They put us away from everybody, so we have to do our own thing to pass the time. We go out there and have a good time.” Left-hander James Russell, a member of the bullpen since 2010, can’t remember playing such a goofy contest during a game. “It keeps us in the game,” Russell said. “And nobody is going to get hurt.” Or at least nobody has been hurt yet."
We’re talking about finely tuned athletes with great body control, so this could just be a harmless little test of masculinity. Or it could be the very thing that results in the franchise’s 107th straight season without a World Series.
Before you dismiss the worrying, know that Motte, who provided this insight into the game, has been placed on the disabled with a right shoulder strain and expected to miss 3-4 weeks.
"“We’ve had a couple close ones, Motte said. “We’ve stayed in there. Some (hard-hit balls) have come down there that haven’t hit us. They just missed us, but those balls were smoked. We’ll see how it goes if one gets smoked, or one of us gets hit in the face. I guess that’s how you win. I’m not sure if there’s a real winner in that game, but that’s how you win. That’s how you would declare the winner. It would be over.”"
Coincidence? Probably not. But the first rule of Bullpen Chicken is to not talk about Bullpen Chicken. And the first rule of being a Cub is not to do anything to goad the universe into delivering yet another dose of cruel fate your direction.
[Image via USA Today Sports]