You might remember Jon Lieber as the last Cubs pitcher to
compile a 20-win season (in his All-Star 2001 campaign) before Jake Arrieta
reached the mark in 2015. Lieber pitched
for the Cubs from 1999-2002 and again in 2008.
He has retired from baseball and is now a budding real estate mogul and
family man. (In fact, we had to work this
interview around picking up his kids from school!) But his road to Major League stardom was not
always so certain.
Lieber grew up in Council Bluffs, Iowa, across the river
from Omaha, Nebraska. Although he
attended some Omaha Royals (AAA) games at old Rosenblatt Field as a child, Lieber
always felt that he would rather be playing baseball than watching it. His loyalty to a particular team also changed
from year-to-year, as he followed the better teams throughout the seasons—the Twins,
Mets, Royals, Cubs and Dodgers came to mind.
His favorite players included Dwight Gooden, Darryl Strawberry and Cubs
killer Steve Garvey.
He played baseball at Abraham Lincoln High School, mainly as
a right fielder—he loved it to hit—and pitched only occasionally. He was not recruited out of high school and figured
his baseball career was at its end.
He continued his education at Iowa Western Community College
and decided to give a walk-on bid with the baseball team a shot. At the tryout, he discovered quickly that he
was not as fast as he needed to be to outplay his outfield competitors. Fortuitously, however, one of the catchers noticed
his strong throws and suggested that he try pitching from the mound. Well, as you might expect, Lieber impressed
the coaches enough to earn a spot on the roster, eventually becoming an important
arm in the team’s rotation.
After completing two years of community college, Lieber transferred
to the University of South Alabama in Mobile. Heaping praise on his pitching coach there,
Randy Powell, Lieber transformed into a dominant starter. He posted 12–5 records in both 1991 and 1992,
leading the Jaguars to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances and the 1992 Sun
Belt Conference championship. As a
senior, he posted a sparkling 2.04 ERA and was named the Sun Belt Conference
Player of the Year.
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| Jon Lieber and family with Ernie Banks. Photo courtesy Lieber family. |
Lieber was originally drafted by the Cubs after his junior
year in 1991. The Cubs’ initial offer
was much less than he expected, and he declined. To the Cubs credit, they ultimately agreed to
Lieber’s requests; however, he had already committed to return to school for
his senior year. He was subsequently drafted
in 1992 by the Royals and signed, eventually making his Major League debut with
the Pirates. After pitching for five
seasons in Pittsburgh, Lieber came to the Cubs by way of a December 1998 trade
for Brant (Nooooooo!!) Brown.
Although he would not necessarily admit it was his biggest
career regret, Lieber never hit a Major League home run in nearly 700 plate appearances,
claiming persistent back luck in hitting well-struck baseballs to the wrong
parts of the park. In particular, he
recalled absolutely tattooing a pitch from Tony Armas Jr. at Olympic Stadium in
Montreal, only to have it hit off the top of the wall, some 400 plus feet from the
dish. It fell for a double, just one of several
times he was snake bit by howling winds or just-too-big park dimensions.
Lieber attended the Cubs Convention as an active player and
always had a great time. Attendance by
active players was appreciated but was not required by contract or otherwise. As an alum, he was first invited back a few
years after his playing days ended and he has attended whenever possible since. The Cubs take care of all the arrangements,
offering a first-class experience. And
he—with a straight face—claimed that it was always nice to get a break from the
weather in Mobile! (It was 72 degrees
when they left this year—so no sympathy here!)
The Cubs typically contact the players in October or
November to see whether they will be available to attend the Convention. If so, they are typically sent the weekend schedule
in January. While at the Convention, he
is assigned a handler who takes him from place to place so he does not even
need to think about it. The Cubs schedule
several breaks throughout the day and offer excellent food and beverage
selections at the hotel. And even though
he signs hundreds of autographs in one sitting, his hand has never cramped up
or hurt as a result!
The highlight of his weekend is typically Cubs bingo. His kids love to play bingo, their passion
fueled by major jackpot wins ($10,000 and $5000!) on past Disney cruises. Although they have never come close to winning
at the Convention, they still enjoy family time, meeting fans and making new
friends. If you’re ever at Cubs Convention
bingo look around, you might just be playing alongside an All-Star, 20-game winner
for the Cubs!
Each year, Lieber is astonished and humbled by folks who
have heartfelt memories of him giving them their first baseball or specific
highlights of games they attended in which he reached a milestone or signed a
cherished autograph. Because he played
for the Cubs from 1999 to 2002, a lot of these kids who were eight years old at
the time are now in their 20s and delight him with stories that just make him smile.
Some players that he would love to see return to the Convention
include Mark Grace, Kevin Tapani, Henry Rodriguez and Sammy Sosa. He also would love to see Luis Gonzalez and
Lance Johnson, who both played baseball at the University of South Alabama.
Throughout his 14-year Major League career, Lieber pitched
for the Pirates, Cubs, Yankees and Phillies, compiling a career record of
131-124, a 4.27 ERA (4.02 FIP) and amassing 24.3 bWAR. He has been inducted into the Mobile Sports
Hall of Fame, the University of South Alabama Hall of Fame, where the ballpark clubhouse
named in his honor. Despite all his
success, Jon Lieber is approachable, down-to-Earth and someone you should make
a point of meeting, if you have not done so already. And keep an eye out for his son Justin, who just
may be destined for the PBA tour!
