SI

Craig Counsell Jokingly Credits Taylor Swift Merchandise for Cubs' Hot Streak

Tom Dierberger

Marquee Sports Network
In this story:

The Chicago Cubs' recent stretch of winning baseball can be credited to a pregame ritual in the clubhouse that all Swifties will enjoy.

"I was gifted a Taylor Swift candle, and we've been lighting that before games in my office—clubhouse manager Danny Miller [and I]," manager Craig Counsell told Marquee Sports Network's Taylor McGregor on Tuesday. "We've been on a nice little run here, so we're going to credit Taylor Swift."

Trying to hang in the NL wild-card race, the Cubs have won seven of their last 10 games to get back to .500 (66–66) entering Tuesday's matchup against the Pittsburgh Pirates. They have the third-best team OPS in all of baseball in that span (.814), a big improvement compared to their season-long mark of .706, which ranks 15th.

The 2024 MLB season has been full of odd team-wide rituals. The Minnesota Twins celebrated home runs by hurling a lucky summer sausage at one another earlier this season, and the New York Mets rode the momemtum of the Grimace mascot in June. And now, the Cubs have their Taylor Swift candle.

Never change, baseball.

Published |Modified
Tom Dierberger
TOM DIERBERGER

Tom Dierberger is a staff writer and editor on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in November 2023 after stints at FOX Sports, Bally Sports and NBC Sports. Dierberger has a bachelor's in communication from St. John's University. In his spare time, he can be seen throwing out his arm while playing fetch with his dog, Walter B. Boy.

Home/MLB