Kris Bryant - Chicago Cubs

1) #17 Kris Bryant plays third base for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball.

2) Bryant entered Major League Baseball in 2015 and won National League Rookie of the Year and is a 2x All Star (2015, 2016).

3) In 2016, Kris Bryant took home the National League Most Valuable Player award and was a major part the team that won the first World Series championship for the Chicago Cubs since 1908.

J: What is your favorite fruit or vegetable?

KB: Honestly, I don't eat too much of either. I eat a lot of steak and I love cake. They have everything in the clubhouse. I would say strawberries though for fruit to pick one.

J when talking to Cubs World Series MVP Ben Zobrist in November 2016: When we met Kris Bryant he said he likes cake and steak.

BZ: For fruit? When you asked him that question? That sounds like him. And soda. He drinks soda all the time.

J's Follow Up: This is not what I was thinking he was going to say. I thought he'd say broccoli and raspberries or something like that. But he went with cake and steak and also soda. He's like a top 10 baseball player in the league and he eats that. I think it all tastes good and I eat them too. I like cake a little more than steak but I don't try to eat them that much. 

D's Follow Up: I do like cake and steak but steak to me is better than cake. Cake is good to me too. I like to drink soda sometimes because I like Coca-Cola. My mom and dad say no pop unless we go out to eat. Dad always says water is the best.

Jordan and I met Kris Bryant on May 28th, 2015 at ATI Physical Therapy in Zion, IL. After an afternoon where Jordan visited Bannockburn School to celebrate our school's victory as Illinois' top Play 60 school with a visit from Chicago Bears tight ends Zach Miller and Bear Pascoe, we both decided to head north to Zion to meet the #2 overall draft pick from the 2013 MLB draft and highly touted Cubs rookie. At the time, we were excited to meet the future of the Chicago Cubs but we had no idea that one season later he would be named MVP and lead the Cubs to a World Series title. I saw the event earlier in the morning and we quickly made the drive out to Zion right after school. Luckily, I had one of my Cubs hats in my office and off we went.

The event at ATI was a photo opportunity only but we were thrilled to have access to the future of the Cubs! We waited about 45 minutes to shake hands with Kris and Jordan was excited to help me do healthy eating research for school. The Fuel Up to Play 60 team was recording the healthy foods that players from different Chicago teams ate before a game. We would then host a healthy taste test at school with each player's favorite snack. Of course, we were surprised to hear that Kris opts for steak and cake while he's hanging out in the Wrigley Field clubhouse and we had to throw those two foods out of the mix for our event. Being fans of both foods, we did enjoy his honesty and thought his response was awesome... but at least he did mention strawberries. To this day, we still talk about Kris when we have steak for dinner or when we dive into cake. At the time, Kris was brand new to the major leagues and we are guessing that his diet has changed over the past few seasons. With the importance of strength training and nutrition for high level athletes today, we assume the Cubs might have him cutting back on the cake, soda and the steak. If not, more power to him because he has become one of the brightest young stars in Major League Baseball. 

Ben Zobrist - Chicago Cubs

1) Ben Zobrist is a three-time MLB All-Star and two-time World Series champion and the ultimate utility player for the Chicago Cubs.

2) Zobrist has played 11 major league seasons including stops with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays (2006-14), Oakland Athletics (2015), Kansas City Royals (2015) and the Chicago Cubs (2016-present).

3) Ben is a native of Eureka, IL and originally attended Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, IL which is also home to Chicago Bears training camp.

J: What's your favorite fruit or vegetable?

BZ: You know, I'm a pineapple and mango guy. Pineapples and mangoes.

J: It's a little weird. We went to meet Kris Bryant and he said that he likes cake and steak! 

BZ: Cake and steak? For fruit? When you asked him that question. (Maybe he heard food?) He said cake and steak, that sounds like him...and soda. He drinks soda all the time.

J: He said if he had to pick one he'd pick strawberries but he pretty much eats steak and cake.

J's Follow Up: I'm not much of a mango dude but I'll eat it every once in a while. But I do like pineapple unlike my brother. Dude I'm always eating cake and steak like Kris. I only drink soda every once in a while but I really like it. 

D's Follow Up: Mangoes are my favorite and I don't like pineapple anymore. I had sour pineapple and that is seriously why I don't like it now. If I ranked all my favorite fruits, mangoes would be number one.

We met the World Series MVP Ben Zobrist on November 12th, 2016 as Ben and the Cubs were fresh off of winning the World Series just ten days earlier. The thrilling game seven (8-7 final score) victory versus the Cleveland Indians was the club's first title in 108 years. The signing took place at Woodfield Mall inside the My Fan Cave store. 

Our family always makes an effort to be early when attending signings with athletes, and it's especially important when meeting with the World Series MVP. On Saturday, November 12th, the boys went to a friend's birthday party and we quickly made our way over to the mall at the end of the party. We arrived with roughly fifteen minutes left in Ben's official signing time but we were told that he was gone and had left the store ten minutes earlier. 

Fortunately for us, Ben was still in the mall and we were escorted to a special security room where the four of us got one on one time with the two-time World Series champ. The boys decided to ask their go-to question as they wanted Ben to name his favorite fruit or vegetable. He quickly replied with pineapple and mangoes, which are favorites of our family too! Danny has recently gone sour on pineapple but you'll still see fresh pineapple and mangoes on our dinner table on a regular basis.

It was an amazing opportunity for our family to talk with Ben Zobrist just 10 short days after being named World Series MVP and winning the World Series with the Chicago Cubs! I can tell you that we were walking on cloud nine after this experience and it's a day we will never forget. Go Cubs Go!

                    

Willson Contreras - Chicago Cubs

1) Willson Contreras #40 is a star catcher for the Chicago Cubs. 

2) Contreras was a rookie for the Cubs in 2016 when they won their first World Series Championship in 108 years. He was called up in June 2016 and became the 30th player in the modern MLB era to hit a home run on the first pitch of his first major-league at-bat. 

3) Willson teamed up with the Special Olympics this season as the 2017 Windy City Rubber Ducky Derby Celebrity Ambassador. You can help support Special Olympics Illinois by adopting a duck here for the big race on August 3rd. 

D: What do you like to do more...hit a home run or throw someone out when they are trying to steal a base?

WC: Throw somebody out when they are stealing. Yes, that's a good one. 

D's Follow Up: I thought Willson would say he likes to hit a home run more. If he hits a home run, his team would get more runs but I also see how he would like to stop the other team from getting runs too. 

J: What's your favorite Chicago food?

WC: Favorite Chicago food is pizza.

J's Follow Up: Pizza is one my favorites too. I thought he would say that because most people like pizza and Chicago is known for it. Lately I like MOD and Blaze pizza even though it's not Chicago style because I can put whatever I want on it.

On Wednesday, July 26th, the boys and I decided to make the trek downtown to meet superstar catcher and one of the top players in Major League Baseball, Willson Contreras. We love to watch Contreras call a game as he works with Cubs pitchers and we also love the home run power he brings to the plate for each at-bat. We believe Contreras has the potential to be an all-star catcher for many years to come. 

Willson Contreras was scheduled to make a special appearance at the Jewel on Division Street to meet with fans and sign Special Olympics duck cookies. Proceeds from the purchase of the cookies will be donated to the Special Olympics of Illinois. 

The boys and I waited for an hour and a half to meet Willson and we agree it was worth every second. With questions in hand, the boys introduced themselves to Willson and he repeated their names back to them and eagerly awaited their questions. First up was Jordan. He's really become a pro at approaching his favorite athletes. He calmly asked Willson what his favorite Chicago food is. Coming from Venezuela, we were unsure what he might choose as his favorite but we know most people love pizza. Like us, Willson loves Chicago's pizza but we wish we would've found out his favorite local spot because we'd be happy to meet him there!

Up next was our favorite seven year old and Kyle Schwarber's #1 fan, Danny Vincent. I thought his question was great and Willson agreed by telling him that after he answered. Would you rather hit a home run or throw a base runner out? One thing that seems to be a constant is players are just as excited to make a defensive stop in their sport as they are to make a big impact on offense. Contreras said he prefers to throw the base runner out if he has to choose between the two. 

In my short co-ed softball career, I understand the rush you get making a big defensive stop when your team needs you to. Most people consider catcher to be the most important position in baseball because of the tremendous responsibilities put on their shoulders. Catchers must know everything about everyone at all times. From knowing every hitter in the lineup, to understanding his pitcher's strengths and also knowing where the defense is lined up, catchers have a ton of information to process. Combine that with being the most physically demanding position, I understand that a catcher would love to help their team out in a major way by making a pinpoint throw to tag out a base runner.

With all that said, I can imagine the rush you would get by hitting a home run over the ivy in Wrigley Field on gorgeous day game in July. That feeling would never get old to me.

We had a fun time meeting a great baseball player and an even better person, Willson Contreras. Thanks to Jewel for hosting such a sweet event and to Willson for taking the time during the Crosstown Classic to meet with fans and raise money for the Special Olympians of Illinois. It was a day we'll never forget.