It was the bottom of the 7th inning in last night's series-clinching game between the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals when "to Schwarber" officially became a verb—as in "Kyle Schwarber totally Schwarbered that ball."
Schwarber's massive home run, which by some reports had an exit velocity of 113 miles per hour, looked sure to leave the park, yet never showed up on Sheffield. As reported earlier by the Tribune, a fan spotted where it had ended up: on top of the right field video board.
In a weirdly delightful twist, Cubs officials decided that's where it should stay, at least through the postseason playoff run, and today installed a Plexiglas case over it to protect it from the elements. To the surprise of no one, the ball already has its own Twitter account.
Personally I prefer calling it the #Schwarboard. But what do I know, I only live here! #Cubs #WeAreGood https://t.co/HKhydnaGhM
— Schwarber's HR Ball (@SchwarberHRBall) October 14, 2015