Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon and the rest of his coaching staff know what they’re doing, as evidenced by the Cubs earning a spot in the National League Championship Series for the second straight season. But don’t tell that to actor Daniel Stern.
Stern, who played “Phil Brickma,” an over-the-top, tobacco-chewing pitching coach for the Cubs in the fictional 1993 film “Rookie of the Year,” has resurrected the character for the Cubs’ playoff run.
In a series of Facebook videos, “Brickma” suggests his input could still be a valuable resource.
The Cubs, who rallied in the ninth inning against the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night to advance to the NLCS, have everything a World Series team needs — great offense, starting pitching, a shutdown closer and an elite manager. But “Brickma” believes they may still be missing one key ingredient.
And who knows, maybe he could bring back the “Three R’s” just for the Cubs’ postseason run.
Until the Cubs win a World Series, which would be the team’s first since 1908 (not counting the fictional 1993 title, of course), fans of the team will blame a variety of curses for the Cubs’ failure to win it all. That superstition extends to “Brickma,” who believed that higher powers were to blame when he lost his TV feed during Game 4 of the NL Division Series.
The Cubs will move forward without Brickma when they host the winner of Game 5 of the NLDSÂ between the the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Washington Nationals on Saturday.
Thumbnail photo via Facebook/Daniel Stern
