5 former Chicago Cubs players you’ve totally forgotten about

The hard truth is this. Unless you happen to be a member of a historically unforgettable team (the 2016 Chicago Cubs, for example) – there’s a decent chance that, unless you’re a superstar, as the years go by, fewer and fewer fans will remember your time on the diamond.

That statement transcends fanbases and sports – and the Cubs are no exception here. Sure, there are the diehards who can rattle off obscure contributors and bits of knowledge dating back decades, but the more casual fan tends to gravitate toward the well-known guys on a roster.

So, in hopes of tipping my cap to guys who played for the North Siders during my 30 years who may be falling by the wayside in our memories, here is my list of 5 former Chicago Cubs you’ve likely forgotten about.

5 former Chicago Cubs you’ve likely forgotten about – #5: Randy Wells

Right-hander Randy Wells is one of those guys who made some decent contributions during his admittedly brief career. Drafted by Chicago in 2002, Wells briefly got snatched up by the Jays in the 2007 Rule 5 Draft before being returned ahead of the 2008 season.

It wasn’t until 2009 he really got his first extended taste of big league action – and he didn’t waste the opportunity. Wells finished sixth in National League Rookie of the Year voting that year, going 12-10 with a 3.05 ERA. He was the first Cubs rookie to win seven games in a season since Kerry Wood accomplished the feat back in 1998.

That  season marked the only time in his MLB career he tallied double-digit wins.

Never one to rack up the punchouts, Wells,’ career high K/9 came in 2010, when he notched 6.7 strikeouts per nine for the Cubs. By the time 2012 rolled around, the Belleville, IL native wound up missing the final eight weeks of the season due to elbow surgery and the following spring, he hung up his spikes at just 29 years of age.

5 former Chicago Cubs you’ve likely forgotten about – #4: Reed Johnson

Reed Johnson played for six teams during his 13-year career, but his four seasons with Chicago were among his best. His tenure with the club included a pair of two-year stints, the first of which came in 2008 after he joined the team in free agency.

That season, Johnson hit .303/.358/.420 for the Cubs – and although he was never a power guy by any means (he hit just 23 home runs in his career) – he quickly endeared himself to the fanbase by playing with a gritty, hard-nosed mentality. Whatever needed done, this was the guy who was always ready to give it all to get the job done.

After leaving for the Dodgers following the 2009 season, the veteran returned to Chicago ahead of the 2011 campaign – and he picked up right where he left off, batting .309/.348/.467 across 111 games in one of his best offensive seasons to-date. The following year, he just kept rolling, hitting .302/.355/.444 before the new Theo Epstein-led regime traded him to Atlanta, along with Paul Maholm, in exchange for Jaye Chapman and Arodys Vizcaino.

Neither of those guys wound up doing a whole lot for Chicago, but it was Vizcaino who went back to the Braves in the deal that brought Tommy La Stella to the Windy City back in 2014 – so that’s something.

To this day, if you skip past the legends and superstars, Johnson is one of my favorite Cubs ever – and he’s definitely one I don’t think about nearly enough these days.

5 former Chicago Cubs you’ve likely forgotten about – #3: Mark Bellhorn

When you think ‘Mark Bellhorn‘ (if you do) – you likely remember him as a member of the curse-breaking 2004 Boston Red Sox. But he spent most of the two years prior with the Cubs.

In 2002, Bellhorn was the starting second baseman at the Confines, appearing in 146 contests and really turned in an impressive year at the dish. He slashed .258/.374/.512, drawing enough walks to counterbalance his 144 strikeouts, which tied with teammate Sammy Sosa for the tenth-most in all of baseball.

He couldn’t maintain that momentum in 2003 though, barely batting .200 in the first half with Chicago – prompting the front office to trade him to Colorado for former Cubs infielder Jose Hernandez. The move didn’t do much for the team, as Hernandez batted .188 in 23 games down the stretch.

That winter, Colorado traded him to Boston – where he played a role in ending the Curse of the Bambino and picking up the lone World Series ring of his career.

Funnily enough, according to Baseball Reference, the most similar player to Bellhorn through age-28 (which was his final year with Chicago) is none other than David Bote. So that’s fun.

5 former Chicago Cubs you’ve likely forgotten about – #2: Kevin Tapani

A World Series champion as a member of the 1991 Minnesota Twins, Kevin Tapani closed out his 13-year career with five seasons in the Cubs rotation. At that point, pitching at the peak of the Steroid Era, he put up some pretty not great numbers, but for some reason, as soon as I saw his name, I knew he needed to be on this list.

In Dec. 1996, Tapani joined the Cubs on a three-year deal, sort of bringing things full circle given Chicago initially drafted him in 1985. The right-hander returned to school and, the following year, was a second-round pick of Oakland.

That first year on the North Side, Tapani was solid, although he made just 13 starts, working to a 3.39 ERA in the process. But from there, his numbers were pretty inflated by most measures.

In 1998, despite allowing 10 hits per nine and posting a 4.85 ERA that was a full 10 percent below league average, he was the lucky benefactor of the Cubs’ offense, winning 19 games. For 18 of those 19 wins, Chicago tallied more than 3 runs – with 11 of those victories courtesy of contests where they hung six or more tallies on the opponents.

Tapani ate a solid number of innings in his final two years with the Cubs, flirting with the 200-inning mark in 2000 before wrapping things up with the team – and for his career – in 2001, with a 9-14, 4.49 ERA showing at age 37.