Chicago Cubs designated hitter Kyle Schwarber calls Wrigley Field home field now, but for one summer he was Wareham’s own MVP.

Just before 1 a.m. on Thursday, Schwarber earned his first World Series title with the Cubs, defeating the Cleveland Indians 8-7 in extra innings.

Back in 2012, Schwarber was on the Gatemen team that won the Cape Cod Baseball League Championship title. Every summer, the 10-team league attracts top college players from across the country to hone their skills. Through the years, the league has served as a stop for many players who went on to careers in Major League Baseball.

This October, Schwarber played on a stage much bigger than Spillane Field.

In the World Series, Schwarber earned the distinction of the being the only player to get his first hit of the season in the series. This April he was sidelined by an injury and his return was questionable.

Return he did. And in a big way.

In the first two games of the series, he went three-for-seven with a pair of walks. In game one, he hit a double off of Cleveland ace Corey Kluber.

When game seven rolled around, Schwarber hit three singles for the night, including one that gave the Cubs life in the ninth inning. As the leadoff batter he reached first and the Cubs bats broke a 6-6 tie.

As a Gatemen, he earned the title of MVP when his team beat the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox, 8-6. An outfielder at the time, Schwarber hit a two-run homer to break a 5-5 tie in extra innings, bringing the Gatemen its first championship in 10 years.

Schwarber played another summer with the Gatemen in 2013 before he was drafted to the majors in 2014.

In just two years, the former Gatemen would go on to help the long-suffering Cubs towards victory.