On The Verge Of World Series, Cubs And Fans Eager For Game 6 Of NLCS
CHICAGO (CBS) -- With the Cubs one win away from their first trip to the World Series since 1945, all was quiet in Wrigleyville on Friday morning, but the neighborhood around Wrigley Field is sure to be a zoo for Game 6 of the National League Championship Series against the Dodgers on Saturday.
Inside the ballpark, the polished green field is ready for play when the first pitch is thrown at 7:08 p.m. Saturday.
The Cubs arrived home at Wrigley Field around 6 a.m. Friday, after a red-eye flight from Los Angeles, following their 8-4 win Thursday night to take a 3-2 lead in the NLCS. Players and their families headed straight home to rest up for the next big game, and their chance at history.
While the players were eager to get home, Cubs announcer Pat Hughes, who traveled with the team, stopped to offer a sense of the mood on the flight home.
"Excited, a little tired, a little exhausted; everyone's tired this time of year, but very businesslike, actually, in a lot of ways," he said. "I think this Cubs team expects to win, so that's the way the team is approaching Game 6."
A few fans who were waiting outside Wrigley when the Cubs got home managed to get some autographs from the team.
Mike Praznowski said he expects a party-like atmosphere in and around Wrigley Field on Saturday, much like the last time the Cubs were this close to the World Series, though he was obviously hoping for a different result than in 2003.
"Just having flashbacks of '03, when again they were one game away, and seeing all the people out on Waveland Avenue," he said. "I'm envisioning that same thing going on tomorrow night, and hopefully only tomorrow night."
Saturday's game will be a rematch of Game 2, with Kyle Hendricks and the Cubs facing off against Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers. The Cubs are hoping to avenge their 1-0 loss in Game 2 and avoid a winner-take-all Game 7 on Sunday.
