Chicago Cubs: Remembering two fan favorites from the late 2000 teams

CHICAGO, IL - APRIL 05: Fans of the Chicago Cubs take photos during batting practice in the right field bleachers before the opening day game against the Washington Nationals at Wrigley Field on April 5, 2012 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL - APRIL 05: Fans of the Chicago Cubs take photos during batting practice in the right field bleachers before the opening day game against the Washington Nationals at Wrigley Field on April 5, 2012 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /
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CHICAGO, IL – APRIL 11: Starting pitcher Ryan Dempster #46 of the Chicago Cubs delivers the ball against the Milwaukee Brewers at Wrigley Field on April 11, 2012 in Chicago, Illinois. The Brewers defeated the Cubs 2-1. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL – APRIL 11: Starting pitcher Ryan Dempster #46 of the Chicago Cubs delivers the ball against the Milwaukee Brewers at Wrigley Field on April 11, 2012 in Chicago, Illinois. The Brewers defeated the Cubs 2-1. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

Chicago Cubs: A jack-of-all-trades on the mound

My second-favorite Cubs player in those days had to be Ryan Dempster. I do not remember much from Dempster’s days as the closer for Chicago, but I loved him as a starting pitcher. Glove-waggle and all, Ryan Dempster was to the 2008-2010 Cubs what Jon Lester was to the 2016 Cubs.

Over that three-year span, Dempster started 98 games, winning 43 of them. In addition to that, he amassed a 3.49 ERA and averaged 207 innings pitched per season. Of those three years, 2008 was Dempster’s best season. At age 31, Dempster notched 17 wins and 2.96 earned run average.

Along with that, the right-hander racked up 206 2/3 innings pitched and recorded an ERA+ of 154. For his efforts, Dempster was voted into the All-Star Game and finished sixth in the Cy Young voting.