NEWSLETTER
The smile on Frank Schwindel’s face when he succeeds out there is seriously heartwarming to me. I’m sure that makes me a big softie, but I just think about a guy like him having success after years of no hype, grinding in the minors, and not getting a shot. Every time he homers he SHOULD feel great, and you can see it on his face as he rounds the bases. I really love to see it.
Seriously, watch the unhidden joy as he touches home plate:
To be Frank. pic.twitter.com/o60VRsQGvG
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) September 16, 2021
Bonus fun there is knowing how many people were at the game specifically to see Schwindel:
Was talking to Frank Schwindel before the game and he said a lot of family and friends were coming out tonight (he’s from Livingston, NJ, <100 miles from Philly). Sure enough, after his double in the first, pretty much the entire section behind the Cubs dugout got up and cheered.
— Sahadev Sharma (@sahadevsharma) September 15, 2021
While he might not keep THIS up, there are reasons to believe Schwindel can continue to be a productive, starting-caliber first baseman on into next year. And in the meantime, a little fun, hyper specific Cubs history, via Cubs.com:
“In doing so, Schwindel joined Hank Sauer as the only players in franchise history with at least 12 homers and a 1.050 OPS in their first 40 games with the organization. Sauer hit 15 homers to go with a 1.117 OPS in his first 40 games after being acquired from the Reds during the 1949 season. He went on to win the 1952 NL MVP Award and hit 198 homers over parts of seven seasons on the North Side of Chicago.”
Sauer was already 32 when he joined the Cubs, and went on have five more pretty-darn-solid seasons with the Cubs, so clearly Schwindel is now a safe bet to be great for like seven more years. Sweet!
As for the joy, David Ross sees it, too.
“It’s always fun when Frankie comes in the dugout after a home run,” Ross said, per NBCSC. “I’ll say that. He’s always coming in with a lot of energy and pretty proud of himself when he comes in, and it shows a big smile on his face.”
Hell yeah, Frank. Enjoy every minute.
