Chicago Cubs to bring World Series trophy to metro Phoenix
Dec 9, 2016, 10:10 AM
Chicago Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein holds the Commissioner's Trophy while son, Jack, right, and Chicago Cubs vice president of baseball operations and general manager Jed Hoyer, left, look on outside Wrigley Field during a parade honoring the World Series champions Friday, Nov. 4, 2016, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)
(AP Photo/Paul Beaty)
PHOENIX — The Chicago Cubs are sharing the joy of winning the World Series by taking the championship trophy on a tour that includes a springtime stop in the Valley.
The tour kicked off Friday in Chicago. The trophy was scheduled to reach Mesa’s Sloan Park during spring training, the team said.
Before then, the trophy will make stops in other Illinois cities, Des Moines, Iowa and South Bend, Indiana. Fans will be able to take selfies with the shiny hardware.
The National League Cubs won their first World Series title since 1908 in October, beating the Cleveland Indians of the American League in seven games.
The team didn’t specify whether the trophy would be in the Valley for all of spring training, but fans will chave.
The Cubs first held spring training in Mesa in 1952 at Rendezvous Park, where they remained through 1965. They left for California but returned to the Valley in 1967, playing spring ball in Scottsdale.
The team made its way back to Mesa in 1979 and has been there ever since.
They moved into Sloan Park, near Loop 202 and Rio Salado Parkway, in 2014, after years at Hohokam Park.
(AP Photo)
The city of Mesa spent about $100 million on construction of the park, which features a replica of the marquee that graces Wrigley Field.
Spring training games at Sloan Park generally sell out quickly.
