The Chicago Cubs Need A Return to Grace

Now that the team has the monkey off its back, let’s welcome back one of the all-time great Cubs players, Mark Grace.

Photo by Matt Herring

With all the recent pomp, circumstance and nostalgia that’s been hovering over Wrigleyville and capturing the imagination of Cubs fans around the world, my mind keeps wandering back to a Chicago Cubs player who meant so much to the organization during his long tenure in blue and white pinstripes, but who has been notably absent from any of the organization’s activities for far too long.

I’m talking about my all-time favorite Cub — first baseman Mark Grace.

Before Kris Bryant was increasing demand for jerseys emblazoned with the number 17, Gracie put that number on the map in the hearts of the Wrigley faithful who relied on him for wringing some athletic enjoyment out of the mediocre-at-best teams who patrolled Wrigley throughout the 1990s.

Many current Cubs were barely born when Grace made a name for himself in the 1989 playoff run. And as Anthony Rizzo took his first hacks in a tee-ball league, Mark Grace had already established himself as the Mr. Cub of the modern era. He didn’t stand on any tarps — he made astonishing catches by diving into the dugout.

Sure, there were bigger name players on the squad with Grace over the years. Early in his career, he shared the lineup with future Hall of Famers Ryne Sandberg and Andre Dawson. Later, Sammy Sosa came on the scene to hit monster home runs and add clubhouse drama.

But as the faces changed around him and the Cubs fortunes showed little signs of improvement, Gracie kept putting on a show as the stalwart at first base. He was almost never out of the lineup and was always dependable to make a Gold Glove catch or slap a game-winning RBI double off the wall.

Very early in my Cubs fandom, I was at a game with my Dad and he told me that Grace was left-handed like me. Then and there I decided that he would be my favorite player.

Little did I know that I had picked an all-star. I loved watching him play because he made things happen. Soon my childhood bedroom was a miniature shrine to Grace, with a framed rookie card and numerous posters. I modeled my batting stance after him and always dreamt of playing first base (even though my ambition exceeded my actual baseball skills).

Me and Mark

Fans recognized Grace as a good-humored, scrappy and old school competitor (not to mention a heartthrob to female fans) and the media knew they could always count on him for a colorful quote. He’s a nice guy, too. He was known for chatting with fans in the stands along the first base line and was frequently spotted at Wrigleyville bars for a postgame hangout with Cubs fans.

Long after his playing days, I was on the same flight as him and we ended up standing next to each other at an abandoned baggage claim at O’Hare, waiting for our delayed luggage to wind its way around the conveyor belt. We chatted about the Cubs and I told him about my idolatry of him during his playing days.

We talked about the team’s chances and his gig doing color commentary for Fox broadcasts. His limo driver took a photo of us together. Grace was nothing but gracious, indulging a fanboy as he was trapped waiting for his bags.

Personality aside, Mark Grace was a helluva ballplayer. A career .300 hitter, he had the most doubles of any player in the 1990s. He also had the most hits of any player in the 1990s. Let that sink in. The most hits of any player in the main decade in which he played.

Grace’s departure from the Cubs was a bit acrimonious (they declined to extend his contract despite spending his entire career with the club), but he came out on top, finally earning a World Series ring with the Arizona Diamondbacks at the sunset of his career.

Enough water has passed under the bridge and enough front office personnel have turned over, however, that there is no reason Grace should not be welcomed back to the Friendly Confines with open arms. The Cubs World Series victory has been nothing if not an excuse for repeated trips down the North Side’s memory lane.

Why not take a trip back to the ‘90s? His Cubs pedigree notwithstanding, ‘90s nostalgia is at an all-time high right now. It would be an ingenious marketing gimmick!

I remember attending a game shortly after Ryne Sandberg retired (for good), and he returned for “Ryne Sandberg Day” to throw out a first pitch. Mark Grace — who was still playing for the Cubs — had the honor of receiving this first pitch and squatted down behind home plate. Just as Sandberg was about to wind up, Gracie called him off and trotted over to first base.

He took the ball from Sandberg, who retreated to his usual spot between first and second. Grace rolled him a grounder, and Sandberg’s first pitch became a toss to his old teammate, the way they had done it hundreds of times before. The Cubbie blue blood in my veins raced and the crowd roared. It was a delightful moment.

Banks, Santo, Jenkins, Sandberg, Wood and others (even David Ross nowadays!) have had lots of these moments over the years, especially since the Ricketts family took over and seem to actually care about mining the Cubs past and honoring the living Cubs legends while they can.

While Grace’s number will probably one day be retired with a different name sewn on the flag, it’s time to give him his due.

Now that the series has been won, the goat has been slayed, the banner has been raised, and the rings have been acquired, let’s plan the happy homecoming of a Cub who spent the majority of his career bringing joy to Wrigleyville when there was little joy to be had.

An adjunct journalism professor at Medill, Matt Paolelli is a freelance reporter that has written extensively for The Daily Herald. His work has also appeared in The Chicago Defender, The Chicago Journal, The Northwest Indiana and Illinois Times, Medill Magazine and Northwestern Magazine.