Baseball is back, baby!
The defending World Series champions began their spring training schedule on Saturday, with two split-squad games against the Oakland Athletics and San Francisco Giants. Just like last year, the Chicago Cubs are on their way to setting an attendance record in the Cactus League. The game against Oakland was a sellout at Sloan Park and despite the calendar reading Feb. 25, players felt like they were in a regular-season game because of the atmosphere.
This was certainly a reason why Cubs fans were especially pumped up for the first spring training game.
Even before the game started, Cubs fans poured in around the park to get a glimpse of the defending World Series champions.
Nearly 15,000 fans filled Sloan Park on Saturday afternoon, and Mike Montgomery was definitely pumped up. The lefty is competing for the fifth spot in the rotation along with fellow left-handed pitcher Brett Anderson. Montgomery was on the mound for the final out of the World Series in 2016, and he was the first to pitch for the Cubs in 2017. In both occasions, the crowds were great, despite one being in a spring training game.
It wasn't only Montgomery who felt the presence of the fans, as A's pitcher Jesse Hahn echoed the same.
Awesome stuff. As far as the game goes, Charcer Burks, great name, hit the game-winning home run in the seventh inning for the Cubs to beat the A's.
He also made this catch the very next inning.
Baseball is back. That's all that matters.
