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Chicago Cubs: Kyle Schwarber turns 24; let’s look back at some highlights
Still just 24 years of age, Chicago Cubs slugger Kyle Schwarber has cemented himself into team lore, thanks to two years of dominant postseason performances. Here’s a look back at the best moments.
He is yet to play a full season at the big league level. Despite this fact, Kyle Schwarber has already left his mark in Chicago Cubs’ history. This season, despite being a full-time outfielder, he has the chance to live up to the hype surrounding him over the course of a 162-game schedule.
Schwarber has provided Cubs’ fans with countless memories in his first taste of bigs. He smacked 16 home runs in a mere 69 game run in 2015 as a rookie before going on a tear in the postseason, bringing the team to the brink of a World Series appearance.
After blowing out his knee in April last year, the worked tirelessly to rejoin his teammates, pulling off the most improbable comeback in recent memory.
Although he didn’t go yard as he did the year before, he proved to be a valuable asset as the series shifted to Cleveland, giving Joe Maddon another weapon in an already-loaded lineup.
So, in honor of his 24th birthday, let’s look back at some of Schwarber’s most impressive moments in a Chicago Cubs’ uniform.
Three hits for Schwarber in Game 7 win
Capping off his improbable comeback from knee surgery, the Chicago designated hitter put it all together in hopes of ending the Cubs’ curse.
In his first at-bat, he hit a slow roller to second. Now, coming off such a serious injury, legging out an infield single seems like the last thing you’d expect. But what you expect doesn’t seem to line up with what Schwarber delivers.
He chugged down the first-base line, beating the toss to first by a step. With the Cubs already leading 1-0 following Dexter Fowler‘s leadoff blast, Schwarber caught the Indians sleeping, stealing second base.
In his next at-bat, Schwarber lined a ball into the right-fielder corner; but he got greedy. As he tried to leg out a two-bagger, the was cut down at second base, erasing the knock. His next official at-bat came in the fateful 10th inning.
People always remember the game-winning hit by Ben Zobrist. But it was none other than Schwarber who led off the inning with a single to right that set up the winning run.
Cubs let the War Bear out of his cage
On July 21, trailing 4-2 in the top of the ninth, Schwarber stepped up to the dish.
Cincinnati right-hander JJ Hoover delivered a full-count pitch and, just like that, game tied.
The rookie crushed a ball deep into the right-field seats, marking just his second big league home run to-date. One month into his career with the Cubs, he still carried a .400 average – demonstrating his stellar bat control, mixed with devastating power.
This was really the first moment that Kyle Schwarber broke out. Headlines featured his name, fans clamored for his jersey and he delivered on the hype that surrounded the former draft pick.
As extra innings wore on, Schwarber stepped to the dish once more.
A testament to his strength, the left-handed slugger golfed a 2-2 pitch into the right-field seats again, breaking the 4-4 tie and giving Chicago a 5-4 lead. On the night, he singlehandedly delivered the team from the brink of defeat, emerging as another powerful bat in the middle of the Cubs’ lineup.
Nail in the coffin for the division-rival Cardinals
Of course, winning it all last year is the all-time high for Chicago Cubs fans worldwide.
But, prior to that, knocking out the division-rival St. Louis Cardinals ranks pretty high on most peoples’ lists – including mine. After years upon years of chasing the Cards in the National League Central, 2015 represented the first time the roles were switched.
With the Cubs leading 5-4, Schwarber absolutely destroyed the 1-1 pitch, depositing it onto the first-year, right field video board. At the time, the broadcast team thought he departed it onto the streets – but , as we all know now, it has a permanent home atop the board.
The Chicago Cubs’ offense slowed to a crawl in the National League Championship Series against the New York Mets. But during that showdown with St. Louis, everything fired on all cylinders.