Column: Kyle Schwarber’s time with the Chicago Cubs likely is over, but his tenure — and comeback in the 2016 World Series — should be remembered fondly

The stout frame, once-bulky knee brace and powerful left-handed swing separated Kyle Schwarber from fellow first-round picks Kris Bryant and Javier Baez.

But Schwarber has a special place in Chicago Cubs history — and not just because he was one of three homegrown players who helped lead the franchise to the 2016 World Series title.

Whether it was a storied comeback from a severe knee injury or a significant weight loss, fans identified with Schwarber’s efforts to clear hurdles and live up to his billing as the No. 4 pick in the 2014 draft.

His mammoth home run that landed on the top of the right-field Budweiser sign at Wrigley Field during the 2015 National League Division Series against the St. Louis Cardinals and his production in the 2016 Series are forever etched in the minds of Cubs fans.

So are the swings and misses and occasional late jumps in left field that leave Schwarber, who was non-tendered Wednesday, a victim of the Cubs’ retooling.

Sure, team President Jed Hoyer left open the possibility the Cubs could re-sign Schwarber, saying they would “keep the door open.”

“I’ve also expressed if that doesn’t work out, (we appreciate) the affection and attitude for all he’s done,” Hoyer said Wednesday. “He’s always going to be a Cubs legend, no question about that, as he should be.”

Schwarber likely leaves with more than just the highs and lows that reflect the Cubs’ six-year run of achieving baseball’s zenith and subsequent unfulfilled expectations.

Schwarber’s human side always was on display, whether he saluted fans after taking his position in left field before each home game or reluctantly speaking to reporters during his rehabilitation while teammates were running away with a 2016 NL Central title.

A day after tearing ligaments in his left knee in the third game of the 2016 season, Schwarber spoke with a mixture of frustration and determination in a small room adjacent to the visitor’s clubhouse at Chase Field in Phoenix.

The sadness stemmed from not being able to use his rookie season as a springboard, especially after the Cubs signed Ben Zobrist, Jason Heyward and John Lackey in pursuit of a World Series title.

The resolve was fueled by finding a way to contribute in 2016, no matter how lengthy and tedious his rehabilitation would be.

Schwarber arrived late to a workout before Game 3 of the 2016 NL Championship Series, but he was giddy while talking to teammates at Dodger Stadium.

An examination in Dallas by Dr. Daniel Cooper raised the possibility that Schwarber could return in a limited role if the Cubs advanced to the World Series.

That became a reality. Schwarber made the most of his designated-hitter role, hitting .412 against the Cleveland Indians despite not having faced major-league pitching in nearly seven months.

Success never inflated Schwarber’s head. His suspect defense, which was exposed in the 2015 NLCS, improved adequately thanks to extra work and a 25-pound weight loss after the 2017 season.

Humble moments tested but never broke him. He lost leadoff duties less than two months into the 2017 season and was briefly demoted to Triple-A Iowa.

Schwarber also accepted some lighthearted poking. The video board frequently played a snippet of him performing for the Purple Pizzazz choir group at Middletown High School in Ohio. A photo of Schwarber, a linebacker who received offers from Mid-American Conference football programs, missing a tackle on future Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller in his final high school game surfaced on the internet.

Schwarber’s greatest attribute was his ability to balance the most delicate situations.

That never was more evident than during the truncated 60-game 2020 season after a shutdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic when social tensions soared.

In late August, Schwarber did his best to describe his tug of war in the wake of the Kenosha police shooting of Jacob Blake.

Schwarber established his “Neighborhood Heroes” program in 2017 as a tribute to first responders. The topic is close to Schwarber, whose father, Greg, was the former Middletown police chief and is part of a family with a long history of first responders.

At the same time, Schwarber’s wife, Paige, is biracial, and he counts his brother-in-law, who is Black, as one of his best friends.

“I’m not trying to pull a card. This is my reality,” Schwarber said in August. “This is something I live every day. I want to be able to do the right thing and be able to hopefully show progression in the fact I just hope one day that this will all come to end and both sides will be at peace and be able to be everyday Americans and live out the American Dream.”

In the eyes of some, Schwarber might have fallen short of expectations with the Cubs. But he was drafted higher than projected, and the Cubs used their savings from his lower signing bonus on later picks who were bought out of their college commitments.

But his character, selflessness and signature moments deserve to be etched permanently in the Cubs’ six-year run of success.

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