One of the men most responsible for Wednesday night’s World Series ring ceremony was standing near the Dodgers’ dugout an hour before the big event.
If Andrew Friedman didn’t leave the Rays for the Dodgers in October 2014, Cubs manager Joe Maddon wouldn’t have been able to exercise the opt-out clause in his contract, the one Maddon didn’t know about until his agent informed him during a trip in his RV to Jellystone Park.
Once he became a free agent manager, Maddon drove the RV to Pensacola, Fla., to meet with Cubs President Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer, who convinced him to sign a five-year, $25 million deal to replace Rick Renteria.
That set off the chain of events that led to last year’s title and Wednesday night’s party, where Maddon received some of the loudest cheers when Epstein introduced him and handed him his championship ring.
Would the Cubs have ended their drought without Maddon at the helm?
Just a guess here, but not in this lifetime.
Friedman’s Dodgers lost to the Cubs in the National League Championship Series last October after being up 2-1 and having Games 4 and 5 in their own park. Still, Friedman had to feel happy on this special night for Maddon, his old friend and confidant from their Rays’ days.
“No,” he replied with a reluctant grin.
Uh, OK.
Friedman actually admires Maddon, who helped make him look like a genius with the Rays, who lost the 2008 Series in their tenure.
“He does a tremendous job of putting his players in the best position to succeed,” Friedman said. “He takes the time, from an interpersonal standpoint, to get to know the guys and has a good feel for when a guy needs a pat on the back or how to get them to play with more confidence.”
The ring ceremony was nice, and the ring was even nicer, with 214 diamonds at 5.5 carats, and another 5.5 carats of red rubies and blue sapphires. The 2015 Blackhawks ring reportedly had 355 diamonds, but who’s counting?
The Cubs eventually will distribute 1,908 rings and pins throughout the organization, including posthumous rings for Ernie Banks and Ron Santo, who surely deserved theirs just for being Ernie Banks and Ron Santo.
“Surprised to hear it,” Santo’s son, Jeff, said. “Got emotional when Len (Kasper) said it. Very moved and grateful the Cubs did that for him and Ernie. So cool.”
A personal favorite touch was putting an image of a billy goat on the inner band of the ring, a nod to the curse tavern owner William Sianis placed on the team when the Cubs wouldn’t let him bring his goat in to the 1945 World Series. A Cubs news release said the goat represented “a supposed franchise curse,” neglecting to mention Chairman Tom Ricketts repeatedly has said since his family bought the team, “there is no curse.”
At least Ricketts has a sense of humor about it now.
It had to be hard for the Dodgers to have to witness this Cubs’ celebration, coming two nights after the banner ceremony, knowing they blew a chance to put their foot on the Cubs’ throats in the NLCS in L.A. The Dodgers threw back-to-back shutouts in Games 2 and 3, and Anthony Rizzo was a no-show at that point.
Then Rizzo borrowed Matt Szczur’s bat in Game 4 and snapped out of his slump. The rest is history. Rizzo got his ring Wednesday. Szczur’s bat did not get one, but Szczur did.
Rizzo, who has the longest tenure of any current Cub, said he was talking Tuesday to someone with a 2015 Blackhawks ring and was advised he should let everyone “touch the ring and wear it” if they ask him.
“That’s really cool,” he said. “When people out in the streets see these rings, they’re going to want to see it. It’s special.”
So Rizzo plans to walk around out on the street wearing his ring?
“I probably won’t,” he said. “But then again, I probably will. I’ll have fun with it. We’ll see.”
The players showed off their rings for a group photo like a bunch of kids on a Little League field. It was fitting. This is, after all, a kids’ game. When a TV reporter asked him who will get to wear his ring the most, Rizzo just smiled.
“Me,” he replied, “and ‘Sully.'”
I promise not to lose it.
psullivan@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @PWSullivan
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