Constable: There's less of Schwarber, but still plenty to love
By Burt Constable
Chicago Cubs slugger Kyle Schwarber set the all-time team record for postseason homers as a rookie in 2015, staged a miraculous comeback to become a World Series hero in 2016, and hit a whopping 30 homers last season even after spending a couple of weeks in the minor leagues to improve his swing. But there's more to Schwarber than the numbers. Fans feel as if Schwarbs is one of them.
"He's not the most physically in-shape guy. He mirrors me a little bit," says fan Don Kramer, 54, of Grayslake, who wears his World Series gold Schwarber jersey to Tuesday's Opening Day at Wrigley Field. Having lost more than 20 pounds during the offseason, Schwarber still doesn't have the chiseled body of teammates such as Jason Heyward or Javier Baez, Kramer says.
"And he's 0 for 14 in his last five games," says daughter Stephanie Kramer, 26, who wears an Anthony Rizzo jersey, as does her friend, Jimmy Gray, 30, of Wadsworth.
"He's going to turn it around," promises Don Kramer.
And just like that, Schwarber singles in the first run of the season at Wrigley Field to give the Cubs an early 1-0 lead.
That Schwarber success soon fizzled as the Cubs lost 8-5 to the first-place Pittsburgh Pirates, who now lead the Cubs by 3 games.
"I just got my Schwarber jersey on Sunday," says Jennifer Burkett, 42, a St. Louis resident who became a Cubs fan because of her boyfriend Aaron Schultz, 41, who grew up in Kankakee. Schultz suggested Burkett buy a Rizzo or Kris Bryant jersey as Schwarber, whose best position is designated hitter, might be traded to an American League team soon, or even sent back to the minors. But Burkett knew she wanted Schwarber.
"He's real. I know he's been through a lot," Burkett says. "But he worked really hard in the offseason and got in super-duper shape, and he's cute."
Fan Dan Sutton, 32, of Kansas City says he chose a Schwarber jersey in part because he grew up in Indiana and Schwarber was a star at Indiana University.
"He's got the Schwarber 2.0 body this year, but he still probably could put back a couple of beers," says Sutton. The fan says he loves how Schwarber missed almost the entire 2016 season and came back to hit .412 in the World Series. He has faith that Schwarber will rise to the occasion again.
In the fourth inning with a runner on second, Schwarber takes a called third strike. He grounds out in the sixth inning and singles in the eighth. Schwarber did raise his average from .172 to .212, which is boiling hot for water, but not for a batter.
"It's hit or miss," notes Burkett. "You never know what's going to happen, but even if he goes to another team, I'm not going to stop wearing his jersey."
"Everybody focuses on Rizzo and Bryant and the other guys, and I just like Schwarber," says Scott Buttliere, a 26-year-old fan from Homer Glen. "Even if he's traded, he's still the man."