Can ex-Cub Schwarber power Phillies past heavily-favored Astros in World Series?
Locally, it was the worst Chicago baseball season in a long time, like 2013.
The White Sox and Cubs were a combined 129-195 that year as forgettable faces like Jeff Keppinger, Hector Santiago, Darwin Barney and Carlos Marmol dotted the rosters.
The Sox were stuck in neutral from start to finish this year, with manager Tony La Russa bearing the brunt of the blame before stepping down on Aug. 30 due to health reasons and never returning.
The Cubs were the National League's hottest team down the stretch with a 16-6 record, but that wasn't nearly enough to overcome a dismal 35-57 showing in the first half.
The White Sox and Cubs have been back at their offseason home for weeks, but the game always goes on.
The Astros and Phillies are the last teams standing, and they'll square off in the World Series. Game 1 is Friday night in Houston.
There are plenty of Chicago connections in this year's Fall Classic.
Phillies:
After the 2020 season, the Cubs non-tendered Kyle Schwarber.
In hindsight, it was a regrettable decision.
Schwarber has hit for prodigious power the last two seasons with the Nationals, Red Sox and Phillies, his current team.
Not only did he lead the NL with 46 home runs this year, the 29-year-old outfielder hit a 448-foot solo shot in Game 1 of the NLCS vs. the Padres.
Schwarber joined Philadelphia on a four-year, $79 million contract before the season and is thrilled to have found a new home.
"You just look at the roster, it's super-talented, uber-talented," Schwarber said. "You look at a fan base that's hungry to win. That was kind of my biggest thing in the offseason, I just wanted to go to a place where I thought that we had a really good chance of winning and trying to make deep runs."
Schwarber is having a memorable debut season with the Phillies. Right fielder Nick Castellanos is not.
Castellanos, who was Schwarber's teammate with the Cubs for the second half of the 2019 season, signed a five-year, $100 million contract with Philadelphia in March and produced only 13 home runs and 62 RBI in 136 games during the regular season.
In the playoffs, Castellanos is batting .265 with no homers and 6 RBI in 11 games.
David Robertson opened the season in the Cubs' bullpen and was traded to the Phillies in early August.
In 22 appearances for Philadelphia after the deal, the 37-year-old Robertson was 1-3 with a 2.70 ERA and 6 saves.
The right-hander missed the NLDS after injuring his calf celebrating Bryce Harper's home run in the wild-card round. Robertson returned for the NLCS and allowed 1 run in 2⅔ innings.
Robertson also pitched for the White Sox from 2015-17.
Astros:
Dusty Baker is going to be a Hall of Famer regardless, but he'd like to enter Cooperstown with a World Series ring as manager.
A major-league outfielder for 19 years, Baker is in his 25th season as a manger. The 73-year-old icon was in the Cubs' dugout from 2003-06.
Baker has never won a World Series as a manager, but that should change this year. Houston rolls into Friday night's matchup vs. the Phillies with a 7-0 postseason record and the Astros are big favorites as they play in the World Series for the fourth time in six years.
Known for his defensive skills, catcher Martin Maldonado had 15 home runs and 45 RBI this season, both career highs.
Maldonado briefly played for the Cubs in 2019.