TORONTO — Six hours before Monday’s series opener at the Rogers Centre, Brendon Little arrived for his first day as a major-leaguer.
He changed into his Chicago Cubs gear, popped on his headphones and trekked to the visitors bullpen in right field. Little sat in his new in-game home for the next three days and took in the empty triple-deck domed stadium. And then he walked out of the bullpen gate a couple of times to simulate the first time he is called in by manager David Ross.
“I looked around then,” Little explained, “so I don’t have to when I’m going in the game. Just want to stay focused.”