Theo Epstein has moved on to Chicago, but he’ll always consider Boston home.
Epstein, who helped lead the Red Sox to World Series glory while serving as the team’s general manager, grew up in Brookline, Mass. He used to cheer on his mother and her twin sister while they ran the Boston Marathon, and he also used to live a block away from the race’s finish line, where tragedy struck on Monday.
The Cubs have joined the rest of baseball in supporting Boston in the wake of Monday’s events, which took the lives of three and injured nearly 200 others. The disaster has really hit home for Epstein, though, and he’s still trying to wrap his head around the situation.
“The city’s really shaken, but it’s extremely resilient with lots of tough people and we’ll definitely get through it,” Epstein said, according to CSNChicago.com “It’s just almost impossible to process something like that. It’s just such a special day in Boston, too. The thing about the marathon is just about everyone there was either waiting for a loved one or a friend or there to cheer on and support a stranger.
“And then to have someone try to kill and hurt strangers doesn’t make sense. It’s amazing that human beings are capable of both those extremes.”
Epstein reportedly heard from his brother, Paul, after he finished the Boston Marathon on Monday — about 45 minutes before the explosions — and was in the draft room for midpoint scouting meetings when someone saw a news flash on Twitter. It reportedly took about 20 minutes before the two reconnected.
It’ll certainly take some time for Epstein — and many others — to fully comprehend exactly what happened on Monday, but the Cubs president is certain of one thing.
“I know Boston’s tough enough to get through it,” Epstein reportedly said.
Spoken like a true Bostonian.
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