I was absolutely elated when Craig Kimbrel made his Chicago Cubs debut against the Atlanta Braves at Wrigley Field. Sitting on a rooftop across the street at a work outing, everyone else was enjoying the libations inside, away from the scorching sun – but my eyes were locked on the left-field bullpen gate.
As Kimbrel trotted in from the pen for the first time in a Cubs uniform, I couldn’t help but have that hopeless sense of optimism anyone who’s ever rooted for a franchise once dubbed the Lovable Losers surely understands. Twenty pitches later, ‘Go Cubs Go’ rang out from the Friendly Confines as the bearded right-hander high-fived his teammates.