Chicago Cubs essays

The 10 best Cubs photos of 2022

It might not have been a great year on the field, but the Cubs were, at times at least, photogenic.

By Al Yellon@bleedcubbieblue Dec 28, 2022, 9:00am CST

This is the last week of calendar year 2022 and so it’s time for year-end things!

As has been my practice in previous years, I am today posting 10 of what I think are the best Cubs photos of the past season.

I’m going to give the first slot to... myself, a photo taken April 23 at Wrigley Field.

History is made

Oddly, besides this one and the one below, also taken by me, I could not find any other photos of either this board or the Wrigley Field center field scoreboard from that record-breaking afternoon, when the Cubs registered a franchise-record 21-0 shutout over the Pirates. Here are some of the records set that day.

Bonus 11th photo: Here’s a view of the center field scoreboard that day just before the ninth inning started.

Rara avis

The rarest of views, a pitcher batting in 2022. David Ross gave David Robertson his first MLB at-bat in a game the Cubs were leading 14-1. Predictably, he struck out (though he did run the count full first).

In the first 162-game season with a universal DH, just 46 plate appearances were made by players whose boxscore position was pitcher (other than Shohei Ohtani). Of those, just five were by actual pitchers (the rest were by position players who pitched): Two by Reiver Sanmartin of the Reds, who had to bat after the Reds starting catcher Tyler Stephenson was injured and their only other catcher, Aramis Garcia, was the DH and had to move to catcher, one by José Alvarado of the Phillies, one by Evan Phillips of the Dodgers, and one by Robertson. Of those five, three ended in strikeouts. Phillips drew a walk, the only actual pitcher (besides Ohtani) to reach base from a plate appearance in 2022.

The Wisdom Leap

Patrick Wisdom and Willie Harris perfected a high-five leap after Wisdom homers. This one is after his second of the game June 30 against the Reds.

Seiya later!

Seiya Suzuki missed five weeks on the injured list after hurting a finger in late May in Cincinnati. In his first game back, July 4 in Milwaukee, he hit an inside-the-park home run against the Brewers. Here’s his slide into the plate:

Willy and Chris

Willson Contreras hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning against the Marlins August 5 that turned out to be the difference in a 2-1 win. Willson and Christopher Morel celebrated:

They built it. We came.

A full moon rises over the Field of Dreams in Dyersville, Iowa on August 11:

Wait, we did what?

Nico Hoerner and Nick Madrigal turned an unusual double play to defeat the Orioles August 18 in Baltimore. Details here.

Watch what I can do with two baseballs!

Marcus Stroman before his start in Toronto in August.

Thanks for everything, J-Hey.

Jason Heyward shows off his World Series ring when he was honored at Wrigley Field October 1.

And thanks for everything, Willy.

Willson Contreras says a heartfelt goodbye to Cubs fans at Wrigley Field October 2: