MLB 2026: Inside 2016 Cubs World Series win rarity
IN THE HISTORY of Major League Baseball, there have been 670 World Series video games and simply 4 have featured three catchers showing for a similar group. But solely as soon as in all these years and all these contests have all three catchers additionally produced a success and RBI — and it occurred in probably the most well-known Fall Classic video games ever performed.
Chicago Cubs supervisor Joe Maddon entered Game 7 of the 2016 World Series in opposition to the Cleveland Indians with a script, and although chaos reigned over the course of 10 intense innings, his three catchers — Willson Contreras, David Ross and Miguel Montero — did not waver from their jobs, enjoying essential roles in securing Chicago’s victory.
A decade after the Cubs ended their 108-year World Series curse in Cleveland, right here is the story of the three catchers who made their very own historical past on that November night time.
Catcher No. 1
MADDON DEVISED HIS Game 7 plan within the hurried hours the night time earlier than after his group compelled a decisive remaining contest in a collection they’d as soon as trailed 3-1.
Kyle Hendricks, MLB’s ERA chief that season, would begin for the Cubs in opposition to Cleveland ace Corey Kluber. Even with greater than a century of historical past weighing on the matchup, Maddon selected the 24-year-old Contreras to catch Hendricks over two extra skilled choices.
“For him to be a rookie, starting Game 7, was pretty insane now that I look back on it,” Ross mentioned not too long ago. “He was really young.”
Contreras debuted halfway by the 2016 season, instantly exhibiting he was prepared for giant moments when he hit a two-run, pinch-hit dwelling run on the primary pitch he noticed as a serious leaguer on June 17. He performed 76 video games through the common season and began 9 within the postseason as certainly one of three catchers on Chicago’s deep roster.
“I haven’t been on too many teams where you feel like there is competition at catching,” Ross mentioned. “We didn’t care about our stats. I was on my way out. Miggy [Montero] had a guaranteed contract, and Willson is up from the minors and excited to be part of the group.”
With Contreras behind the plate, Hendricks navigated by Cleveland’s lineup, permitting only one earned run over the sport’s first 4⅔ innings. When Hendricks was eliminated within the fifth, the Cubs have been seemingly in management, up 5-1, with Contreras driving in a kind of runs on a fourth-inning double.
“He was not intimidated by the moment,” Maddon mentioned not too long ago. “A street fighter who put his passion on right after brushing his teeth. I trusted him. He played hard and wanted to win. May have been young but he was a huge part of us getting through Game 7.”
Catcher No. 1 had completed his job.
Catcher No. 2
MADDON TRIGGERED PART TWO of his plan when he eliminated Hendricks after he walked Carlos Santana on some questionable ball-strike calls. With left-handed hitter Jason Kipnis arising for Cleveland — and with Jon Lester getting into the sport, it was time for his private catcher, Ross, to enter as effectively.
The fast hook for a starter who had rolled by the primary four-plus innings has been questioned within the years since Chicago’s victory, however Ross not too long ago supplied his rationalization for Maddon’s maneuver.
“You don’t want to be too late in Game 7,” he mentioned. “You might be early, but you don’t want to be late. And Jon was firing bullets down in the bullpen.”
Taking out the slugging Contreras meant a downgrade on the plate, however Maddon believed it was price it with the intention to give Lester the familiarity of Ross, who had already declared Game 7 can be the ultimate sport of his profession.
“We had talked about that the day before,” Maddon mentioned in a telephone interview not too long ago. “Jonny Lester was going to be a big part of that game. And I told David the day before, ‘Listen, when Jon comes in, you’re coming in with him. I don’t care when it is, you’re coming into the game.’
“I additionally gave Willson the heads-up, too, that that was going to occur. I didn’t need to ambush him.”
Known as Grandpa Ross, the 39-year-old was the guts and soul of the Cubs clubhouse, holding issues free in a pressure-packed season together with being the strict voice within the room when wanted. It appeared becoming for him to be behind the plate for a few of the remaining outs as Chicago marched towards historical past.
“Going into my last game, it was nice to have a plan that I was going to get in no matter what,” Ross mentioned. “Except, I came in and almost wrecked it.”
On the sixth pitch of the at-bat, Kipnis barely made contact on a grounder that rolled a couple of toes in entrance of dwelling plate. Ross jumped on it and turned to fireside to first baseman Anthony Rizzo.
Ross shook his head remembering the second a decade later: “I threw the ball into the stands, almost killing Rizz.”
The throw was excessive and extensive, inflicting a mini collision between Kipnis and Rizzo as Santana took third whereas Kipnis was awarded second. Two pitches later, Lester spiked a curveball that smacked Ross within the helmet, knocking him over and permitting Santana and Kipnis to come back dwelling. The rating was 5-3, and the Cubs have been imploding.
“Wait a minute, I’m the defensive specialist,” Ross was considering. “What the hell is going on?”
The subsequent inning Ross capitalized on an opportunity to atone for his defensive errors, blasting a 1-2 fastball by reliever Andrew Miller out to right-center discipline for the ultimate dwelling run of his 15-year profession.
“Being able to connect on one was a little bit of a relief,” Ross mentioned with a smile. “I let two in but got one back.”
Things calmed for the Cubs after that dwelling run as Lester pitched into the eighth inning earlier than Jose Ramirez chased him with an infield single.
Maddon’s plan moved to the following part: bringing in hard-throwing nearer Aroldis Chapman for a four-out, World Series Game 7 save.
Ross stayed in, though he had solely been behind the plate with Chapman on the mound for 4⅓ innings since his arrival in July.
The pairing didn’t go easily.
With two outs and the Cubs main 6-3, Ross known as seven straight fastballs to outfielder Brandon Guyer, who caught as much as the final one, doubling to right-center and bringing Cleveland inside two runs.
Undeterred, Ross known as seven extra fastballs to Rajai Davis, who golfed the seventh one down the left discipline line for a tying homer that set off pandemonium inside Progressive Field.
“I called a ton of heaters,” Ross recalled with out a lot fondness. “It was probably a big mistake. Rajai Davis choked up on the bat like 4,000 feet and connected.
“Too many fastballs.”
Cubs’ game planner Mike Borzello added: “And then we get to Aroldis. We attacked that inning with all heaters and Davis winds up catching one. Was speculated to be up, it was down and he was in a position to drop the pinnacle on it and right here we’re in a tie sport. Brutal.”
Catcher No. 3
BY NOW, MADDON’S plan was nearly out the window. Cleveland had stormed back and the threat of another year of Cubs heartbreak was rising.
Ross led off the ninth inning by drawing a walk from reliever Cody Allen. He was replaced by a pinch runner, ending his night — and career.
“That was a loopy approach to exit,” he said. “I’m simply glad it will definitely went our approach.”
In an unusual move, the Cubs were switching catchers between the eighth and ninth innings — but not pitchers. It’s normally the opposite in a game. But of course, this was no normal game.
That meant the remainder of the night time behind the plate would belong to Montero, who had begun the 2016 season as Chicago’s starter however had seen his enjoying time diminished when Contreras arrived in June. Montero remained an integral a part of the group and confirmed his clutch aptitude by blasting a monumental pinch-hit grand slam in opposition to the Dodgers within the NLCS days earlier.
His Game 7 process was no small one: get a shaken Chapman by the ninth unscathed. After sitting for eight innings, the sport was in Montero’s fingers.
“It started the night before when we were alerted of the game plan by Joe,” Borzello recalled. “We knew that Willson was going to start and catch Kyle and go as far as that went. Then we were going to line change the battery and bring Rossy and Lester in. Those were a given.
“Miggy was on the fly.”
Montero and Chapman needed to shortly lock in a sport plan in opposition to the highest of Cleveland’s lineup: Santana, Kipnis and Francisco Lindor.
“The one factor that bought me probably the most nervous is I did not have a really feel for the hitters,” Montero said. “I hadn’t caught one sport within the playoffs. To are available in with the sport tied, it is f—ing nerve-racking.”
Despite that feeling, he displayed calm in front of Chapman and instead of calling for fastballs as Ross had, Montero mixed it up with some off-speed pitches. Borzello had prepared for the moment the night before and understood Montero hadn’t had much time behind the plate.
“I knew there was in all probability some bitterness there,” Borzello said. “I advised him, ‘You’re going to get on this sport. You must be locked in.’
“We’re going to have to trick them. Sliders and a couple splits. Chapman’s fastball wasn’t the same. Miggy did an unbelievable job.”
Chapman retired the facet so as. He and Montero did their jobs in probably the most intense second, one emotionally spent and one straight off the bench.
“I knew, if we could make it through the ninth, I’d feel good about it,” Montero mentioned. “But I wasn’t sure. Chapman is beat up, man. I mean beat up. We had the top of the lineup for them.
“Like I mentioned, it was actually f—ing nerve-racking.”
Cubs exec Jed Hoyer added: “The ninth was probably the most harrowing, surely. We have been a sitting duck there, having a drained Chapman on the mound and he is a large number. But Miggy did a heck of a job.”
Montero’s night was just beginning.
After a short rain delay interrupted play for 17 minutes, the Cubs came to the plate in the top of the 10th inning and broke through. Ben Zobrist doubled home a run and then Addison Russell was intentionally walked to load the bases with Montero at the plate.
After nine innings on the bench, one in the field and then a delay due to weather, finally, Montero was at the plate with a chance to add to Chicago’s lead. He sliced a 1-1 cutter from reliever Bryan Shaw through the left side of the infield for an RBI single and the Cubs lead grew to 8-6.
Like the two before him, catcher No. 3 had his hit and run driven in.
“The reality that each one three catchers performed on the defensive facet and bought at-bats and all had main contributions,” Borzello said. “You’re by no means going to see that within the historical past of the sport. Game 7? Never once more.”
Borzello’s next thought?
“We’re nonetheless not completed.”
THE CUBS HAD the lead but needed to get through the bottom of the 10th and once again, their third catcher of the night would play a big part in it.
With their veteran relievers used up — and starter Jake Arrieta throwing in the pen on zero days rest — Maddon turned to 24-year-old righty Carl Edwards Jr. for the biggest three outs of his life.
Edwards got the first two batters, but his nerves began to show with a five-pitch walk to Guyer that brought the tying run to the plate. Davis, two innings after his tying home run, delivered an RBI single that cut Chicago’s lead to 8-7.
Maddon had seen enough. Knowing that lightly used switch-hitting outfielder Mike Martinez was on deck, he turned to Borzello.
“Which approach, which approach? Maddon requested.
“Righty. We want him righty,” Borzello answered.
Borzello’s preparation was essential with the complete World Series coming all the way down to a journeyman infielder who had entered within the prime of the inning for his protection.
“This is big, because when you create a scouting report, you have to pay as much attention to the 25th man because who knows when he’s going to show up,” Borzello mentioned.
Now, the profession .194 hitter was about to take a very powerful at-bat of his life, and the Cubs needed him taking it right-handed — in order that they introduced in left-handed reliever Mike Montgomery. The 26-year-old Montgomery was ending his first full yr within the massive leagues, and his nerves have been clear to his catcher.
“The 10th inning when we got the lead, it was a little bit easier,” Montero mentioned. “We got two outs — then it got complicated again.”
Montero and Montgomery met on the mound however neither knew how they have been going to assault Martinez.
“Look, on his good days, you never know what you’re going to get with Miggy,” Montgomery mentioned with a smile. “I said ‘Miggy, what do we got, what are we going to throw?’
“He goes, ‘I’ll let you realize’ after which turns round and walks calmly away. I’m standing there, surprised.”
As he walked back to the dugout, Montero looked at Borzello for guidance.
“I do know Michael Martinez, however Miggy would not know him,” Borzello said. “I sign to him ‘curveball.'”
The Cubs dugout was filled with tension and no one outside of Borzello knew anything about Martinez, the man standing between them and the end of a 108 years of heartbreak.
“Lester and I have been collectively within the dugout, and we did not know the plan,” Kyle Schwarber mentioned. “Once you are out of the sport, you don’t have any management. I ran all the way down to Borzy.
“WHAT DO WE GOT? WHAT DO WE GOT?” Schwarber screamed.
Borzello turned to Schwarber and mentioned, “We got curveball!”
“I ran back down the dugout, screaming, ‘WE GOT CURVEBALL, WE GOT CURVEBALL,” Schwarber mentioned.
With the tying run at first base, Montero known as for the curve — and Montgomery dropped one completely into his mitt. Strike 1 trying.
“I couldn’t feel my legs,” Montgomery mentioned. “I set the International League record for wild pitches because of my curveball. Fast-forward two years, and it’s the pitch they’re calling to win the World Series. It had come a long way.”
Montero seemed again into the dugout. Curve once more.
“Why not?” Montero thought. “It worked once.”
The subsequent one nipped the skin nook of the plate as Martinez swung and pulled a comfortable grounder to 3rd base. Kris Bryant picked it up, threw to first and the Cubs had their elusive championship. Montgomery and Montero got here by.
“Miggy is an unsung hero,” Ross mentioned 10 years later.
“You forget he had the same pressure that I did,” Montgomery mentioned in settlement.
Montero was the ultimate performer of one thing that we would by no means see in a World Series sport once more. Three catchers, three hits, three RBIs — in a one-run win. All whereas catching a number of pitchers.
“The fact that all three guys were able to handle their role and contribute on both sides of the ball is incredible,” Borzello mentioned, shaking his head.
“All three contributing like that is a great thread in that game,” Maddon mentioned. “It really is.”
Hoyer added: “You think about a roster with three catchers, generally that third guy is there for protection only so you can use the other two. It’s pretty amazing they all had a role in that game.
“Big ones.”
