Of course, you’ll have Lee, Zambrano, DeRosa, Soriano, and other veterans leading the way for the Cubs, but what about the boys who are not as well known? The ones who will come off the bench when they’re needed the most. Boys like, my favorite Cubs player, Mike Fontenot.
Michael Eugene Fontenot is 27 years old, bats left handed, throws right, plays second base, has one years’ experience in the major leagues, and is heading to the playoffs with the Chicago Cubs. It looked like Fontenot might not even play in the MLB this year as he was overlooked for spring training. But when the Cubs were short an infielder, they turned to the Triple A and found their man. When Fontenot joined the Cubs in June, he was given a shot at second base. He then hit .397 in that month with three homeruns and 15 RBIs. Since then, he hasn’t seen much playing time while Mark DeRosa is playing at second. However, Fontenot is still keeping his swing up to standard and is ready to help whenever he’s needed.
"Sometimes it's tough, but I'm still working every day and every time I get a chance to start, I feel normal," he said. "Just trying to do whatever I can here to stay ready."
In the playoffs, Fontenot will give the Cubs a powerful left-handed bat off the bench. And don’t be fooled by his nickname, the “Chicken”. Some believe he’s called this because of his 5 feet 8 inches but Fontenot believes otherwise.
"I had my hands in my back pockets and I started doing a little dance," Fontenot said. "They started calling me 'Chicken,' and it kind of stuck."
It doesn’t matter if it’s because he’s shorter in stature or because he can dance, the “Chicken” doesn’t have to prove himself. He might not be starting against the Diamondbacks in this upcoming series, but if Piniella needs a powerful hitter or a sound second-basemen, he’s going to know who to turn to. My man, Mike Fontenot.
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