Page 44 - June2021

The Boys (in Blue) of Summer Ready for Big Year
Finest and Knights hitting stride on field, making a difference off it
n BY DAN CAMPANA
Having the Cubs and Sox sitting in first place on Memorial Day means a lot in this town, but fans of the city’s two police-based baseball teams have plenty of excitement to look forward to this summer after a busy spring on and off the field.
Coming off a disjointed, pandemic-impacted 2020 that disrupt- ed normal seasons and charitable activities, leaders of the Chicago Police Finest Baseball and Chicago Police Knights Baseball Club are energized to see their respective teams with meaningful games and big moments under their belts already — with more to come. Finest Manager Vince Macias laughed as he talked about the good kind of anxiety that comes with the prospect of big-time tourna- ments and the return of the all-important midsummer classic against the CFD Bravest.
“I want to see the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation, the FOP and my team succeed,” Macias said.
Now in its fourth season, the Knights continue to “strive and thrive” as a ballclub, but also in their mission to support youth programs and raise money for charity in as many ways as possible, according to Vice President Marco Acevedo.
“That’s the whole premise of our organization — giving back to the community,” Acevedo said.
With June marking the official start of summer, here’s a quick look at what each team has been up to and what to expect in the coming months.
Finest pick up where they left off
After winning the Police and Fire World Series in October, the Finest certainly didn’t forget how to win by the time Macias’ 21-
man squad arrived in Southern California last month for the Wild West LAPD Baseball Invitational. The Finest hoisted another tro- phy after the four-day event, which featured teams all from warm weather cities — except Chicago, of course — and rosters with plenty of pro experience, Macias explained.
“The teams we were playing were filled with ex-Triple-A guys,” he said, noting the Finest had only practiced before the trip. “That was the start of our season. It’s a testament to how my players pre- pared.”
Blowout wins in pool play set the tone before a wakeup call in bracket play that saw the Finest trailing 5-2 late against San Fran- cisco. But a four-run rally turned things around. From there, the Finest knocked off the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and Orange County Fire Department to secure the title.
“It was good to play new competition. We wanted to show L.A. some love and represent the Midwest. Things worked out great,” Macias added. “Man, do we have some hitters. You should have seen that home run derby out there.”
The summer is going to be busy for the Finest, including the re- turn of the annual police-fire baseball game at Guaranteed Rate Field on Sept. 23. The friendly rivalry resumes (after a one-year interruption) for a game Macias is calling “one big night for first responders.” He hopes the fan-driven atmosphere will bring peo- ple out to see and interact with police officers and firefighters in a positive element.
Other upcoming events include an alumni game; the Finest returning to Field of Dreams in Iowa to battle “some of the best teams out there” from New York, Dallas and Philadelphia; and FOP Night at Impact Field in Rosemont against Los Angeles.
44 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ JUNE 2021