Farewell to Kyle Schwarber and Albert Almora

The Cubs non-tendered both Kyle Schwarber and Albert Almora yesterday, dropping the number of players left from the 2016 World Series to just five: Anthony Rizzo, Kyle Hendricks, Javier Baez, Kris Bryant, and Willson Contreras.

I was not surprised that Albert Almora was let go, but I was a little surprised about Kyle Schwarber (although apparently other people were not).  Most of the comments have been about Schwarbs, which is not surprisingly.  His home run into the Allegheny in the Wild Card game against the Pirates in 2015.  The home run that landed on top of the scoreboard in the NLDS clincher against the Cardinals that same year.  And then coming back not to just play in the World Series in 2016, but to get seven hits in seventeen at bats.  Plus the lead-off single in the tenth inning of Game 7.  Kyle is not going to be forgotten.

While Albert Almora’s departure has been getting less notice, Albert has had his share of walk-off hits.  (Here and here.)  Plus his fielding.  When Albert was in center field, the surprise was not when he got to the ball; it was when he didn’t.  But it isn’t his walk-offs or his fielding that will go down in Cubs history.  It is, rather, a pinch running appearance.  Because, as we all know, it was Albert who went in to run for Kyle Schwarber after Kyle hit that single to lead off the tenth inning of Game 7.  And it was Albert who tagged up at first and advanced to second base on Kris Bryant’s deep fly ball to right center.¹

Which changed the whole inning.  With Albert on second, Anthony Rizzo was walked intentionally.  And Ben Zobrist doubled in a run.  With first base open again, Addison Russell, who had driven in six runs in game six, was walked intentionally.  And Miguel Montero singled in a run.  Two intentional walks, both of which were entirely appropriate, each followed by a hit driving in a run.  All because Albert took second.

The Cubs might have won the World Series even if Albert had not taken second base on that fly ball.  After all, Rizzo, Zobrist, and Russell were coming up, and there would have been a runner on base.  Who knows.  What we do know is that Albert took second base, which changed how the inning played out, and the Cubs won the World Series.  That’s good enough for me to never forget Albert Almora.
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¹ Thanks to Ross for this link.