Cubs’ decision to demote struggling Schwarber was overdue
Doing what needed to be done for the good of everybody, the Cubs demoted a 24-year-old outfielder hitting .171 in his first full season in the major leagues.
Sorry, that’s all Kyle Schwarber is in 2017. If his name were Joe Smith and this were any other team, nobody would raise an eyebrow at a guy being sent to the minors after striking out 75 times in his first 222 at-bats. But Schwarber is a Chicago sports legend, one of the few things about the player that needs no exaggeration — or apology.
What Schwarber did to help the Cubs win the 2016 World Series after missing all but three games of the regular season qualified him forever. What Schwarber accomplished during the 2015 playoffs, in hitting five home runs, including a mammoth shot that landed on top of the right-field scoreboard, announced the arrival of a baseball folk hero to Wrigleyville. A Cubs scout compared the lefthanded slugger to Babe Ruth in his report, for goodness sake.
So far this season, Schwarber has resembled Mario Mendoza at the plate. Comparisons to all-or-nothing former Reds and White Sox slugger Adam Dunn have been unfair — to Dunn. Schwarber has given all those companies he endorsed an item to discuss at the next board meeting and every sports writer who gushed about his rare talents reason to go slower next time describing a promising young prospect. The once-feared hitter has become a welcome sight for pitchers, making Triple-A Iowa the proper place for Schwarber to get out of his funk. Truth is, the Cubs should have sent Schwarber down weeks ago when they moved him down in the batting order, around the time he went from untouchable to unacceptable. At times even the Cubs seemed swept away by Schwarber’s celebrity.
The Cubs didn’t make a mistake trying Schwarber as a leadoff hitter to open the season. They erred in sticking with him so long after his struggles began and trying to fool everybody into thinking he was progressing. Did you see the way he fouled off that pitch? The longer Schwarber led off despite an unacceptable batting average and on-base percentage, the lower his confidence dipped — and the more stubborn manager Joe Maddon appeared. Maddon has made a fine career out of executing great ideas, but this will not go down as one of them. That makes the Cubs complicit in Schwarber’s slow start, but at least they are acknowledging reality now.
Chances are, Schwarber will thank them later. Keep those Schwarber T-shirts and jerseys you bought last October. Maintain high hopes for one of the toughest competitors you ever will find in a Cubs uniform. This is a demotion for Schwarber, not a death sentence for his potential. Nobody will be surprised if he takes advantage of the time away from the glare to refine his swing, regain his confidence and return in time to make noise again in the playoffs when he has thrived. Good players often go through bad stretches early in their ascent or, as Cubs president Theo Epstein likes to say, progress in baseball is not always linear.
The Royals sent down Mike Moustakas, a former No. 2 pick, for eight games in 2014 after he was hitting .152. Moustakas made the American League All-Star team the following season. The Dodgers demoted Yasiel Puig to Triple-A Oklahoma City for 19 games last August and Puig returned to play a big role in the postseason. The Mets found it necessary to demote outfielder Michael Conferto twice last season and, despite a lousy June, the 24-year-old looks as if his stint in the minors was time well-spent.
Expect Schwarber to respond well, too. His ego is as small as his appetite for work is large. His power remains prodigious, and his career has not Schwar-bombed. He will be better for the demotion and back at Wrigley Field in due time to a hero’s welcome — though, for his own good, this time don’t overdo it.