Myrtle Beach Pelicans have hand in Cubs’ run to the World Series

When Aroldis Chapman and his 100-mph-plus fastball take the mound for the Chicago Cubs in the World Series beginning this week, keep one thing in mind.

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans were a big part of making it happen.

The Cubs organization dealt two 2016 Pelicans – Gleyber Torres and Rashad Crawford, both top prospects – and a 2015 Pelican in Billy McKinney along with Adam Warren to acquire the flame-thrower from the New York Yankees in a trade deadline blockbuster this summer.

And while no Pelicans from the past two seasons – the length of the time Myrtle Beach has been the Advanced Class-A affiliate of the Cubs – are on Chicago’s postseason roster, the trade serves as Myrtle Beach’s biggest contribution.

“That’s where we’re going to hang our hat on right now as far as contributing to the championship,” Pelicans Vice President and General Manager Andy Milovich said Sunday night. “It’s been a really fun thing to be a part of.”

While no direct Pelicans-to-Cubs players are on the roster, there are three former Pelicans who will be sporting Chicago uniforms in the World Series.

On the roster are Jason Heyward, who starred for the Pelicans in 2008 and 2009 while the Pelicans were partnered with the Atlanta Braves, and Justin Grimm (2011) and Kyle Hendricks (2012), who played in Myrtle Beach during the Texas Rangers partnership.

Also on the Cubs’ postseason roster is Jorge Soler, who helped the Pelicans win the Mills Cup in 2015 while on a rehab assignment.

“The fact that they’ve got three guys competing that came from Atlanta and Texas I think has been fun and a really cool thing for us to be a part of,” Milovich said. “… The Carolina League as a whole has had some incredible talent over the years, and regardless of the affiliation, Myrtle Beach has had incredible talent come through.”

Milovich said the Pelicans – who are back-to-back Carolina League champions – will have their annual party for employees, season-ticket holders and sponsors at the ballpark Tuesday.

“It’s something that we do annually that’s not specific to the Cubs,” Milovich said. “But we’ll have a much heavier interest in the event that we’re doing as a result of being part of the Cubs family.”

As for showing public support for Chicago – outside of all the usual Cubs markings found inside and outside the stadium – Milovich said talks are ongoing.

“We’ve kicked around the idea of doing something from a public standpoint,” he said. “I think if we did it would likely be toward the end of the series if it came down to a title-clinching scenario.”

Milovich was on his way home from Chicago on Sunday after witnessing Saturday night’s historic win that put the Cubs in the World Series – where they will take on the Cleveland Indians in the best-of-seven series – for the first time in 71 years. He said he was blown away by the atmosphere.

“It was just insane. It was totally electric,” said Milovich, who was born in South Bend, Ind., and grew up a Cubs fan. “It’s difficult to put into words how much energy was in Wrigley Field last night and around Wrigley Field. It was just an amazing thing to be a part of.”

Milovich said he plans to attend all three games – if necessary – in Chicago and hopes to also make it to Cleveland to watch.

For him, it’s the best of both worlds.

“On a personal level, it’s incredibly special. I’ve been a Cubs fan for my entire life. From a professional standpoint, I think it speaks to the reason we partnered with the Cubs in the first place. They’re a great organization. They have a fantastic player development system. They have some of the best minds and best coaching and player development people in the game. And they have the best fan base in the country,” Milovich said. “It’s led us to some really competitive teams here locally and to two Carolina League championships. It creates interest from a fan’s perspective. It really makes it compelling for visitors and travelers to consider the beach as an option for family vacations to see the young Cubs.

“So we love the success and we’re excited about it. We can’t be more excited about the opportunity to bring a world championship to Chicago.”

This story was originally published October 24, 2016 at 4:55 PM with the headline "Myrtle Beach Pelicans have hand in Cubs’ run to the World Series."