The Chicago Cubs are on a bit of a roll right now. With 20 wins in their last 24 games, they are in the midst of their greatest stretch since 1945, which is coincidentally the last time they appeared in a World Series. As of this writing, they are 21 games over .500, which is the most they’ve been since 2008, and they currently have a 6.5 game lead over the Giants for the second Wild Card in the National League. So, yes, things are looking good at the moment for the Cubs and their fans.
Of course, any time a baseball team has a little bit of success, you end up learning throughout the season about quirky personalities that exist within the clubhouse that we’re told are necessary in order to keep things loose. For the 2015 Chicago Cubs, the source of these quirky personalities comes from their bullpen, and they keep things loose by playing an interesting contest as they sit along Wrigley Field’s left-field line.
Thanks to Cubs bullpen catcher Chad Noble, the relievers have participated in a unique contest to see who is the boldest when it comes to absorbing ground balls or even line drives headed toward the left-field bullpen area. 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.
So, essentially, they’re playing chicken with foul balls that are hit in their direction. During Monday’s game against the Indians, cameras caught reliever Zac Rosscup sitting perfectly still as a ball hit him right in the hand.
*Grunt* pic.twitter.com/baXOlI7LKt
— MLB GIFS (@MLBGIFs) August 24, 2015
Thankfully for Rosscup, it was his non-throwing hand. But what if it wasn’t? The contest, while fun, seems like it could be potentially dangerous.
“It keeps us in the game,” reliever James Russell said. “And nobody is going to get hurt.”
Well, glad that’s settled. Hopefully none of them are insane enough to take a line drive off the face. Then again, that would definitely make them the “winner” of the contest, and the GIF would probably be outstanding.
(via Chicago Tribune)
