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Theo Epstein: Kyle Schwarber Called His Homer Off Gerrit Cole

(CBS) Regular listeners of 670 The Score are likely familiar with a story that host Matt Spiegel has relayed on air. As it goes, Spiegel was talking to a member of the Cubs' front office in 2014, discussing first-round pick Kyle Schwarber, who was still in the minors at the time.

During the conversation, the Cubs official referred to Schwarber as "Babe 'effin Ruth."

Well, now there's more support for that legend to grow. In the Cubs' 4-0 win against the Pirates in Wednesday's NL wild-card game, Schwarber hit a mammoth two-run homer to right field off of Pirates ace Gerrit Cole, giving Chicago a 3-0 lead. It was estimated to have gone 449 feet, and though video wasn't clear, it may have also gone into the Allegheny River that runs just behind PNC Park.

It was a homer that Schwarber had called, Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said.

"Schwarber called that shot," Epstein said amid the postgame celebration. "About two weeks ago, I told him he was thisclose to putting a ball in the river off Cole, and he goes, 'You're right. I'm putting a ball in the river off Cole.' And there it goes, down by the river."

Epstein reiterated the Schwarber story at another point in the postgame chaos.

"He said, 'Oh, get a kayak. I'm going into the river,'" Epstein said. "And he did."

Of course, you'll remember that Ruth is believed to have famously called his shot by pointing his bat toward center field at Wrigley Field and then homering there in Game 3 of the 1932 World Series, which the Yankees would defeat the Cubs in.

You can watch Schwarber's massive blast below. And you can call him whatever you want as well.

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