Cubs Killers Who Joined The Cubs...And Stunk…
By: Alex Patt
Ah, Cubs Killers…there are plenty of them throughout history. Many of them Hall of Famers and/or perennial All Stars while some of them were just guys who simply had the Cubs number. They came in all forms.
Sometimes career Cubs Killers would make their way into Cub uniforms, bringing excitement and relief to many fans. Players like Hall of Famer Andre Dawson, a Cubs Killer with the Expos, joined the team accomplished their greatest and most memorable seasons on the North Side. Dawson went from an enemy to an all-time favorite.
For other Cubs Killers who joined the squad…let’s just say it they did not make up for the damage they did.
Howard Johnson
Utility man Howard Johnson spent most of his time with the New York Mets. A solid career-hitter and two-time All Star, Johnson slashed .257/.343/.518 against the Cubs with 27 home runs in 128 games. Being on the hated Mets from 1985–1993, the damage he did against the Cubs was incredibly frustrating for many.
Johnson joined the Cubs in 1995 at age 34 as a free agent. He batted .195/.330/.355 with seven home runs in 87 games as a Cub and never played in the majors after that.
Tyler Chatwood
Hopefully he can perform better in 2019, but we all know about Chatwood’s 5.30 ERA, 8.2 BB-9 and 1.8 WHIP in 2018. Unless he gets better he unfortunately fits this category.
In his career against the Cubs he sports a 0.95 ERA, 1.053 WHIP and 13 K in three starts. He dominated the Cubs in both 2016 and 2017, getting a lot of groundballs and few hard-hit balls.
Todd Hundley
This name makes a lot of Cubs fans moan and groan. Catcher Todd Hundley was a long-time Met All Star catcher who came to the Cubs and was a disaster. In his career against Chicago he slashed .258/.330/.502 with 17 homers in 85 games, pretty productive numbers.
With the Cubs he slashed .199/.285/.398 and was not popular here in Chicago. He his 28 home runs in two seasons, but that was about it.
Delino DeShields
DeShields is an interesting case. He bounced around between Montreal, St. Louis, Los Angeles and Baltimore before finishing his career in Chicago. DeShields was a respectable hitter who had an unreal .306/.399/.448 slash against the Cubs in 92 games.
His final season and a half (2001–2001) with the Cubs he slashed .236/.339/.359. The OBP is solid, but consider his final season in 2002 he slashed .192/.292/.308 in 67 games. At least he was good in 2001 when he came over to Chicago (.276/.380/.405), but was overall forgettable.
And now for the biggest name on this list *drumroll*
Jeff Blauser
This man terrorized the Cubs for a decade as a member of the Braves. A two-time All Star, Blauser had a very solid career…but he’d be a Hall of Famer if he only played the Cubs. In 78 games against them he slashed .351/.413/.611 with 15 home runs (most against any other team).
After 11 years in Atlanta, Cubs fans rejoiced when Blauser signed via free agency before the 1998 season. In his first year as a Cub he slashed .219/.340/.299 and .240/.347/.420 in 1999. The OBP was solid but the hitting was just not there. Blauser only hit 13 homers as a Cub and he was a guy who usually hit 10–15 a season. He was out of the majors after 1999.
