Earlier, I wrote about how Jose Hernandez embodied the 1998 season. Steve Trachsel more embodies mid-1990s Cubs. He was a guy who was good, but not quite good enough for the role that he was given. He had one really good year where he became an All-Star (1996), but there was no way that performance would ever last, and for Trachsel, it didn't. He wasn't known for his pitches, but for how long it took him to throw them as he earned the nickname of The Human Rain Delay.
1998 was his eighth with the organization and sixth straight in the majors. And even though it wasn't his best season, it was definitely the most memorable. When the season started, it looked as though Trachsel had rediscovered his 1996 magic. In his first ten starts, he never gave up more than three runs, and his ERA was a tidy 3.13. His first start of the season was the most special in that stretch as not only did he make it through seven innings, but he did it in the first home game without Harry Caray. Here is the seventh inning stretch, performed by Harry's widow, Dutchie.
I'm not crying; YOU'RE crying.
After the hot start, Steve Trachsel's true performance began to show up. He did not give up less than four runs in any of his next six starts. He was solid, and he did enough to give the Cubs more wins than losses in his starts. His lowlight would come on August 7th against the St. Louis Cardinals when he gave up seven runs while recording just a single out. It would not be his last memorable start against the Cubs' rival as he was also the man who gave up Mark McGwire's 62nd home run.
Good God, can we please bring back steroids?
Despite how memorable those moments were, what mattered the most from that season was one start at the end of September.
At the end of 162 games, both the Cubs and San Francisco Giants were tied for the Wildcard at 89-73. They would play a single game to decide who would move onto the playoffs at Wrigley Field on Monday, September 28. Yes, with their livelihood on the line, the Cubs turned to Trachsel, and his 4.60 ERA. Although on paper, the Giants choice of Marc Gardner wasn't much better, with him accumulating a 4.27 ERA, but Gardner had been red hot as the only time he gave up three runs in his last five starts was when he pitched a complete game against the Dodgers. He had gone at least seven innings in each of those starts; Trachsel had one quality start in that same time frame.
Through four innings, both managers looked smart for their choices. Gardner had given up just two singles and a walk while Trachsel had not given up a single hit but command was an issue as he had walked four and hit one batter with a pitch, including loading the bases in the fourth inning before striking out Brian Johnson to get out of the jam.
Somehow, Trachsel kept the zeros going in the fifth, despite yet another walk to the Giants. And in the bottom half, the Cubs finally broke through on Gardner thanks to a Gary Gaetti two-run homer. Trachsel had a 1-2-3 inning in the sixth before the Cubs added another two runs on a Matt Mieske pinch-hit single. Trachsel got one more out before allowing his first hit and another walk which was enough for Riggleman to take him out of the game and have the bullpen get out of the jam. Overall, he went 6.1 innings, gave up six walks, hit a batter, and gave up one hit, all without giving up a run. Somehow, despite all of those walks, Barry Bonds never reached base during the game. Although the Giants made a comeback in the ninth, it was too little, too late, as the Cubs held on 5-3 to advance to the playoffs.
And that would be the last game the Cubs would win that season as they got swept by the Braves before Trachsel could start Game Four. He would end his season at 15-8, with a 4.46 ERA in 208 innings.
He lost 18 times with a 5.58 ERA in 1999 and the Cubs let him go to the Rays in free agency. He was then traded to the Blue Jays before signing with the Mets in 2001. He put up three really strong years with ERAs of 3.37, 3.78, and 4.00 from 2002-2004. In 2007, he signed with the Orioles before they traded him to the Cubs at the waiver deadline, but he was awful for the Cubs, putting up an 8.31 ERA. He signed again with the Orioles for 2008, but the magic was gone, and he retired after eight starts and and 8.39 ERA.
No, Steve Trachsel wasn't the best pitcher on the Cubs that year, but there is nobody on the staff who had more memorable performances (good and bad) than him. 1998 was such a weird year that even The Human Rain Delay was exciting.
In case you missed it:
Introduction
#47 - Matt Karchner
#46 - Jose Nieves
#45 - Rodney Myers
#44 - Justin Speier
#43 - Tony Fossas
#42 - Kennie Steenstra
#41 - Chris Haney
#40 - Bob Patterson
#39 - Pedro Valdes
#38 - Derrick White
#37 - Ben Van Ryn
#36 - Terrell Lowery
#35 - Don Wengert
#34 - Kurt Miller
#33 - Jason Maxwell
#32 - Kevin Foster
#31 - Mike Morgan
#30 - Felix Heredia
#29 - Jeff Blauser
#28 - Jason Hardtke
#27 - Dave Stevens
#26 - Manny Alexander
#25 - Marc Pisciotta
#24 - Kevin Orie
#23 - Sandy Martinez
#22 - Terry Adams
#21 - Matt Mieske
#20 - Amaury Telemaco
#19 - Tyler Houston
#18 - Geremi Gonzalez
#17 - Orlando Merced
#16 - Scott Servais
#15 - Mark Clark
#14 - Lance Johnson
#13 - Brant Brown
#12 - Jose Hernandez
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