CHICAGO - Pete Mackanin will listen to the stadium organist on Friday afternoon when the Phillies begin batting practice at Wrigley Field. He'll be waiting to hear his high school fight song.
Mackanin will then peer up to Gary Pressy, the longtime man behind the music at the iconic ballpark, and pump his fist when the tune begins. The Phillies manager, who took a winding journey to get here this weekend, will be home again.
The road to Mackanin's first full-time major-league manager job started in an empty lot on this city's South Side. It continued at Brother Rice High School, an all-boys Catholic school for which his parents sacrificed to get him to instead of the school in their working-class neighborhood.