It’s never easy saying goodbye. The Cubs have not offered contracts to both Kyle Schwarber and Albert Almora, most likely meaning the end of each in a Cubs uniform. Although I knew change was a coming, it’s hard to believe this is how things will end with two of Theo’s top draft picks.
Theo didn’t have to do the deed; Jed is now the man, and had to deliver this tough message. I believe Almora was the first ever draft pick by Theo. Loved his story, loved his defense, loved his baserunning; unfortunately, his bat never came around. If it did, our leadoff man problems would be solved. I had hoped AA would be the guy… If you did a top defensive play list, a real one, not the one Marquee runs out there, Almora would have multiple top 20, heck top 10 catches. This dude was robbing guys left and right out there. With him in center and Heyward in right, tough to get balls down out there. Albert started off hitting left handed pitching well, but even that towards the end was not there. I go back to that day in Houston where his line drive ended up hitting a kid in the head; I really think that took a toll on him. Nets everybody, nets! He was visibly messed up, as most folks would be. Not sure if that still sits in the back of his head; I’m not sure if I could forget it either. Not blaming that entirely, not by a long shot, but definitely since then, it’s played a factor. Unfortunately, outside of his defense, Albert will not be missed much.
We going to miss Kyle? The Mighty Schwarbino… one of the heroes from 4 years ago as I wrote about here:
Yes, Schwarber hurts a lot more. Remembering how quickly he came up to the bigs, his instant impact on the team, his 2015 postseason prowess, his injury, his comeback. Although Schwarber did get a lot better defensively, especially with his throwing arm, his batting average plummeted while his strikeout percentage increased. It felt like home run or strike out for a while. He appeared to have a good eye at the plate, but would take a lot of called strikes as well. He didn’t become everything we’d hoped he’d become, but he was still fun to watch and easy to cheer for. Still, will we really miss him that much in the 2021 lineup?
Both of these guys will be loved forever because of 2016; we’ll always remember their special connection in the most memorable game of our lifetimes. The leadoff single in the top of the 10th after the rain delay in Game 7: Schwarber. The pinch runner for Schwarber who would provide the best tag-up of all time before scoring the go ahead run, where he made sure to touch that plate: Almora. Yes, it’s hard to believe that was over 4 years ago; it’s hard to believe that this is how it ends for them. Sure, the Cubs say they’re still negotiating with Kyle (no word about Albert), but realistically, it’s not going to happen. Saying goodbye is tough; saying goodbye to champions who will always be legends because of that is even tougher. Best of luck to both those guys! We’ll never forget you.
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