A HERO’S HERO AILING BOY DRIVES CUBS’ SCHWARBER
The letters would arrive every week in his mailbox at Wrigley Field. Chicago Cubs slugger Kyle Schwarber would carefully open the envelope, slowly read the message and try not to cry.
Sometimes, Schwarber would even wait to open it, saving them for the darkest times, when he needed him the most.
“There were plenty of those times,” Schwarber said Thursday, “but he was always there for me. “Always.” Schwarber tries to envision the atmosphere Friday night during introductions before Game 3 of the World Series when
The Chicago Cubs went and ruined the feel-good story of the World Series. As well they should have. Tempting as it was to throw caution to the wind and let Kyle Schwarber play the outfield when the World Series resumes at Wrigley Field on Friday night, the Cubs made the right move in putting their favorite postseason toy back on the shelf. Six months removed from a horrific knee injury, it’s too big a risk — even for the Cubs’ first World Series appearance since 1945.
“Deep down in my heart I really wanted to, but there’s obviously the doubts of the injury,” Schwarber said after the Cubs announced he had not been cleared by doctors to do more than be a DH or pinch-hitter.
“You know, it was a huge injury, and that’s the facts,” Schwarber added. “Not many people get this opportunity that I’m in right now, so I’m embracing this opportunity that I’ve got.”
He endeared himself to fans last year, becoming the Cubs’ playoff home run leader. OK, he didn’t have much competition for the honor, given the Cubs’ woeful history. But five homers in 27 atbats is impressive.
The legend has grown this season. Thought to be out for at least eight months after blowing out his left knee — he shredded the anterior cruciate and lateral collateral ligaments April 7 — he was given clearance to resume hitting about a week ago.
After two games in the Arizona Fall League, he was added to the Cubs’ World Series roster — and has proceeded to do his best Mr. October impression. After two games, he’s hitting a teamhigh .429 with two RBI.
These aren’t batting practice pitchers he has been facing, either. Corey Kluber, the Cleveland Indians’ Game 1 starter, was the American League Cy Young Award winner two years ago. Reliever Andrew Miller was the AL Championship Series MVP. Clos- er Cody Allen’s 32 saves ranked seventh in the AL.
“Maybe five guys might have been able to pull off what he’s done. Maybe even less than five,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. “How about his at-bats right now? That’s the one thing I talked about the other day. Is he going to be jumpy at the plate? Is he going to be on his front foot a lot? Absolutely not.”
With Schwarber looking as if he hadn’t missed a day, let alone the whole season, of course he and the Cubs were going to wonder if he could do more than DH in the games at Wrigley Field. But president of baseball operations Theo Epstein didn’t blow up the roster a few seasons ago and rebuild it from the ground up just to reach one World Series.
The Cubs have a dynasty in the making with a young core of Schwarber, likely NL MVP Kris Bryant, uber-utility man Javier Baez, Antony Rizzo, Addison Russell and Willson Contreras. Giddy scenes such as the one at Wrigley after the Cubs clinched their first pennant in 71 years are likely to become regular events.
So there is no sense risking losing Schwarber for another six months — or longer — by rushing him back for three games.
“There’s just too much risk in playing the outfield because of the dynamic actions involved, the instantaneous reactions, the need to cut in the outfield,” Epstein said. “We have to look out for Kyle’s long-term interests.”
That’s not to say the Cubs wouldn’t have done it if they could. Epstein looked even more disappointed than Schwarber did Thursday, and he acknowledged it was a good thing the decision wasn’t his to make.
“It was important to talk to a medical professional, who is objective and detached from the situation,” Epstein said. “I think we’re all wrapped up in seeing how well Kyle swung the bat and how it impacted us. The stage that we’re on and our desire to win, there is the possibility of us getting carried away.”
The Cubs have made all the right moves in getting here. This was yet another one, hard as it was to do.