Page 46 - August 2018

Three of the Finest
Spotlighting some of the members who put it on the board in the CPD victory
By Dan Campana
Officer Mike Barz, 10th District
As one of the founding fathers
of the CPD Finest Baseball team,
Mike Barz has
seen a lot. But he
was admittedly caught off-guard by a mid-game presentation retiring his number.
“I was humbled and
shocked; overwhelmed with emotion (to have the ceremo- ny) in front of my family, my wife, my son and my brothers. It’s incredibly touching,” said Barz, a TAC officer who joined CPD in 1995. “We don’t do this for individual recognition – every police officer will tell you that.”
Barz played first base but came up empty at the plate. That, however, didn’t diminish his love for the game, the result and the positive support from fans of both teams.
“We had a huge crowd tonight. They saw a great baseball game. I’m incredibly proud of the players. I love these guys and what they do,” Barz shared.
Barz smiled as he talked about what’s become of the team he and Eric Diaz – whose number was also retired – started nearly two decades ago.
“It makes me incredibly proud that we’ve got people like myself with over 20 years to guys with 20 weeks on the job who go out and try to create something charitable for the fallen and those who have financial need,” Barz explained. “It shows what the family of the Chicago Police Department is all about. From young to old, we’re here to support each other in times of need.”
Officer Sergio Simental, 9th District
Catchers, in many ways, act as the field general of a base- ball’s defense.
They see everything in front of them and are involved in nearly every play. In his eighth season behind the plate for the Finest, Sergio Simental has seen plenty, so who better to get a sense for how the annual CPD-CFD rivalry played out.
“Our pitchers threw strikes when they needed to and got their best hitters when they needed to,” Simental said. “Our guys come ready to hit, and they came through.”
Simental put everything in perspective when discussing what he knows is the true meaning behind the team: support- ing the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation and families of fallen officers, such as Commander Paul Bauer’s wife, Erin, and daughter Grace.
“It starts in the offseason, selling T-shirts and doing raffles,” Simental said before complimenting the throng of fans who
turned out for the game. “It’s amazing. There’s so much in- volved with it. With all the players, it’s the sacrifice they endure outside of the baseball field at work. This makes the experi- ence even greater.”
Officer Kevin Sweeney, 1st District
Last year, Kevin Swee- ney sat in the stands at Guaranteed Rate Field to watch the Finest knock off the Bravest.
This year, the former
Northern Illinois Univer-
sity baseball player – who
joined CPD just 13 months
ago – sparked the rally that
eventually led to the victo-
ry. Sweeney led off the bottom of the seventh with a walk. He stole second and eventually scored on a wild pitch to put the Finest ahead 6-5.
Sweeney, who also had a single and an RBI, might have been a rivalry rookie before the game, but he was prepared for a battle. He also got an up-close look at how the night means much more than what happens between the lines and on the scoreboard.
“It’s bigger than baseball. It’s just really awesome being a part of it and doing the fundraising knowing it’s going to a good cause. It really does make you feel good,” Sweeney said.
Sweeney is no stranger to games in big-time ballparks, af- ter his stint as a major college player. However, the game felt a little different for Sweeney when he stepped onto The Sod- father’s finely manicured field.
“Everything feels a little bigger,” he noted. “The fences seem farther. I am a Sox fan, so this is even better being on the field you grew up watching from the stands. Then, all of a sudden, you’re playing out here. It’s a great feeling,” Sweeney said.
46 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ AUGUST 2018
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