CLEVELAND (AP) – Jason Kipnis was raised on Chicago’s North Side, and like so many other kids, he grew up idolizing Ryne Sandberg, watching Sammy Sosa smash home runs and listening to Harry Caray.
He bled Cubs blue.
And he never once blamed Steve Bartman – they went to the same high school, by the way.
“We have a joke,” the Indians second baseman said, referring to the infamous fan vilified in Chicago for a failed attempt to catch a postseason foul ball. “The only thing I’m mad at Bartman for is missing an easy flyball.”
Kipnis finds himself in a unique situation in his first World Series, facing the team that helped shape his life. The Cubs are in his DNA. They’re the team he learned to love, the one that taught him the game and the one that often broke his heart. But while Kipnis’ family and friends intend to remain true to their Cubbies over the next week, his loyalties are not divided.