Cubs outfielder Dexter Fowler loves to give presents, having already gifted each of his teammates with Air Jordans ahead of the NLCS and even paying off the layaway accounts of 43 Chicago-area families in August.
But after the Cubs won their historic World Series championship, he outdid himself with a symbolic, meaningful gift.
At the beginning of the 2016 season, Fowler gave Cubs manager Joe Maddon two bottles of Johnnie Walker Blue Label scotch. One bore an engraving of the team's mantra, "Embrace the Target," while the other remained blank.
Following the Cubs' first World Series victory since 1908, Fowler made sure to engrave Maddon's second bottle to say "108 Years Later. Fly the W. 2016" with a small "W" flag underneath.
"I've been waiting to engrave Coach's blank bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue Label since the beginning of the season, and here it is," Fowler wrote in a Facebook post. "We are celebrating. This one is for you Chicago." [[400125661, C]]
Not only that, but Fowler also ordered bottles with the same engraving for his teammates, coaches, and the Cubs' staff. How many bottles, one might ask? Naturally, he ordered precisely 108.
"Thanks to Joe, we ‘embraced the target’ as a team from Day 1 and never lost sight of the goal. I decided to give everyone a special gift to thank them for their unwavering support and commitment to our success," Fowler said in a release. "I figured 108 bottles was the right number and I’m honored to give them to my teammates, brothers, coaches, front office and everyone involved to mark this amazing achievement."
Chicago Baseball
The gesture was a fitting way for Fowler to come full-circle with his original present, and may even double as a parting gift to the team, as he has chosen to opt out of his contract and test free agency.
