When looking at the history of the Chicago Cubs, an immense amount of greatness can be found in the middle infield. Despite the 108-year World Series drought, many legends and general game-changers legends and general game-changers who represented the organization well. Up the middle is one area that gets plenty of recognition for its high level of play.
Undoubtedly, selecting the best five double-play tandems in the club’s history can be challenging. More things were taken into account than just defense when accumulating this list. Individual performance and team success were weighed in factors as well.
5. Mark DeRosa and Ryan Theriot
The days of DeRosa and Theriot up the middle at Wrigley Field were some of my earliest memories as a Cubs fan in the late 2000s. DeRosa was only with Chicago for the 2007 and 2008 seasons, but his two seasons were quite impactful.
In a combined 188 games played at the second base position, DeRosa posted a .980 fielding percentage as a Cub. While that isn’t a staggering number, he was not a liability in the field. He also had an excellent offensive output in his time on the north side of Chicago. His .289 batting average, 31 homers, and 58 doubles make him a valid candidate to be on this list.
Ryan Theriot will always go down as an underrated Cub in the 2000s. He spent parts of seven seasons with the Cubs, including four full campaigns from 2007-2010.
In three full seasons at shortstop, Theriot finished all of them with a positive mark regarding his defensive runs saved. In those campaigns, he turned. Grand Slam71 double plays per season. Most of those turns came with DeRosa by his side.
On the offensive side, Theriot’s most notable season came in 2008. He possessed a .307 average in 149 games played.
4. Glenn Beckert and Don Kessinger
The combination of Beckert and Kessinger spent nine seasons together and held down the fort in the middle infield for five. From 1967-1972, these two displayed pure defensive excellence in Chicago. Unlike other pairings on this list, Beckert and Kessinger were primarily known as defensive specialists.
Their best season together by far came in 1969. They turned their most double plays as random no-hitters, and both had their best offensive outputs in their Cubs tenures. Chicago finished the season with a 92-70-1 record, with hopes to win a title. Although they fell short, they had some hope for the future of their middle infield, with Beckert and Kessinger still in their 20s.
3. Javier Baez and Addison Russell
This list wouldn’t be complete without the duo that helped the Cubs win their first title in 108 years. When looking strictly at individual defensive numbers for Baez and Russell, they aren’t the prettiest. However, their overall contributions to the organization shouldn’t go unrecognized.
The number of clutch hits or plays they made in the field throughout the magical run in 2016 will be forever etched into Cubs history.
What originally started as Russell at short and Baez at second back in 2016 shifted just a few years later. Baez exploded in 2018, clubbing 34 homers and driving in 111 runs. This led to a second-place finish in the MVP voting behind a scorching Christian Yelich.
While everyone knows Russell’s tenure in Chicago and the show ended on a sour note, he still was a key to success in those incredible years. These two made Wrigleyville an area of champions, so they deserve some respect on this list.
2. Gene Baker and Ernie Banks
All baseball fans know one name in this tandem; the other one is not as household. Baker spent five seasons (three total) with the Cubs from 1953 to 1957. He was Bank’s first double-play mate, and many believe they were the best combo in franchise history.
The two turned over 100 double plays together in back-to-back years in 1954 and 1955. At the same time, they both made more errors combined than any other duo on this list; multiple eras are being represented here, so it’s all relative.
Despite only making one all-star game, some have argued Baker’s case of a Hall-of-Fame career. That combined with the legendary “Mr. Cub” career, and now you’re talking. Banks’ 14 all-star appearances and Gold Glove speak for themselves when stacking him up against the greats of not just the Cubs but the baseball game.
1. Ryne Sandberg and Shawon Dunston
The number one middle infield duo in the history of the Chicago Cubs was a tough call to make. Leaving “Mr. Cub” out feels disrespectful, but Sandberg’s incredible fielding marks helped ensure this pick. Also, Dunston and Sandberg played a combined 25 years in Chicago. This is the most between any duo on this list, barely edging out Banks and Baker.
Dunston appeared in two all-star games as a Cub in his ten seasons. His best season offensively came in 1986, his second go around in Chicago. Although he wasn’t an all-star, Dunston had his career high in doubles (37) and homers (17) and drove in 68 runs. These numbers all came with the former number-one overall pick turning the most double plays in a season in his career (96).
Sandberg won nine gold gloves in his career, the most by any Chicago Cub. The Hall-of-Famer and former MVP finished his career at the plate shy of 300 homers (282). He also drove 1,061 runs and stole 344 bases with his seven silver sluggers. Ryno and Banks truly encapsulate greatness, so choosing just one of their tandems to rank atop this list was hard. If only those two could’ve turned some double plays together, that would’ve been a sight.
Main Photo Credits: Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports
