Levine: Schwarber Will Get Chance To Catch In Minors
By Bruce Levine--
(CBS) -- Taking batting practice with the Cubs' major league players at Wrigley Field was icing on the cake for the first-round draft pick Kyle Schwarber on Tuesday.
A 21-year-old catcher out of Indiana University, Schwarber was the fourth pick overall by the Cubs in June's amateur draft. Signing quickly was key to a successful 72-game minor league season for the stocky left-handed hitter.
Schwarber hit two balls out of Wrigley while taking batting practice against the Cubs' coaching staff. His natural line drive swing generates plenty of raw power, as evidenced by his 18 home runs in those 72 games.
"Today was a nice day for him and his family to be out here," Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said.
"Everything he has done in the minor leagues and college gets us excited about the role he could play in this organization for a long time. He has proved to be a pretty special guy, the way he brings teams together. Players are just drawn to him. He has leadership qualities and big personality. On the field you saw how quickly his bat translated. He has a special bat."
When Schwarber was drafted, it initially appeared the Cubs were going to switch him from catcher to the outfield. That plan has changed due to Schwarber's dedicated work behind the plate in pro ball this summer. The Cubs will also send him to their Arizona Instructional League team this October for some intensive work as a receiver.
"We are excited about him going to (the instructional league), continuing his work behind the plate," Epstein said. "He got a lot of catching instruction as a pro, and he caught on quickly. This will be an intense crash catching forum for him, and we think he will respond very well."
Schwarber appeared to fit in well with the other Cubs players, not showing any signs of nervousness or awe.
"It was fun today going out there, just getting to know the guys," Schwarber said. "I introduced myself, not trying to be a stranger out there. It felt good to get out there. I have been playing some golf (his season ended last week), so I just had some fun going out there meeting new people."
The baseball folks in the Cubs organization believe Schwarber has an impact bat and will be a middle-of-the-order run producer when he makes it to the major leagues.
"He sees the ball incredibly well and does extreme damage," Epstein said. "We believe he will hit for power and make contact."
Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score and CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.
