Chicago Cubs Mascot visits 7th Army Training Command

Photo By Staff Sgt. Christopher Stewart | The 2016 World Series Championship Trophy, belonging to the Chicago Cubs baseball team, was displayed to the Soldiers of the 7th Army Training Command, Grafenwoehr, Germany, Dec. 11, 2018. The morale visit also included photo opportunities with the Cub’s mascot, Clark, and Soldiers in Bavaria. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Christopher Stewart)  

GRAFENWOEHR, BY, GERMANY

12.11.2018

Story by Sgt. Christopher Stewart 

7th Army Training Command

GRAFENWOEHR, Germany (Dec. 11, 2018) - The Billy Goat curse is a popular superstition born from the 1945 World Series when a fan cursed the Chicago Cubs baseball team after he and his goat were ejected from Wrigley Field during game 4. The Cubs lifted the curse when they won the World Series in 2016, lasting 71 years, and now the team gets to share the triumphant victory with fans and service members all over the world.
A small group from the Cubs team visited 7th Army Training Command, here, Dec. 11, 2018, and shared the World Series trophy and championship ring with the Soldiers.
It’s America’s pastime” said James Reynolds, the man in charge of protecting the World Series Trophy on this tour.
The Cubs’ mascot, affectionately named Clark, and his small team were also part of the visit to learn about the U.S. Army’s footprint within the European theater. Clark and his team took a special trip up to the famous Grafenwoehr Water Tower. Of course, they made time for a few photo opportunities for the local Cubs fans as well.
Reynolds helped explain the Cub’s history, while letting Soldiers wear his very own championship ring.
It’s special that Soldiers and true Cubs fans who are away from home for the holidays had that opportunity to make that connection, said Lt. Col. Bill Carroll, who is assigned to the 7th Army Training Command.
Carroll, who briefed the visiting Cubs members on the mission of 7ATC, highlighted the importance of morale visits to Grafenwoehr.
“It’s important to get them to visit here because Grafenwoehr has the largest density of Soldiers and is where the combat power is,” said Carroll. “If you want to get to the Soldiers in Europe, this is the place to do it.”
The Cubs group also visited Vilseck High School in Rose Barracks, American Forces Network in Vilseck, the 7th Army Noncommissioned Officer Academy, the Grafenwoehr USO, and a local Christmas Market.
The ring has 108 stones, representing the years since the Cubs’ last win in the World Series. The ring sports a “W” flag, representing the flag that was flown at Wrigley Field so that the working men would know the results of the game as they rode the train home. The other side of the ring displays Wrigley Field itself, with a World Series trophy and a large diamond in the middle. The insignia reads, “World Champions” with the Cubs logo in the middle. Inside of the band has a goat head engraved, signifying the victory over the curse.

• Date Taken: 12.11.2018
• Date Posted: 12.19.2018 06:24
• Story ID: 304236
• Location: GRAFENWOEHR, BY, DE