NEW YORK -- One thing that could derail the Chicago Cubs' hopes of getting past the New York Mets in the National League Championship Series has nothing to do with pitchers Matt Harvey or Noah Syndergaard or the dynamic hitter Yoenis Cespedes.
It’s cold weather.
The Cubs aren’t likely to experience the balmy conditions they enjoyed in bashing nine home runs in two days at Wrigley Field in beating the St. Louis Cardinals earlier this week -- at least not in Games 1 and 2 at Citi Field, where the forecast calls for 48 degrees at first pitch on Saturday. And that’s the warmer day of the two days. Sunday’s game could start as cold as 44 degrees.
“I don’t like the cold weather,” new starting shortstop Javier Baez said on Friday. “I’m from Puerto Rico, it’s hot the whole year there.”
Several Cubs have had to adjust to the colder conditions at Wrigley Field, which persist longer into the season than anyone cares to remember. For example, Kris Bryant grew up in Las Vegas and played college baseball in San Diego. Until coming to the Cubs, he rarely played in sub-50 degree weather. He’s trying to keep a positive mindset as the temperature drops.
“It’s not that big of a deal right now given this is the playoffs and we have a lot of adrenaline,” Bryant said. “If you hit it on the fat part of the bat, you don’t feel it. That’s our mindset. Hopefully we can square a lot of balls up.”
No one epitomizes the absolute hatred of hitting in cold weather more than right fielder Jorge Soler. He donned a ski mask for much of the spring until the temperatures increased. He never looked comfortable and had little success at the plate, going 7-for-45 (.156) in 12 games in which the temperature was below 50 degrees, according to ESPN Stats and Information.
“I know it’s going to be colder,” Soler said through an interpreter. “But this (the series) is important. I don’t like it (the cold).
“I brought the mask.”
Baez then joked he might want to borrow Soler’s mask. The good news is it’s supposed to be warmer at Wrigley Field for Games 3-5 next week, but either way don’t expect balls to be flying out of the yard like they were against the Cardinals. That just doesn’t happen in colder weather, or as Soler puts it “muy frio.”
“I’m going to do my best,” he said.