Dale Sveum – the third of five Cubs managers Starlin Castro played for – once downgraded the All-Star shortstop as a “hit collector” and dropped him to eighth in the lineup for a 96-loss team in 2013.
From the window to contend slamming shut on the win-one-for-Tribune-Tower group to Theo Epstein taking over baseball operations, Castro worked with at least seven hitting coaches between 2010 and 2015. Throughout that cycle of hiring and firing and laying the foundation for a championship team, Cubs officials tried to project Castro as an offensive force, hoping for sharper focus, some patience and more explosive power.