MIAMI — Lennie Merullo, the last living member of the Chicago Cubs’ 1945 World Series team, died on Saturday.
Former shortstop Ernie Banks, a 14-time All-Star known as Mr. Cub after a career that spanned from 1953 to 1971, died in January.
But while Merullo and Banks did not live long enough to see the Cubs win the World Series for the first time since 1908, there is reason to believe that the team from the North Side of Chicago is on the right track.
The Cubs’ 5-1 win over the Miami Marlins on Monday put Chicago five games over .500 at 27-22.
The optimism, though, runs deeper than just the win-loss record.
For example, there are three big-time rookie hitters on the 2015 Cubs — third baseman Kris Bryant, second baseman Addison Russell and right fielder Jorge Soler.
Cubs manager Joe Maddon likes the future of all three players, but it will be interesting to see if Russell, trained as a shortstop, remains at second base long-term.
“It’s unbelievable for him to be that young and with that lack of experience and yet he accomplished what he has so quickly,” Maddon said of Russell, who has made seven errors in 35 starts at second base this year. “It’s a tribute to his athleticism and also his ability to retain information. He’s done a great job.”
There is little doubt about Bryant’s bat. He hit 43 homers last season between Double-A and Triple-A, the most in pro ball, including the majors.
He has seven homers already this season, even though he started the year in Triple-A.
Defensively, though, Bryant may eventually end up in left field. But Maddon said he has been “really good” in 40 starts at third base, making seven starts.
“He’s made a lot of nice adjustments,” Maddon said of Bryant, who has played three games in the outfield this season, totaling 12 innings. “He’s learning the position. Mechanically, he’s doing a lot better on his technique. I have no complaints.”
The Cubs are known as baseball’s lovable losers — their 108-year championship drought is the longest in North American-based pro sports.
But maybe that drought will soon come to an end. Within the next year or so, the Cubs could field a lineup full of high-end hitters, all of them age 25 or younger.
That scenario would look like this: catcher Kyle Schwarber (putting up big hitting numbers in the minors), first baseman Anthony Rizzo, Russell at second base, shortstop Starlin Castro, third baseman Javier Baez (power-hitting minor-leaguer), Bryant in left, Albert Almora (a star defensive prospect) in center and Jorge Soler in right.
The Cubs are nowhere as deep in top pitching prospects, but you can already see team president Theo Epstein’s plan for the lineup taking shape.