Chicago Cubs manager Dale Sveum was involved in a frightening hunting accident over the offseason. Since he was not seriously injured, it’s one of those incidents that we can all look back on and laugh. The team did just that during its first full squad meeting on Sunday.
According to the Chicago Tribune, the Cubs all showed up to the meeting in their warm-up jackets and went to take them off at the same time, which took Sveum by surprise.
“Halfway into the meeting they all took their jackets off and they all had bright orange hunting gear on, and hats,” Sveum said. “Of course they gave me one with a target.”
Classic. Of course, the person who orchestrated the prank has not come forward. Unless he feels like carrying buckets of balls to practice for a week, the brains behind the operation will probably remain anonymous. Sveum laughed it off but also said “God help them” if he finds out who was responsible. Could it have been Matt Garza? If it was, he’s not saying.
“It was a good one, just to kind of loosen people up,” Garza said. “I know the first day is usually a little nerve-wracking, especially with (all the media around). Whoever did that, it was a good one. … Guys laughed it off and Skip laughed it off. I think it was a good icebreaker for a bunch of guys, (to) kind of loosen the tone, the feelings.
“Everyone was a little nervous… When the person who gets it is laughing, that’s a good one. If he gets a mean face, probably not the move you want to make.”
Sveum had to have known this was coming, so he’s probably relieved to get it out of the way before the first official team meeting. Although, something tells me this won’t be the last he hears about the quail hunting fiasco.
