The story behind Cubs pitcher Javier Assad’s Players’ Weekend cleats
Milton Coronado’s artwork is displayed around Chicago.
Now, the Mexican American, Chicago artist will have his craft displayed on the grounds of one of baseball’s most historic ballparks.
Coronado partnered with Cubs interpreter Fredy Quevedo Jr. and pitcher Javier Assad to design a pair of cleats for Players’ Weekend. The Air Jordan 1 cleats were painted green with the Mexican seal, Assad’s name and number, the Cubs logo and the logo of his team in Mexico, the Naranjeros de Hermosillo.
[WATCH: How Milton Coronado and Javier Assad partnered on his one-of-a-kind cleats]
“They’re beautiful,” Assad said. “I was surprised. They’re very beautiful. I loved them a lot. It’s something from Mexico and really beautiful.”
Coronado works on his art in his spare time, after his 9-to-5 job. He estimated he spent “over 15 hours” on the spikes. Friday morning, Coronado was on the field pre-game and delivered them to Assad, the first time the two met in person.
“It’s great,” Coronado said. “I’m humbled. I’m flattered. It’s really a really nice feeling. But it’s so cool to understand and see and experience that, once connected, that he’s just another person, humble player from Mexico that loves the game and just wants to give back to the fans.”
And it created a lifelong memory for Coronado.
“It means so much because as a young Cubs fan myself, at the time, I could not understand or see a player that I could connect with,” Coronado said. “But now, not only do we connect with Assad as a Mexican player, but we have [Isaac] Paredes as well.
“It’s great for me, it’s great for my son and many other Cubs fans here in the city of Chicago.”