Chicago Cubs: Top five moments from this season

Chicago Cubs: The Return of the Greatest Leadoff Hitter of All-Time

In the midst of a four-game winning streak that had the Cubs still well within contention on September 16, Anthony Rizzo had his ankle fold under him while trying to field a bunt. That hard charge on a bunt is something Cubs fans have gotten used to celebrating as Rizzo has become the best first baseman in baseball in terms of taking away bunts. Unfortunately, this time, the grass and his cleat didn’t mix too well, as his foot folded under him.

In hindsight, this moment pretty much signaled the end of the Cubs season as they proceeded to win just three games and lose 10 over the last 13 contests of the season. That being said, we didn’t have the gift of hindsight at that point and Rizzo still made one last-ditch effort to inspire his boys to a late season surge.

Rumblings and whispers started emanating from the Internet about Rizzo possibly returning to the lineup for the opener of a huge four-game set against the Cardinals that everyone knew would probably decide the fate of the NL Central. Then, as if sent from Mount Olympus itself, Rizzo appeared during pregame warm-ups on the field doing some jogging, sprints, and looking ready to inspire his club to victory.

He hit lead-off just three days after a gruesome ankle injury that was supposed to keep him out for at least a week (and had him wheeling around on a fancy scooter and doing his best cheerleader act in the dugout).

The Cubs ended up losing that game 5-4, and every other game in the series by one run; however, Rizzo did hit a bomb in his second at-bat. Rizzo was 7-for-14 in the series, but scored just the one run (on the home run) despite being on base eight times in the four games.

Whether that was due to an offensive offense or Rizzo’s hobbled ankle depended on the moment, but the bottom line is that the Hollywood-scripted moment didn’t work out so well for the Cubs.

Chicago Cubs: Walk-off Schwarbombs? Yes, please!

Kyle Schwarber has had his fair share of memorable moments since bursting on the Major League stage in 2015. He has hit balls over scoreboards, into rivers, through windshields and come back from a catastrophic knee injury in six months to help the Cubs win a World Series. While he was no stranger to big moments, he did something he had never done before on July 16, 2019.

Wearing their sharp 1969 throwback uniforms, the Cubs found themselves heading to extra innings in a 3-3 tie ball game against the Reds. In the bottom of the 10th inning with one out and a 1-1 count, Schwarber deposited a Raisel Iglesias 96 mph fastball into the basket in left-center field to give the Cubs an emphatic 4-3 win.

As if that moment weren’t enough, it became an even bigger controversy as “Mai Tai Guy” reached in front of a couple of kids sitting in the first row to grab the home run ball and spark an epic controversy regarding adults collecting souvenirs and what the proper protocol is when you’re chasing foul balls and home runs at the ballpark.

Chicago Cubs: I want you! Not you, Hurdle!

The Pirates and Cubs have had their fair share of controversial and exhilarating moments over the last few seasons, whether it’s the Chris Coghlan slide that took out Jung Ho Kang, the ball Schwarber hit off Gerrit Cole into the Allegheny during the 2015 Wild Card Game or the famous Joe Maddon swim-move in an attempt to go after Bucs’ manager Clint Hurdle.

Let’s face it – the Pirates had more than a few run-ins with the Cubs and other teams during the Hurdle era in Pittsburgh. Heck, Pittsburgh’s own players have had their own run-ins with one another. This controversy stems from the fact that Hurdle and pitching coach Ray Searage have made no bones about pitching up-and-in or even hitting guys when balls get away. Just ask Yasiel Puig and the Reds. Or David Bote. Or Javier Baez. The Pirates just don’t seem to care who they hit or come close to hitting.

On the Fourth of July, Joe Maddon had enough of the nonsense from the Pirates, challenging Hurdle from across the field in the other dugout.  Maddon then proceeded to call him a scalawag and told him to go swab the poop deck. Or something like that…

While the Cubs were winning at the time and ended up winning the game, the fireworks from Maddon trying to half-heartedly get by umpire Joe West to go after Hurdle were by far the most exciting part of the game. Just another great moment from the best manager most of us have ever seen in the Cubs dugout. We’ll miss you, Joe.

Chicago Cubs: Who didn’t love seeing Zo on the mound?

Ben Zobrist has had quite the run in baseball, with Joe Maddon, and on the Cubs ballclub. At 38 years of age, it’s possible Zobrist has played his last major league game. If that’s true, how great was it to go out on the hill against the Cardinals?

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Zobrist entered an already-decided 9-0 game in the eighth inning, but you know that no major league hitter wants to be embarrassed by a position player out on the mound.

That’s what makes this moment so great. Not only might it have been Zobrist’s last time in Cubbie blue, but he stuck it to the Cards with a scoreless inning that culminated with a strikeout of Cubs’ nemesis Yadier Molina.

To watch Mr. Belly Pinetar whiff on what can only be described as a 70 mph sinker (or change-up, not sure which) was something all Cubs fans can relish and laugh about as we’re forced to endure Cardinals’ postseason games.

If it was Zobrist’s last time in a Cubs’ uniform, the fans and players will miss him something fierce as his quiet leadership, professional at-bats, and World Series heroics will never be forgotten. Plus, Cubs fans will always have the gif of Molina striking out and laughing as a way to taunt the most boring catcher in the league.

Chicago Cubs: Big Nick Energy did all he could to spark the Cubs in 2019

Has there ever been a deadline trade that worked out so well for a club and a player than the one that brought Nicholas Castellanos to the Cubs on July 31, 2019? When the Cubs traded away Paul Richan and Alex Lange to the Tigers in exchange for two months of Castellanos, most fans were only a little excited about a trade for a guy who had really good numbers against left-handed pitchers, but was supposedly a very bad defender and a guy without a whole lot of power.

Fast-forward a month or two to the present and most Cubs fans can’t picture the 2020 team without a re-signed Castellanos penciled in the two-hole. All Castellanos did in his two months as a Cub (51 games) was hit 16 home runs, drive in 36, collect 68 hits, score 43 runs, hit 21 doubles, hit .321 and put up an OPS of 1.002. That’s pretty much MVP type stuff right there extrapolated over the course of a season.

Castellanos not only brought a whole lotta hitting to Wrigley Field, he was not as big a butcher as some made him out to be in right field, and his pervasive energy and smile quickly made him a fan and clubhouse favorite. Suffice it to say that Castellanos was not the reason for the Cubs’ collapse in September.

He also gave the Cubs fans numerous memorable moments and made himself boatloads of money in the process. While no one knows if the Cubs 2020 lineup will feature Castellanos or not, he did everything he could to prod and push the 2019 version to as many wins as he could and no one in Chicago will ever forget him for it.

The 2019 Cubs may have been disappointing in terms of final outcome, but hopefully these moments, along with the other walk-offs, Kyle Hendricks 81-pitch “Maddux,” and others brought some smiles to every fans’ face. More importantly, let’s hope for more happy moments and a more successful season in 2020.