2008 Olympic Medalists Add World Series to Resume

BEIJING - AUGUST 23: The United States receive their bronze medals during the medal ceremony after Korea defeated Cuba 3-2 in the men's gold medal baseball game held at Wukesong Baseball Field on Day 15 of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on August 23, 2008 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)

(ATR) Dexter Fowler and Jake Arrieta helped fuel the Chicago Cubs to their first World Series victory in more than 100 years.

The center fielder and starting pitcher first played together during the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics where they earned a bronze medal in baseball’s final appearance at the Olympics before its revival at the Tokyo 2020 Games.

Fowler and Arrieta were both 22 years old during their chase for Olympic gold and were close to cracking into the starting lineup of Major League Baseball teams. Arrieta became a starting pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles while Fowler became the center fielder for the Colorado Rockies shortly after the Olympics.

The two each earned their first All-Star appearance in 2016 and are among the long list of players acquired by Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein since he took control of the team in 2011.

The acquisitions allowed the much-maligned baseball team to end its 108-year championship drought and break its famed "curse". Epstein also helped the Boston Red Sox organization break its 86-year championship drought in 2004.

The 2016 World Series between the Cubs and the Cleveland Indians took all seven games and one extra inning to determine the winner. The final battle on Wednesday night will go down as one of the best World Series games of all time with the Cubs prevailing 8-7 over the Indians in the 10th inning.

Fowler immediately got the momentum in the Cubs’ favor with a lead-off homerun in the first inning and finished the game with three hits. Arrieta pitched in game six and lead the team to a 9-3 victory with nine strikeouts.

The Indians will have to wait at least another year to end their own streak of 68 years without a championship following the devastating game seven loss in Cleveland.

Fowler and Arrieta can now add a World Series championship ring to their Olympic bronze medal. Pitcher Trevor Cahill also played with Fowler and Arrieta on the Beijing 2008 team and will receive a World Series ring although he was not on the downsized roster for the Cubs in the playoffs.

Written by Kevin Nutley

Forgeneral comments or questions, click here.

25 Years at #1: Your best source of news about theOlympics is AroundTheRings.com, for subscribersonly.

Recents Articles

La Semana Olímpica Francesa cerró la clasificación a París: 326 plazas definidas y 63 países representados

Francia, Gran Bretaña (líder histórico del medallero) y Alemania son los únicos tres países que tendrán botes en cada una de las 10 clases, que desde el 28 de julio competirán en Marsella. La vela en los Juegos Olímpicos comenzó en 1900, justamente en París.

The French Olympic Week closed the classification in Paris: 326 places defined and 63 countries represented

France, Great Britain (the historic leader of the medal table) and Germany are the only three countries that will have jackpots in each of the 10 classes, which from July 28 will compete in Marseille. Sailing at the Olympic Games began in 1900, just in Paris.

The black market in betting, an unsolved challenge for our beloved tennis

The large number of games, the numerous points that are played in each of them and, above all, the vulnerability of some of the more modest protagonists make it an ideal combo for those who operate on the subject illegally. Meanwhile, some sanctions reveal inconsistencies in the message

El mercado negro de apuestas, un desafio por resolver para nuestro querido tenis

La gran cantidad de partidos, los numerosos puntos que se juegan en cada uno de ellos y, sobre todo, la vulnerabilidad de algunos de los más modestos protagonistas se convierten en un combo ideal para quienes operan en el tema de manera ilegal. Mientras tanto, algunas sanciones desnudan incongruencias en el mensaje

Paris 2024, the Games with 12 billion interactions, 11,000 live hours and automatic replays

After the inauguration of an Artificial Intelligence Olympic Agenda that seeks to empower athletes, the competition and the public, the IOC's Director of Marketing and Digital Engagement, Leandro Larrosa, explains how the links between AI and networks will transform the imminent Olympic experience.

TOPICS