Chicago Cubs third baseman Patrick Wisdom never thought a late May call-up would culminate in tying a notable franchise record.
Wisdom knew he was on the verge of tying former teammate Kris Bryant’s rookie home run record set in 2015. It took 54 years before Billy Williams’ franchise mark was surpassed; Bryant’s hold on it did not last long thanks to the 30-year-old Wisdom’s unexpected emergence this year.
For a team whose post-trade-deadline success has featured journeyman players and guys who finally got an extended big-league opportunity, it felt fitting Wisdom’s name will be etched in the Cubs record books.
Wisdom knew he was approaching the figure and hoped to do it last weekend when Bryant and the San Francisco Giants were at Wrigley Field. At one point during the three-game series, Wisdom had a chance to chat with Bryant, who told him, “When you break my record, congrats on everything.”
“So that was pretty cool,” Wisdom said.
The moment arrived Tuesday night at Citizens Bank Park. Wisdom connected on a Kyle Gibson sinker low in the zone to send it 447 feet over the center-field wall for his 26th home run of the season, a go-ahead two-run shot in the fifth inning of the Cubs’ 6-3 victory.
“There’s been a little bit of quote-unquote pressure from outside sources that kind of put it in front of you,” Wisdom said afterward. “Whether you take it or not, that’s kind of up to us and how we take in those thoughts, but I knew I was close.”
The record-tying homer came at a welcome moment as Wisdom entered Tuesday’s game in a 5-for-45 (.111) slump.
“I’m really proud of how he’s worked and kept his cool through the ups and downs and put together a really nice season,” manager David Ross said. “That’s pretty good company for a guy that wasn’t even on the radar to start to season.”
Wisdom is one of the feel-good stories in a Cubs season that went sideways, leading to a dramatic shake-up and creating more consistent at-bats for players who had spent weeks and months at Triple A.
More than half of Tuesday’s lineup spent time together at Triple-A Iowa this year, and there’s something to be said for that type of comfort with familiar faces in a new, more challenging setting. It could be part of why this group has played well lately, going 14-10 (.583) over the last 31/2 weeks entering Wednesday’s game.
“When you see a new guy rolling into the clubhouse and it’s a familiar face, it brightens up the day and you’re just so pumped to see them,” Wisdom said. “I think that translates in how you feel, too, that you’re all pulling in the right direction.
“Playing alongside the guys in Iowa and out here, I think it’s definitely helped the confidence. And also it helps you be able to relax and just play because you’ve got your friend over there, and they’re always going to have your back.”
The Cubs have used 64 players in 2021, 39 of whom made their franchise debuts. Both of those numbers broke team records set in 2013, the last time the Cubs lost 90-plus games.
Right-handed reliever Scott Effross and outfielder Alfonso Rivas made two of the most recent Cubs debuts, and both played a role in Tuesday’s win. Rivas followed Wisdom’s homer in the fifth with the first of his big-league career, turning on a 1-0 inside fastball. Effross shut down the heart of the Phillies lineup in the eighth with a perfect inning that included striking out Jean Segura and Bryce Harper.
Right-hander Adrian Sampson follows the trend of minor-leaguers taking advantage of an opportunity. Sampson, who signed with the Cubs in May after pitching in the Korean Baseball Organization last year, limited the Phillies to two runs in five-plus innings. Since getting called up Aug. 18, the 29-year-old has a 2.53 ERA in seven appearances (three starts).
“Whether you don’t make the team out of camp or you sign late or whatever, the ultimate goal is always to get up here,” Sampson said. “The camaraderie we had in Iowa and then having a chance to come up here and play in the big leagues together, it’s so easy to root for one another.”
On a night when five of their six runs were driven in by players who began the season in the minors, the Cubs’ future also stood out at Triple A. Top prospect Brennen Davis homered in his first two at-bats Tuesday in his first game after his promotion from Double-A Tennessee.
Ross — who saw firsthand the arrival of top talents in 2015 and 2016 with the Cubs, most notably Bryant, Willson Contreras and Kyle Schwarber — recalled getting to watch and talk to Davis when he came to Wrigley for a workout before the Cubs chose him in the second round of the 2018 draft.
By this time next year, there’s a chance Ross could be managing the next young talent to emerge from the Cubs system.
“The history with him personally goes way back,” Ross said of Davis, “and following him from an outsider’s perspective, watching him take the strides he took this year, watching him in spring training and then obviously the Futures Game big moment and then kind of taking off and getting some confidence from that — continuing to move up in a year like this year is super special for him.
“I’m happy for him, and as an organization it’s nice to start to see the work at the minor-league level work its way up to the major-league level for sure.”
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