Chicago Cubs: Mount Carmel keeps producing superstars

Chicago Cubs:  Mt. Carmel’s 120-year record of producing talent

Back in 1984, the school won the State Basketball Championship with the help of future Los Angeles Laker Melvin McCants and future New York Giant, Chris Calloway. Some other recent noteworthy names from the Caravan include All-star quarterback Donovan McNabb and Chicago Blackhawks sensation, Chris Chelios. Still, there are hundreds of noteworthy alumni from government, military, performing arts, public service and even science.

One Caravan graduate, Richard Anthony Parker, became an Egyptologist who studied the mortuary temple of Ramesses III and later founded the Brown University Department of Egyptology.

Not trying to outshine old Ramesses III, but the Chicago Cubs are also no stranger to the school on  6410 S. Dante Ave.

John Mallee was the Cubs hitting coach during the World Series ride and played baseball for the Caravan. Mallee was a second baseman at Mt. Carmel, where he graduated in 1987. Later Mallee attended Chicago State University and then the University of Illinois before being drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 10th round of the 1991 amateur draft.

Mallee would go on to become a hitting coach in the minors and then MLB. Mallee was the 2016 World Series Champion Chicago Cubs hitting coach and still trains and lectures about hitting today.

Former Caravan baseball player, Erik Pappas was drafted in 1984 and played catcher for the Cubs. Pappas appeared in 8 games for the Cubbies during the 1991 season.

This year the Chicago Cubs drafted Mt. Carmel shortstop, Ed Howard IV.  Howard has been playing with the varsity for three of his high school years and has grown from 5’4 to 6’3 in his time with the Caravan. Howard has been training for this opportunity his whole life and is known for a hard work ethic.

Patrick Gulotta, Mt. Carmel alumni (1986) and father of current Mt. Carmel senior, Nick Gulotta, a friend of Howard, recently wrote that the reason the Caravan keeps churning out great athletes is really about desire.

"“It is work ethic and pride these students athletes feel when they know they are leaving it all on the field,” wrote Gulotta in a messenger note."

While not the most exciting year for baseball due to the national pandemic, Gulotta relayed that Howard’s graduation from Mt. Carmel consisted of families pulling 120 cars up on a football field and driving by to receive their diplomas. The graduating class wanted to do something together, even if it was just driving by to get their certificate. According to Gulotta, the high school seniors had initially planned to walk up in-person, but a day full of Midwest-rain drove the grads and families to their cars.

The classmates hope to get together one last time for a mass in July. Afterward, Caravan-men will be heading out to all parts of the world, although they should be pretty easy to identify.