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Jake Arrieta will go down in history as one of the greatest stories in Chicago Cubs history. He was acquired in 2013 after a failed stint with the Baltimore Orioles. Most felt he was a lost cause. The Cubs helped rework his game, and two years later, he won the National League Cy Young award. Then in 2016, he made his only All-Star game while helping the organization win the World Series. The man will forever be Chicago royalty.
Sadly, the man succumbed to the greatest foe of every athlete this past year. Father Time. Arrieta announced on the Pardon My Take podcast that he was officially retiring from baseball. He admitted to Barstool Big Cat that adjusting to family life has been a bit wonky at times. Never was that clearer than during one of his son’s little league games. It was the age group where coaches were required to pitch the ball.
On this day, Arrieta got the nod. It didn’t take him long to realize that was a mistake.
That was obviously not the goal. Coaches are required to slow pitch to help the kids make contact, learn how to run the bases, and better understand the game. Jake Arrieta has spent two decades of his life learning how to throw with frightening velocity. He could hit 98 and 99 on the radar gun at his peak. His body goes by muscle memory that he’s supposed to follow a particular motion when he throws.
It isn’t a surprise things got crazy when he tried throwing intentionally slow. His arm wasn’t used to the motion and likely either threw the ball off course or too fast for the batters to have any prayer of hitting. Imagine being seven or eight years old and having a Cy Young winner with that beard staring you down. No one would blame kids for being instantly intimidated.
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Another great story Cubs fans can add to Arrieta’s growing legend.
