Cubs recreate World Series magic with circus catch

CHICAGO — It’s only polite for young whippersnappers to give their grandfathers a hand, and thus Anthony Rizzo came to the rescue of David Ross in Game 5 of the World Series and created a rather fantastic highlight.

It happened in the top of the second inning, when Carlos Santana hit a foul pop-up toward the Cleveland Indians’ dugout. Ross, the 39-year-old backup catcher the Chicago Cubs affectionately called Grandpa Rossy, gave chase.

He got his glove on it, but the ball popped out. In swooped Rizzo from first base — one of the guys behind the Grandpa Rossy Instagram account — to catch the ball before it hit the ground for a good ol’ 2-3 putout. Rizzo actually tipped it to himself before making the catch. Very nice, guys.

For fans of a certain age, the play immediately brings to mind the 1980 World Series when Bob Boone and Pete Rose combined for a similar circus catch.

After defense let Chicago down in Game 4, Rizzo and Ross came up big with this play. It proved the Cubs weren’t going to tell the pressure of an elimination game get to them. That set the tone for the rest of the contest. The Cubs managed a comeback in the fourth inning, narrowly staved off elimination with a 3-2 win over the Indians in Game 5 of the World Series.

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Mike Oz is the editor of Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at mikeozstew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @MikeOz