Augie

Somewhere, on the sun splashed fields of Arizona, Octavio “Augie” Ojeda is wondering whether he still belongs on a Major League Baseball roster. Augie has never quite fit the mold of what a star athlete should look like. He’s listed in the program at 5’9 and 174 pounds while never possessing the flashy tools that make cynical scouts drool on their notebooks. Not surprisingly, he wasn’t drafted until the 13th round and 380 players were selected before they called his name. He’s scratched and clawed his way onto major league rosters for parts of 10 seasons, playing over 500 games in the show. His stats don’t exactly jump off the page at you, unless you favor players who have never had more than 17 RBIs or 2 Home Runs in a season. But here he is, a 36 year old journeyman infielder with a funny name, trying to make another Big League roster.


Players normally get admiration for their production. Fans bowed in the right field bleachers of Wrigley Field for Sluggers like Sammy Sosa and Andre Dawson. Kids hang posters on their bedroom walls for home run kings, 20 game winners and fire breathing closers. Little Leaguers emulate the mannerisms of star players, mimicking the sweet swing of Ken Griffey Jr. or the pre bat routine of Big Papi Ortiz. However, there are exceptions to the rule and Augie Ojeda is one such exception. Despite never hitting more than .221 in a Cubs uniform, he’s always been beloved at Clark and Addison.


While fans tend to worship the stars, they also indentify with the underdogs. Once you reach a certain age, you realize you’re probably not growing to be a 6’4, 220 pound stud athlete. It’s hard to relate to these otherworldly athletic specimens that won the genetic lottery. At a certain point, you realize you look more like the bat boy than the MVP candidate. Maybe that’s why fans love guys like Augie Ojeda. Dads can take their sons to games, point to the diminutive infielder and tell them that anything is possible. You don’t need the blazing speed, superhero muscles, or backbreaking curveball to make it to bigs. It sure helps though. When Ojeda made his debut this spring, Cubs fans were chanting his name as he sauntered to the plate. Whether he plays another game on the lush green grass of Wrigley Field remains to be seen.