The Chicago Cubs and their unlikely ace could make history
ON A LATE SEPTEMBER AFTERNOON, JUST BEFORE PITCHER Kyle Hendricks will take the mound against the Pittsburgh Pirates, a handful of Chicago Cubs players and coaches are huddled around a table in the visitors’ locker room, all trying to help. That night, the Cubs will count on Hendricks to clinch the team’s 100th victory of the season and propel them into the playoffs as the hottest team in the game—and a trendy pick to win their first World Series since 1908. But first, the brain trust needs to map out the game plan.
Seven laptops and two oversize monitors are laid out in front of them. Mike Borzello, the team’s catching instructor, chats with scout Tommy Hottovy, informally known as Chicago’s “run-prevention coordinator,” or the guy tasked with figuring out how to make the pitching and defense better. It’s Borzello’s job, working alongside pitching coach Chris Bosio, to prepare reports on each of the hitters
