As soon as the familiar Guns N’ Roses tune began, the Cubs’ bullpen door opened, and the roar of a crowd nearly 40,000 strong greeted the savior these faithful have waited months to see.
“That gave me chills,” Cubs catcher Willson Contreras said.
By the time the strains of “Sweet Child of Mine” began to subside and the red-bearded Craig Kimbrel settled onto the mound at Wrigley Field on Thursday afternoon, bending into his trademark, arm-dangling stance to look for the sign, the roar of the crowd rose again.
“Definitely gives you goose bumps as a player,” first baseman Anthony Rizzo said.