Similarities Between Bote, Bryant, and Michael Jordan – Speaking with his College Coach
Aug 12, 2018; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Cubs third baseman David Bote (13) rounds the bases after hitting game winning grand slam against the Washington Nationals at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
One of the coolest parts of running this website has been when people have reached out to me about something I’ve written or posted. It is rare, but when it happens it certainly validates this little place I like to ramble on about the Chicago Cubs or other Chicago teams. After I wrote this article on the Cubs’ David Bote, I was contacted by Steve Murry, head coach of the Neosho County Community College Panthers. Steve, as you may have deduced by now, was David Bote’s college coach. We had a great conversation, and as he continued to explain who Bote is, the more and more I realized why the Cubs drafted him – outside of the obvious, he’s a dang good ballplayer.
Underdog story
Bote was far from a coveted baseball prospect. He was a relatively unknown player coming out of Longmont, Co., walked onto the Liberty University team in Virginia, a Divison 1 school. Similar to another Chicago star, Michael Jordan, he was cut from that team. This is when David, mid-semester, transferred to coach Murry’s Neosho’s team in Kentucky.
Coach Murry was the benefactor of a very underrated player, and Bote was the benefactor of two coveted sophomore’s on the Neosho Panthers.
“He actually played on a very very good Neosho team. He was a freshman, and two sophomores on that team brought in a ton of scouts,” Steve Murry told me. “Matt Strahm with the Padres big league club and two-time all-American Adam Giacalone who was drafted by the Brewers. Those three led us to the NJCAA World Series.”
David seemed to use being cut as a motivator and was a starter as a freshman on a sophomore-laden team. Being a younger kid, joining the team late, these things didn’t phase Bote then and it doesn’t appear to phase him now.
His bat became irreplaceable
This is beginning to become a theme here in Chicago as well, but David Bote’s bat was an irreplaceable part of the lineup in Kentucky. In fact, Bote was so important to coach Murry’s lineup that they didn’t win the conference title because of him. Yes, I said didn’t win.
“Biggest Bote moment wasn’t a good one,” coach Murry recalled. “We had a great team and ended 6th in the country. We didn’t even win our conference BECAUSE of Dave lol. Let me explain- he was our starter at SS going on the road with Johnson County Community College. Big series. 1st pitch of the 4 game series hits Dave right in the face. Spread his nose all over and he sat all 4. We lost 4-3, 3-2, 2-1 and 1-0 lol.”
Had Bote been available to play in that series, chances are things would have changed a bit and the Panthers would have won the conference title. They would go on to finish 6th in the country that season.
Right now, Bote leads the majors in exit velocity, coming in at 99.0, and he had always hit the ball extremely hard. Coach Murry recalled that this likely helped him compile a list of huge hits for his team. Of course, back in JUCO, the hits were mostly of the double variety whereas Cubs coaching staff has helped him lift the ball resulting in some more home run power.
Everything he does is 100%
While talking with coach Murry, it appeared that one theme kept getting brought up. David Bote does things at 100%. He gives 100% of himself to baseball. He gives 100% of himself to winning baseball. Then once off the field, he gives 100% to his family.
I don’t know if anyone else caught it, and I know this happens with a lot of athletes in their first games, but there just seemed to be something a bit more special when Bote smacked his first hit in Colorado. When the camera’s immediately found his parents, when CSN Chicago’s Kelly Krull interviewed his family. There just seemed to be something about that moment that hit me.
Maybe I just felt that goodness and love he shared with his family through that brief moment. Maybe I just got a sense of that devotion he gives to his family.
Similar to Kris Bryant, and Ian Happ…?
We have all heard how much of a goody-goody Kris Bryant is. He doesn’t swear, doesn’t drink, his idea of a perfect night is laying on the couch with his wife, Jessica Bryant, binge-watching Netflix shows.
Apparently he shares this with Bryant.
“What is special is his character. Deeply religious and never drank or cussed (way above my moral compass lol),” Steve explained. “His work ethic and his desire.”
He also shares a similar trait with another young star on the team, Ian Happ. There has been a lot of joking about how serious Happ is, and how it doesn’t seem like he is having fun or is too hard on himself. Again, Bote shares this with Happ.
“We worked on him to not be so hard on himself and just to give him confidence,” Steve recalled. “Remember, he was cut from Liberty University the semester before. He was told he wasnt a D1 player and probably should try the outfield.”
A young fan understands this
A pretty funny story that coach Murry shared was a more recent occurrence. With Bote doing so well, there’s a lot of buzz about what happens when Bryant comes off the DL. A lot of those fans discussing this are looking to move Kris to left and keeping David at third.
While I love the way Bote has played, and love the makeup of this kid, we do need to be a bit measured. Maybe we can learn from this little girl.
“The other night against the Royals at KC,” Steve told me. “I went to the game and got to visit with Dave right after BP. As Dave and I are talking and he is signing for everyone, a young girl about eight asks Dave if she can ask him a question. He says yes and she proceeds to ask him- when is Kris Bryant coming back? He laughed and asked if Kris was her favorite player and she replied yes.”
Bote has played his way onto the roster, and if Bryant comes back before September 1st, David will stay on the roster. But, let’s please remember, as great as Bote has played, he hasn’t made his way around the league yet, and pitchers haven’t adjusted to him yet. Before we start moving MVP caliber players, let’s keep a measured approach to this young slugger’s growth. Mentally he has shown the ability to keep moving forward. Physically he’s as gifted as anyone. But we are talking about a top 10 player against a really good young kid that has impressed the hell out of a lot of people around this league.
I am seriously hyped to see what and where this kid goes. His ability to come into a veteran team and just produce has been impressive. If continued, he gives the front office pressure and flexibility to move a really good player in the offseason for a very good return.
