There was some doubt and there may still be some challenges along the way, but for the first time in 306 days, there will be a regular-season game played at Wrigley Field when the Cubs open the season against the Brewers on Friday.
Major League Baseball will begin a unique journey with Opening Day and the 2020 season finally here.
As the Cubs prepare to start a new season that will feature a variety of twists and turns with the country continuing to battle a global pandemic, the growing anticipation can now become a reality.
Cubs president Theo Epstein has been consistent in his thoughts on the road that lies ahead for the Cubs and baseball as a whole over the next three months, but took the time to reflect on something that many thought would be impossible under the circumstances.
“I do think Major League Baseball, the teams, the players, the Players’ Association, do have a lot to be proud of just for getting through summer camp and keeping people safe,” Epstein said. “It hasn’t been perfect. But honestly, it’s gone better than expected in a lot of ways and it took a lot of preparation, discipline and cooperation to make it work so far.
“It’s not a time to spike the ball or say mission accomplished or anything like that, because we’re really just starting and there’s so much uncertainty ahead. But you know, as an industry, it’s an accomplishment to get to this point and get to this point safely. So I want to recognize all the parties that contributed to making that happen.”
In a season with so much chaos, questions, and uncertainty, there might not be a better candidate to lead the Cubs into the unique season than right-hander Kyle Hendricks. Hendricks was 11-10, 3.46 ERA over 30 starts in 2019.
Making the first Opening Day start of one’s career could bring added pressure to a starter, but Hendricks has handled his fair share during his time with Cubs, including starting Game 7 of the 2016 World Series.
Despite the added excitement from fans around the world to see MLB’s return, Friday will be a return to normal in a season that is anything but that.
“It’s just gonna be the same old, same old for me, you know. Another game. Luckily, I’ve pitched a few games here regularly over the past couple weeks. Got to face the White Sox here. So I’ve pretty much treated all those games like real games for me,” Hendricks said. “Hopefully, this is just part of the routine, you know, we go out and it actually counts for something now. So that’s the only difference, but otherwise my whole routine will stay the same.”
What has gotten lost in the shuffle — with rightful attention being on the coronavirus and ensuring teams are safe and healthy as they prepare for the season — is David Ross making his debut as Cubs manager. Ross has the unique task of not only replacing predecessor Joe Maddon, but learning on the fly in a weird season.
The Cubs skipper is looking forward to the challenge, even with the unknowns that will arise, but once “play ball” is announced, it’s business as usual.
“I hadn’t even thought about it much. I’ve been dealing with a lot of other issues on getting to this spot,” Ross said. “I’m sure tonight as I settle down those thoughts will start rushing in a little more. I’m excited to get started. I’m happy my family’s here. My kids are here. Yeah, looking forward to [Friday].”
