Constable: Bryant raises bar for Cubs All-Stars

Good news for those of us Cubs fans making World Series plans. The American League's 4-2 win over the National League in the Major League Baseball All-Star Game means that the Cubs can sweep the World Series by winning Game 4 at Wrigley Field. Had the National squad won, the Cubs would have had to wait until Game 6 of the Fall Classic to win the 2016 championship at home.

So there's that.

Cubs players did better than Cubs normally do in All-Star games. Pitcher Jon Lester came on in relief and didn't give up a run in two-thirds of an inning. The starting infield of Kris Bryant, Addison Russell, Ben Zobrist and Anthony Rizzo went a combined 2 for 8 (. 250 batting average) at the plate, with Bryant hitting a long home run on the first pitch he saw from American League starter and White Sox ace Chris Sale.

In the inaugural All-Star game in 1933 at Chicago's Comiskey Park, three Cubs made the roster. Catcher Gabby Hartnett struck out in his only at-bat. Pinch-hitting shortstop Woody English was hitless in his only plate appearance. And pitcher Lon Warneke tripled in his only at-bat, scoring one run to match the run he gave up pitching.

In the 87 total All-Star Games (baseball played two from 1959 through 1962 and didn't play one in 1945 because of World War II), the Cubs have boasted 101 All-Star players who made 223 appearances.

With the 2016 totals, Cubs hitters have recorded 73 hits in 293 at-bats for a .249 batting average, with 8 homers, 26 runs batted in and 4 stolen bases.

This year's Cubs effort marked a huge improvement over recent years. No Cubs player had a hit in the All-Star game since Alfonso Soriano hit a home run in the 2007 game.

Cubs players generally have stunk in the showcase ever since Cubs third baseman and National League batting champ Bill Madlock was named Most Valuable Player of the 1975 game. Madlock, who shared MVP honors with New York pitcher Jon Matlack, delivered a clutch, game-winning, bases-loaded, 2-run single in the ninth inning off young White Sox closer Goose Gossage to break a 3-3 tie.

Since that game, Cubs All-Stars have batted .159 with just 2 home runs and 4 RBI.

Mr. Cub, Ernie Banks, hit .303 as an All-Star with a lone homer and 3 RBI. Sweet-swinging Billy Williams hit .273 with a homer and 2 RBI. Ron Santo hit .333 and drove in 3 runs but didn't record an extra-base hit.

Fellow Hall-of-Famer Ryne Sandberg hit just .115 and drove in only a single run. But that was still better than my all-time favorite Cubs second-baseman, Glenn Beckert, who went hitless in his seven All-Star at-bats.

Sammy Sosa hit .154 with no homers and twice as many strikeouts (four) as he had hits (two).

Even great Cubs pitchers generally turned in worse All-Star performances than the average Cubs ERA of 4.99, with Fergie Jenkins and Greg Maddux both compiling ERAs of 6.75. The exception is reliever Bruce Sutter, who got 2 wins and a save and didn't give up a run in All-Star games as a Cub.

Bryant's homer, while a thing of beauty, came in a losing cause. He, Rizzo, Russell, Zobrist and maybe some of the other young Cubs might give fans something better to remember in years to come.

But for now, the greatest Cubs highlight might be outfielder Jim Hickman's walk-off single in the bottom of the 12th inning in the 1970 game. A sweaty President Richard Nixon threw out the first pitch on a 90-degree evening at Cincinnati's new Riverfront Stadium. With two outs in a tie game and Pete Rose the runner at second base, Hickman singled up the middle and Cubs manager Leo Durocher, coaching third base, waved a hustling Rose home.

Instead of sliding, Rose barreled into Cleveland Indians catcher Ray Fosse, dislodging the ball from Fosse's mitt and dislodging Fosse's shoulder from its socket. Fosse wasn't the same player after that.

Chicago fans might not have many wonderful memories of Cubs in All-Star games, but we haven't had any players hurt.