Storied Cubs of the Past Part II

There are certain players from your home team that, while acknowledged from the outside sports world as great, mean so much to you as a fan that they will probably always be your favorite player. Growing up in Chicago in the 1990's, it was very easy to me to completely ignore baseball to be obsessed with the Bulls dynasty. I've never been a fan of the flashiest players or biggest names. I prefer to keep on eye on those athletes who stay consistently good. And while most people probably will better remember Sandberg, Dawson, and Sosa from the 90's, I will always be a fan of.....

MARK GRACE

Never the flashy power hitter, his career was better known for getting on base and playing solid defense. Groomed in the Cubs farm system (something I hope that Theo will begin doing better), Grace joined the Cubs in 1988 as a first baseman. A four time Gold Glove winner, Grace was the cornerstone of what could be considered the best Cubs infield of all time.

There are certain players that make a team what it is, the "clubhouse" guys, who are often the heart and soul of the team. For the 1990's club, Grace was that guy. Holding the record for the most hits of the 1990's (1,754), there are few players who can maybe make a better case for the Hall of Fame (other than Rose).

Like any fan/athlete relationship, there are always lows that follow suit at the end of a career. My first was being forced to see my favorite player in a hideous purple uniform of the Arizona Diamonbacks.

But the second, and by far the worse feeling in this relationship was when Grace did not receive enough vota in the HOF ballot selection to stay on ballot for multiple years. In a decade capped in steroids crises and flashy players, Mark Grace will always be a throwback to the old days of baseball as America's pastime. Someone who generally loved the game, and the fans of the game loved him. I can only hope that future Cub fans will learn to understand what he meant to our team, even if the HOF will never show him the same appreciation.

Previous Storied Cubs of the Past Features

Part I - Brant Brown