Wrigley Field. June 8, 2017. Bobblehead night. Just another workday for Major League Baseball player Ben Zobrist ’04.
Side note: This was Ben’s bobblehead night. And there was a pre-game surprise waiting for him. Olivet Nazarene University and the Chicago Cubs arranged that surprise. His name was Tom Zobrist, Ben’s dad, and he was there to throw the first pitch to Ben.
“Just like old times but switched around,” Ben said to his dad after deftly catching the ball.
Also there to witness this memorable event were Dr. John C. Bowling, University president; Julianna, Ben’s wife, and their three children; Cindi, Ben’s mother; and Noah, Ben’s brother.
Tiger Nation humbly appreciates the Olivet footnote in the 2016 World Series Game 7, now in the history books as one of the great baseball games of all time.
Olivetians everywhere celebrated when Ben hit the RBI double that put the Chicago Cubs ahead of the Cleveland Indians in the 10th inning. Each team would score one more run before Zobrist and the Cubs celebrated the end of the longest drought in professional sports — 108 seasons without a championship.
Immediately following that game, Ben was named Most Valuable Player of the 2016 World Series.
