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Ever since the 2015 NLCS, Kyle Schwarber has been labeled a terrible outfielder. He can’t seem to shake that label outside of the Cubs’ fan base, but his “bad defense” has always been exaggerated.
Yes, he’ll have the occasional goof in left, but overall he makes the plays that need to be made and he’s throwing almost every runner that challenges his arm. Why bring any of this up now?
Well, during the last few days I’ve been checking out some White Sox games and for a fan base that loves to make fun of Schwarber, painting him as some brute, roaming the outfield, they have their good share of atrocious defense being played in left.
Seriously, almost every player the White Sox have put in left field has had equally or more embarrassing plays than Schwarber.
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Leury Garcia…
#WhiteSox blow 7-4 lead in the 9th. pic.twitter.com/F74PGUq1Id
— Pinwheels and Ivy Podcast (@PinwheelsIvyPod) April 5, 2018
Nicky Delmonico…
Nicky Delmonico no! 🙈 #WhiteSox pic.twitter.com/oCWhXLHbWC
— Pinwheels and Ivy Podcast (@PinwheelsIvyPod) April 10, 2018
But boy has Charlie Tilson really taken the cake the last two games.
I’ll admit, the first example is on a hard-hit ball in the gap, but still with a guy who has good speed like Tilson, this ball should have been caught.
Terrible. A catch that would have been the final out of the inning. Instead, a two-out double and three batters later the White Sox were trailing and eventually defeated.
But again, that had some degree of difficulty. This routine fly ball hit to Tilson during Friday night’s game did not.
Charlie Tilson is not a left fielder. He needs to go to the AL and be a DH. Oh wait, he's not really that great of a hitter either. pic.twitter.com/456mJoq31S
— Aldo Soto (@AldoSoto21) June 30, 2018
Yes, that was a shot at every single person who tries to clown Schwarber, believing he can’t possibly play in the outfield. Well, to those people…
From earlierKyle Schwarber Is (Still) the Best Defensive Player in Baseball https://t.co/l5zm5S3yYa #Cubs Insider
— Cubs Insider (@realcubsinsider) June 29, 2018
Was this entire post petty, making fun of Tilson? Sure, but for all the Schwarber haters out there, come with same energy when players on your team are equally or more terrible.
But it’s fine, Kyle Schwarber is my goddamn left fielder and that’s pretty awesome because he does stuff like this…
"Bader can run"
Kyle Schwarber: pic.twitter.com/Q6gl8exDGz
— Pinwheels and Ivy Podcast (@PinwheelsIvyPod) June 18, 2018
…and this.
Baseballs don't normally land up there. pic.twitter.com/mi1ikUZBuo
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) June 30, 2018