Cubs fans: Here comes Javier Baez!

Posted on March 25, 2014

Javier Baez of the Chicago Cubs bats during a spring training game against the Cleveland Indians at Cubs Park in Mesa, Arizona on March 7, 2014. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

 

I recently returned from my favorite assignment of the year- covering spring training in Arizona on assignment for Sports Illustrated. Each year I am down there I see different players in action as I do my daily check of Twitter to see who is in the lineup. There are 15 teams that call the valley their Cactus League home, and finding the guy I need to shoot on a good day at a good park can be a wild goose chase. Luckily for my editor Nate Gordon and I the Chicago Cubs top prospect Javier Baez was in the starting lineup on March 7, 2014 for a day game against the Cleveland Indians at their gorgeous new home in Mesa, Cubs Park. This would be a day I will remember for a long time.

During my spring stay in Scottsdale I had already shot veterans with new teams like Prince Fielder and Robinson Cano. It is always fun the first time you see a player of this caliber in a new uniform, but since I have shot them numerous times before there is no mystery or intrigue. When I have a chance to photograph a great young prospect like Baez it is like painting on a blank canvas. I have no idea what his swing looks like or how good he might look like in the bright, white, home Cubs uniform with blue pinstripes. I would not be disappointed.

This was my first trip to the beautiful new Cubs Park and my immediate impression was great when I pulled my black Honda Pilot into the terrific media parking lot along the third base side of the ballpark. I made my way down to the field about an hour before the first pitch and quickly fell in love with this place. I could make great pictures here with the wonderful photo positions (I am thinking we should all thank the great Cubs team photographer Steve Green for this!) and the incredible light. The brilliant placement of the roof over the first base grandstand meant that my background would be totally black when I shot the plate from the third base side- in the first inning! This NEVER happens!

The great light I mentioned above was very evident when I shot Baez during his first at-bat of the game (see above). The combination of the bright white uniforms and the dark background really made him pop. Then you add his gorgeous swing and you have a can’t miss sequence of frames. Baez took tremendous hacks at the plate all day and made my job so easy. I was not surprised when I checked his stats this morning to see he has hit 5 home runs this spring, to go along with a .310 batting average.

The young shortstop from Puerto Rico is just 21-years-old and will probably start the season in the minors, but I have a feeling he might be playing the infield at Wrigley Field by July of this season. Baez is just one of many terrific young Cubs prospects, along with last year’s first round pick Kris Bryant out of the University of San Diego. It looks like general manager Theo Epstein is putting together the nucleus for a terrific young club that could make some noise in 2015 or 2016.

Cubs fans have every reason to be excited about their future. Sure this year’s club will not be competing for a division title, but things are looking bright for the near future. I can’t wait till I have the chance to photograph Baez in a regular season game. This kid is going to be something very special, and since he is so photogenic I will be rooting extra hard for him! Having the chance to concentrate on shooting one player like Baez is a dream assignment. Because of his talents, the great light, and the glory of spring training this is one sunny Friday afternoon I will remember for years to come.