Constable: Cubs boast impressive all-time dream team of immigrants
We spend one day celebrating laborers and then dive into an often-ugly political debate about immigration. Seeking a distraction, I turn to the Chicago Cubs' quest to repeat as World Series champs and find myself thinking about foreign-born players who have labored for the Cubs.
Key foreign-born members of the 2016 championship roster included closer Aroldis Chapman and outfielder Jorge Soler of Cuba, reliever Hector Rondon and catchers Willson Contreras and Miguel Montero of Venezuela, reliever Pedro Strop of the Dominican Republic, and quality-assurance coach Henry Blanco of Venezuela. The current Cubs roster adds Dominican reliever Felix Pena, starter Jose Quintana of Colombia, reliever Koji Uehara of Japan, Canadian-born reliever Rob Zastryzny and Cuban-born outfielder Leonys Martin.
The Cubs have a long history of welcoming immigrants. In 1894, when the franchise was known as the Colts, the team signed John Houseman, the first professional ballplayer from the Netherlands, according to baseball-almanac.com. The Cubs also signed the first player born in Singapore, Robin Jennings, who played parts of 1996, '97 and '99 with the Cubs.
Before Puerto Rico became a U.S. commonwealth in 1952, Chicago Cubs pitcher Hi Bithorn became the first resident of that island to play in the major leagues.
Given the currently inappropriate nickname of "Tropical Hurricane," Bithorn won 18 games for the 1943 Cubs. But his most memorable moment came on July 15, 1943, when, according to the Society for American Baseball Research, Bithorn got tired of disgusting taunts coming from opposing New York Giants Manager Leo Durocher. "Durocher's diatribe of dirty words and racial slurs stopped abruptly when Bithorn shot the ball straight at him into the dugout, sending his target to his knees to avoid getting hit," the society reports, adding that Bithorn was fined $25.
There is no debate about the greatest foreign-born player in Cubs' history. Born Dec. 13, 1942, in Chatham, Ontario, Cubs legend Fergie Jenkins became the first and only Canadian elected into baseball's Hall of Fame in 1991. Jenkins turned in six consecutive seasons of 20 or more wins, something no other MLB pitcher has done. His No. 31 flies from the left-field foul pole at Wrigley Field.
Joining him on the foreign-born pitching staff would be Venezuelan Carlos Zambrano, who won 125 games and struck out 1,542 batters during his turbulent Cubs career. Canadian Ryan Dempster compiled 86 saves along with his 67 wins for the Cubs. Right behind Dempster in the saves category is current Cub Rondon. The foreign-born pitcher with the most saves for the Cubs is Dominican Carlos Marmol, whose 703 strikeouts lead all Cubs closers.
Texas-born Ernie Banks always will be "Mr. Cub," but controversial Dominican Sammy Sosa is listed as the all-time Cubs' home-run leader with 554, ahead of Banks' 512. Sosa also holds the franchise record for strikeouts with 1,815 whiffs, way ahead of runner-up Ron Santo's 1,271. Popular outfielder Jose Cardenal, born in Cuba, hit .296 during his Cubs career, while smacking 61 homers and stealing 129 bases.
An outfield of Sosa in right, Cardenal in center and Dominican-born Alfonso Soriano in left would be hard to top. Soriano hit 181 home runs during his Cubs career. That's fewer home runs than the Cubs' best foreign-born third-baseman, Aramis Ramirez, who hit .294 and whose 239 career homers with the Cubs ranks behind only legends Sosa, Banks, Billy Williams, Santo and Ryne Sandberg.
At shortstop, the team boasts four-time All-Star Starlin Castro, born in the Dominican Republic. Second base belongs to 1970s All-Star and Gold Glove winner Manny Trillo, who was born on Christmas Day 1950 in Venezuela. At first base, Rafael Palmerio, born in Cuba, probably would get the edge over Dominican slugger Carlos Pena. At catcher, Contreras gets the nod over Blanco, Montera or Dominican Welington Castillo.
You are now free to return to your dreams of finding a path for the Cubs to win the 2017 World Series.