Cubs first baseman Michael Busch was a football quarterback in high school in Minnesota.
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With football season upon us, this is a good time to look back on an impressive playoff run by Cubs first baseman Michael Busch.
As a high school junior, Busch quarterbacked Simley High School to the Minnesota championship game.
“Even though we came up short, those were some of the best memories I had,” Busch said. “Just the group of guys, most of us knew each other, so we had a bond. Then we kind of put together a really cool run for our school. Looking back on it, it was one of the best times in sports. We were a good team, we were rolling and you got to do it with some of your best friends.”
Busch’s high school years fell into that small window between the Metrodome and U.S. Bank Stadium, so the championship game was played outdoors at the University of Minnesota’s stadium, but with a Vikings logo at midfield.
Simley ended up losing to Mankato West 42-19. A key moment came right before halftime, when Simley had fourth down at the 1-yard line with just a few seconds on the clock and no timeouts. They lined up quickly and tried a quarterback sneak, but Busch was stopped short of the goal line.
“I remember replay had us crossing, but we didn’t have replay or challenge or anything and they called us short,” he said.
Chicago Cubs’ Michael Busch, right, watches his two-RBI triple during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays in Chicago, Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)
AP
Highlights of the semifinal game against Spring Lake Park are available on YouTube. That game was played in miserable conditions, extreme cold with snow covering the field. Simley won 21-14.
“I remember the first half I couldn’t feel my hand the whole time,” Busch said. “I basically pushed a ball because I couldn’t throw it because my hand was s numb. I just remember snow being on the ground and my hands could just never get warm. Even though we didn’t score much, we ended up pulling it off.”
Busch is one of several former high school quarterbacks in the Cubs clubhouse, which includes Mike Tauchman at Fremd. Patrick Wisdom and Hayden Wesneski both claim to have been backup QBs in high school. Is there ever any discussion about who was the best QB?
Left: Fremd quarterback Michael Tauchman is tackled by Schaumburg’s Mike Valenti on Saturday at Conant.
Joe Lewnard | Staff Photographer
“Probably him (Busch),” Tauchman said. “But quarterback was like my fifth-best position, so it’s not saying much.”
Busch is unusual in the baseball world as a standout three-sport athlete in high school, where hockey was one of his specialties. He confirmed skating on frozen ponds was a popular activity during the winters, and he says he didn’t really have a favorite sport as a kid.
“It seemed like whatever season it was, was my favorite sport,” he said. “A lot of my close high school friends didn’t really play hockey. I played baseball, football with them, then with kids outside my community with hockey.”
The rest of the story is well-documented. Busch got an offer to play at North Carolina and three years later was a first-round draft pick of the Dodgers. He was traded to the Cubs before the season and has done well as a 26-year-old rookie.
Looking back, Busch doesn’t think it was particularly challenging being a baseball player in Minnesota, where the weather is often more conducive to pond hockey.
“Minnesota summers are so nice, they’re just a lot of fun playing ball,” Busch said. “I think it’s a very underrated state (for baseball). I feel like you’re starting to find a lot more guys going to bigger schools or getting drafted. I think the talent’s always been there, maybe not as much as Florida or Texas, just because not many people play, but the talent is pretty good in Minnesota.”
Minor-league spotlight:
Cubs first-round draft pick Cam Smith has gotten off to a blistering start in the minor leagues. He made his pro debut with Myrtle Beach on Aug. 9 and soon after homered in six consecutive games. So the Cubs promoted him to High A-South Bend and in his first two games, the third baseman from Florida State has gone 4-for-8 at the plate.
Now through 17 games, Smith is hitting .338 with 6 home runs and a 1.174 OPS. Don’t be surprised if he stays on the fast track.
The White Sox’ top draft pick also got rolling in the minors. Left-handed pitcher Hagen Smith debuted with High-A Winston-Salem and threw 3 scoreless innings, allowing 2 hits. … One local update of note: Former Mundelein left-hander Ryan Borucki, who has been sidelined most of this season with left triceps inflammation, is now on a rehab assignment in Triple-A and hoping to return to the Pirates before the end of the year.
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Publish date : 2024-08-29 14:27:00
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