Cubs take local star with 1st-round draft pick
CHICAGO (AP) » Ed Howard lost his senior season because of the coronavirus pandemic. Prom was canceled. Same for graduation at Mount Carmel High School on Chicago’s South Side
Through it all, the 18-year- old Howard kept working. And he got rewarded Wednesday night.
The athletic shortstop was selected by the Chicago Cubs with the No. 16 pick in the Major League Baseball amateur draft, becoming the first Illinois high school position player to go in the first round since Jayson Werth in 1997.
“It’s very exciting, not only to get selected in the MLB draft, but to be staying home, going with a hometown team,” Howard said. “So it’s a surreal moment.”
The 6-foot-2, 185-pound Howard was perhaps the best shortstop prospect in his baseball mitt during the the draft. He hit .421 (48 for meeting.
114) with three homers in 35 “It wasn’t something that games during his junior year I think he expected us to nowith Mount Carmel. tice or even see,” Kantrovitz
Howard also started for said. “You could only see it the 2014 Jackie Robinson for just a couple seconds West Little League team there. ... The moment that that advanced to the finals we realized he was wearof the Little League World ing his glove and was just Series. . champing at the bit to get
“As far as what stands out on the field and take ground to us on the field, he’s got an balls and play, we knew that electric skill set,” said Dan he had the intangibles that Kantrovitz, vice president we were looking for.” of scouting for the Cubs. Howard, who has com“He’s a plus shortstop. He’s mitted to the University of got pop in his bat. He can Oklahoma, said he’s always run. He can impact a game playing around with his in so many ways and we glove at the house. think he’s got a chance to “I love playing the game,” be a star.” he said.
Kantrovitz, who joined Howard also impressed the Cubs’ front office in Dethe Cubs when they asked cember, flew from Califorhim about the challenge of nia to Chicago in January to playing for one of his two watch Howard work out at hometown teams. Wrigley Field and meet with “I was looking forward to the infielder and his parents. it,” he said. “I wanted to be
Kantrovitz also was part a hometown kid. I’m excited of a Zoom call with Howard it’s with the Cubs.” in the spring. Howard wore The selection of Howard, one of the top black prospects in the draft, comes after the Cubs announced Monday they are working on the formation of a diversity committee to help improve the organization’s standards and practices.
President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein also said he has been examining his own hiring practices recently amid protests across the country — and the world — over racial injustice.
“The majority of people that I’ve hired, if I’m being honest, have similar backgrounds as me and look a lot like me,” Epstein said. “That’s something that I need to ask myself why. I need to question my own assumptions, my own attitudes. I need to find a way to be better.”
Howard, who heard from Cubs stars Jason Heyward and Kris Bryant after he was drafted, said he agreed with Epstein’s comments about making diversity a priority.