The Chicago Cubs make an interesting selection with the Ed Howard selection.
Unfortunately for Chicago Cubs fans, and fans of major league baseball in general, there hasn’t been a lot to cheer about. However, the 2020 MLB Draft provides a respite for Cubs fans looking for a little bit of a break from the gridlock of the negotiations that have thus far failed to produce a deal that to play baseball next season.
Although baseball may not be played this season, teams must continue to build out their rosters for the future and that’s just what the Cubs did with their first pick of the draft (No. 16 overall).
There were a number of different directions the Cubs could have gone with this pick. A recent mock draft even had the team selecting an eventual replacement for Anthony Rizzo with this pick.
However, the Cubs went in a different direction. In fact, they went in the direction many insiders thought the White Sox could have gone, by selecting hometown hero, shortstop Ed Howard.
You may remember Howard’s name from 2014 when he played for the Jackie Robinson West Little League team that represented Illinois in the Little League World Series. That kid turned into a lean, but incredibly smooth shortstop for Mount Carmel High School.
Howard is known for his elite defense and was even nicknamed “Silk” by former Hall of Fame shortstop Barry Larkin. He has also developed quite a bond with White Sox current shortstop Tim Anderson, and even grew up a Sox fan going to many of their games as a kid.
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Perhaps it was the presence of Anderson that led the Sox to conclude another shortstop was not a pressing need. And so it is the rivals to the North that swoop in and select the hometown kid whose career will be closely watched.
No doubt his journey will be followed just as closely by Sox fans as it will Cubs fans, who will wonder “what if,” especially if he develops into the kind of player many believe he will become. He must improve at the plate, but he has a tremendous work ethic and will certainly be hungry to shine in front of the hometown fans.
