Jason Kipnis' World Series homer was a childhood fantasy with a twist

CHICAGO — It happened, just like it had so many times before in his head. Like it had so many times in all of our heads.

He was in Wrigley Field. But maybe his backyard. He looked back at the pitcher on the mound. But maybe it was his dad. He swung when the 87-mph cutter came. But maybe it was a wiffle ball or an acorn.

As he rounded the bases, he looked up at his mom. As he rounded the bases, he looked up at his mom.

Fantasy and reality, if you’re lucky — like Jason Kipnis was in Game 4 of the World Series — they collide sometimes. There he was, watching the ball fly over the fence at Wrigley Field, rounding the bases, looking up to section 120 where his parents, sister, brothers and aunt Mary were, then thrusting his hand in the air and pointing at them.

“Everybody makes that situation up in the backyard,” Kipnis said Saturday night, still standing on Wrigley Field, where his Cleveland Indians had beat the Chicago Cubs 7-2 to take a commanding 3-1 lead in the World Series. “You can imagine what kind of high I’m feeling right now.”

There’s just one detail where reality veered off from fantasy and tore apart the 10-year-old who still lives deep inside Jason Kipnis. He hit his Wrigley Field home run AGAINST the Cubs, the team for whom he grew up rooting, the team that was sent to the brink of elimination after that Game 4 loss in which Kipnis’ seventh-inning, three-run homer was the dagger.

Childhood allegiances be damned, this was a moment. This was a home run in the World Series, at Wrigley Field, 21 miles from where he grew up in Northbrook. The moment wasn’t lost on anyone in section 120. Not his older brothers Todd and Blair, nor his older sister Amanda.

“My cheeks hurt from smiling so much,” Amanda said.

“My goodness,” Todd said.

“We were jumping, yelling and hugging,” Blair said.

“Screaming, crying, goosebumps,” Amanda said.

“We’re just as proud as can be,” Blair said. “It’s so cool seeing him here in the first place, but for him to have the success that he’s having at this level, it’s something special.”

As little brother rounded the bases and flung his hand in the air, he caught eyes with his family in the stands.

“I knew where they were sitting,” Kipnis said. “I saw the red towels.”

Not long after, Blair did what any proud big brother would do — he marched over to the bleachers, trying to find the ball that Jason had deposited a few rows over the Wrigley ivy. But he couldn’t get in.

“I’m sure he’ll want it,” Blair said.

“I was hoping they threw it back,” Kipnis said later, alluding to the Wrigley tradition. “I was gonna stop and pick it up.”

As Kipnis stood on the field talking about his game, his homer and how his Indians are one win away from winning the World Series, even more of his youth lingered behind him. His childhood best friend Sean stood proudly in the seats behind the dugout. The mother of another of his childhood friends held up a sign that read “Northbrook For Kipnis.”

He alone isn’t crushing the Cubs’ World Series hopes and dreams — a combination of great Indians pitchers and sluggish Cubs bats are also a factor — but it has to hurt a little more for the people chanting “Let’s Go Cubbies!” to know that someone from their city is helping the opposing team to victory.

No sympathy from Kipnis, though.

“This kind of stage is what we all dream about,” he said. “To do it, for me personally, in my hometown, with my family and friends here, I was smiling ear-to-ear on the inside.”

Now, he and the Indians will come into Game 5 looking to send the Cubs’ World Series drought into 109 years. When Saturday night’s game was over, Kipnis stopped again before an on-field TV interview and pointed up to his family.

“Dad, look,” his sister said, then they started waving their red “Rally Together” towels. “He sees us.”

Those three Cubs fans — Todd, Blair and Amanda — their allegiances aren’t torn. They waved their Tribe towels and were all decked out in Indians gear. Game 5? They’re pulling for Cleveland all the way.

“Only this year,” Todd said. “Get their ring this year and then the Cubs can take the next 10.”

“We all want the curse to be broken,” Blair said. “Just not this year.”

“There’s always next year,” Amanda said. “We’ve been saying that for 35 years.”

“We’ve been waiting ’til next year for a long time,” Blair said. “We can wait one more.”

They might be the only locals inside Wrigley Field thinking that way. Well, them and their little brother. When Kipnis left Wrigley and went back to his hotel room and tried to go to sleep, there was a lot he could be trying to distill.

In 24 hours, he could be celebrating a World Series win on Wrigley Field. Having beat the Cubs. A childhood dream with a cool or cruel twist — depending on who you root for.

“The thought is creeping into my mind,” Kipnis said. “We still have a very tough victory to get.”

And if it happens Sunday night, fantasy and reality will overlap again for Jason Kipnis.

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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