A Forgotten Cub

Name: Les Lancaster

Card Company: Donruss

Year: 1990

Team: Chicago Cubs

Bats/Throws: R

Ht: 6'2

Les Lancaster is another one of these relief pitchers that nobody remembers because he wasn’t the closer. Lancaster spent the majority of his 7-year career with the Chicago Cubs, where he was a traditional middle relief man. His career numbers are not great (4.05 career ERA), but he still brought value to a team.

Lancaster was selected twice in the MLB draft but didn’t sign, once by the Yankees in 1981 and again in 1983 by the Texas Rangers. He finally signed with the Chicago Cubs in 1985 as a free agent coming out of the University of Arkansas. Lancaster would spend parts of three years in the minors before making his major league debut in 1987, appearing in 27 games and starting 18 of them. He would finish his rookie season with a record of 8-3, but posted a pedestrian 4.90 ERA while pitching 132.1 innings. Regardless of his ERA he seemed destined to be a member of the Cubs rotation in 1988. That is until the Cubs decided to give his spot to eventual Hall of Famer Greg Maddux.

Lancaster’s first season in the bullpen was a productive one, appearing in 44 games, and pitching 85.2 innings while posting a respectable 3.78 ERA. In 1989 Lancaster would be dominant posting a 1.36 ERA, and with the help of closer Mitch “Wild Thing” Richmond they would help lead the Cubs to a surprising NL East division title. However, as we all known bullpen pitching is very

fickle and inconsistent. And the very next season his ERA would jump up to 4.62, and the Cubs would miss the playoffs. In 1991 Lancaster would find his footing again, appearing in a career high 64 games and throwing a career high 156 innings while posting a 3.52 ERA.

But the Cubs would cut Lancaster after spring training in 1992, eventually leading him to sign with the Detroit Tigers at the start of the 92’ season. His lone season in the motor city would not go well, posting a career worst 6.33 ERA in 41 games and at the end of the season he was a free agent. He would sign a one year contract with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1993, where he would pitch behind 43 game saver Lee Smith. In his lone season with the Cardinals Lancaster again bounced back with 4-1 record while posting a very respectable 2.93 ERA. Despite the improvement Lancaster would never again pitch in another MLB game, and after spending 6 years playing independent baseball he called it a career. Now while I know it’s independent league baseball, Lancaster still posted a 2.91 ERA in that time proving that maybe he had a little bit left.

Again, pitchers like Lancaster will fade from memory because they weren’t stars and or the closer. Now maybe one Cub fan in Wrigleyville might remember who he is, but the chances of that are unlikely. But as long as Behind the Cardboard exist I will make it my goal to make sure that these players get a little bit of recognition.

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