The Cubtober Diary: Lackey's quest for jewelry begins tonight - WGN-TV
John Lackey throws during a June game at Wrigley Field.
SAN FRANCISCO – Sometimes he’s gruff, occasionally abrasive yet still can pull out something creative here and there.
But no John Lackey quote to the media will top the one he gave to reporters in the dog days of summer when the Cubs were on their way to a 103-win season.
“We’re trying to win the World Series, I didn’t come here for a haircut,” said Lackey after his August 3rd start against the Marlins. “I came here for jewelry.”
That soundbite has been played a bit over the past 18 hours after the Cubs were forced to a Game 4 early Tuesday morning by the Giants who staved off elimination with a 6-5 13-inning win. Lackey gets his first shot in the 2016 postseason tonight against the Giants’ Matt Moore just after 7:40 PM.
“From day one, we have been talking about winning the World Series. That’s the goal,” said Lackey, doubling down on his comments from August. “We want to be the last one standing, and that has not changed.”
Lackey knows a thing or two about doing that. In 2002 and 2013 he picked up victories in World Series clinching victories for the Angels and the Red Sox. The former came against the Giants in Anaheim – his first championship in his first postseason.
It wasn’t like he needed his offense to carry him. Against San Francisco he allowed just one run in five inning and in 2013 against the Cardinals he allowed just one again in 6 2/3 innings. In fact tonight’s catcher, David Ross, is the same one who caught the World Series winner at Fenway Park.
Does Lackey reflect on those experiences as he tries to closeout the Cubs’ third postseason series win since 1908?
“I’ve had several postseason starts, and one doesn’t really affect the next one,” said Lackey. “You kind of know what to expect on the outside like as far as the fly overs and all the more time in between innings and that kind of stuff, you know how to handle that.
“Once you get in the game, it’s another game, another challenge.”
Another shot to get his team two series closer to some new bling.
