Before they were postseason bound: Cubs

The Cubs are headed to the postseason, and this will be the first time that many fans across the league will be focusing on their roster. Here's our attempt to give them a head start with the origins of every player representing the North Side of Chicago.

Jon Lester, LHP
Born: Tacoma, Wash.
DOB:1/7/84 HS: Bellarmine (Wash.) High School
College: None
Minors: GCL Red Sox (R), Augusta (A), Sarasota (A+), Portland (AA), Pawtucket (AAA)
• Lester was diagnosed with a rare form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a blood cancer, in 2006 at the age of 22. Lester overcame the cancer, and threw a no-hitter on May 19, 2008.
• Lester has teamed up with the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation to create NVRQT (standing for "Never Quit"), a charity that hopes to fight against pediatric cancer.
• He has been the Opening Day starter five straight times in his nine-year career, most recently with the Cubs this season. He was also the starter with the Red Sox in their 2007 and '13 World Series championship teams.

:: NL Wild Card Game: Cubs vs. Pirates -- Tune-in info ::

Jake Arrieta, RHP
Born: Farmington, Mo.
DOB: 3/6/86 HS: Plano East (Texas) High School
College: Texas Christian University
Minors: Frederick (A+), Bowie (AA), Norfolk (AAA)
• Arrieta threw his first career no-hitter on Aug. 30 against the Dodgers. He struck out 12 on 116 pitches to become the first Cubs player to throw a no-hitter since Carlos Zambrano in 2008.
• He is one of three players in the Cubs organization to have won the bronze medal with Team USA in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He pitched six innings and struck out seven in the Bronze Medal game against Japan. He was also a member of Team USA in the 2006 World University Baseball Championship in Cuba, which won the championship that year.
• Arrieta has made Pilates a large part of his daily workout routine. He says he uses it for flexibility and recovery purposes, and he worked out on the machine while manager Joe Maddon hosts his pregame availability.

Jason Hammel, RHP
Born: Greenville, S.C.
DOB:9/2/82 HS: South Kitsap (Wash.) High School
College: Treasure Valley Community College
Minors: Princeton (R), Hudson Valley (A-), Charleston (SC) (A+), Bowie (AA), Norfolk (AAA)
• Hammel was a member of the Cubs in 2014 until he was traded to the A's, along with Jeff Samardzija for Addison Russell and two prospects. He returned to the Cubs in the offseason as a free agent.
• He has pitched in the postseason three times, each season with a different team. He has thrown 15 combined innings with the Rockies (2009), Orioles (2012) and A's (2014).
• Hammel was drafted three times before he signed with the Rays in 2002. He was originally selected in the 23rd round of the 2000 Draft by the Mariners, then the 19th round of the 2001 Draft by Tampa. He signed after he selected by the Rays again, this time in the 10th round.

Dress like the Cubs this postseason

Kyle Hendricks, RHP
DOB: 12/7/89 Born: Newport Beach, Calif.
HS: Plano Capistrano (Calif.) Valley High School
College: Dartmouth University  
Minors: Spokane (A-), Frisco (AA), Daytona (A+), Myrtle Beach (A+), Tennessee (AA), Iowa (AAA)
• Though he was selected by the Angels in 2009, Hendricks opted to complete his college degree, eventually leaving Dartmouth with a degree in economics in fall 2013.
• He was named a 2014 Pacific Coast League midseason All-Star before he was called up that same year. Hendricks was named the National League Rookie of the Month in August (4-0, 1.69 ERA) 2014.
• He is one of just two players from Dartmouth drafted in the past 20 years. He's in good company, joining fellow alumni Brad Ausmus and Red Rolfe.

:: Before they were postseason bound -- Select a club ::

Dan Haren, RHP
Born: Monterey Park, Calif.
DOB: 9/17/80 HS: Bishop Amat Memorial (Calif.) High School
College: Pepperdine University
Minors: New Jersey (A-), Peoria (A), Potomac (A+), Tennessee (AA), Memphis (AAA)
• Haren is one of 15 players to have earned a win against all 30 Major League teams in his career. Haren accomplished the feat in 2013 (the 13th player to do so) with the Nationals when he defeated the Phillies.
• He has played with eight Major League teams and was named an All-Star three times. He first earned a selection in 2007 with the A's before he was traded to the D-backs. He was named an All-Star in 2008 and 2009 with Arizona.
• Haren grew up in West Covina, Calif., home to former Major League players Jason Giambi, Cory Lidle and Aaron Small.

Hector Rondon, RHP
Born: Guatire, Miranda, Venezuela
DOB: 2/26/88 Minors: GCL Indians (R), Lake County (A), Kinston (A+), Akron (AA), Columbus (AAA)
• Rondon became the first Cubs closer to record at least 15 straight save opportunities in a season since Carlos Marmol did so in 19 consecutive save chances in 2012.
• He began playing baseball as a third baseman in his youth before he was converted to a starting pitcher prior to his Major League debut. He became a reliever after two Tommy John surgeries.
• At the age of 26, he became the youngest reliever in club history to reach 29 saves in a season since Mitch Williams recorded 36 saves at the age of 24 in 1989.

Pedro Strop, RHP
Born: San Cristobal, San Cristobal, Dominican Republic
DOB: 6/13/85 Minors: Casper (R), Asheville (A), Modesto (A+), Tulsa (AA), Frisco (AA), Oklahoma City (AAA)
• Strop was drafted as infielder in the Rockies organization, where he played for three years before he converted to a pitcher. He was named a Pacific Coast League All-Star as a pitcher in 2010.
• He competed with the Dominican Republic in the 2013 World Baseball Classic, going 3-0 in six relief appearances. He did not allow a run in a combined 6 2/3 innings pitched while striking out seven.
• Strop pitched for Baltimore in the 2012 American League Division Series against the Yankees -- posting a 1-0 record -- before being traded with Jake Arrieta in 2013.

Justin Grimm, RHP
Born: Bristol, Tenn.
DOB: 8/16/88 HS: Virginia (Va.) High School
College: University of Georgia
Minors: Hickory (A), Myrtle Beach (A+), Frisco (AA), Round Rock (AAA)
• Grimm was named American League Rookie of the Month in April 2013 while with the Texas Rangers as a starter.
• He moved to the bullpen after starting for two seasons with the Rangers when he was traded with three others for Matt Garza in the summer of 2013.
• In an embarrassing moment, Grimm did not realize starter Jake Arrieta had thrown a no-hitter until the team stormed out on the field. Grimm, to his credit, could not see the scoreboard and owned up to his gaffe.

Neil Ramirez, RHP
Born: Virginia Beach, Va.
DOB: 5/25/89 HS: Kempsville (Va.) High School
Minors: Spokane (A-), Hickory (A), Myrtle Beach (A+), Frisco (AA), Round Rock (AAA), Tennessee (AA), Iowa (AAA)
• Ramirez is the first player from Kempsville High School to play in the Majors since 1991, and he has played more games in the Majors than the other two draftees before him. He had originally planned to continue playing at Georgia Tech but signed with Texas after the 2007 Draft.
• He missed much of the 2015 season with injuries in his shoulder and abdomen after he posted a 1.44 ERA in 43 innings last season.
• Ramirez earned a silver medal with Team USA in the 2006 World Junior Championship, going 1-0 with a 2.89 ERA and 10 strikeouts over two tournament starts.

Tommy Hunter, RHP
Born: Indianapolis, Ind.
DOB: 7/3/86 HS: Cathedral (Ind.) High School
College: University of Alabama
Minors: Spokane (A-), Bakersfield (A+), Frisco (AA), Oklahoma City (AAA)
• He was acquired by the Cubs at the July 31 Trade Deadline from Baltimore for Junior Lake. He recorded a save in his Cubs debut the following day.
• In one year at Alabama, Hunter was named an All-American and led his team to an SEC championship. He was drafted the following year by the Rangers.
• Hunter has playoff experience as both a starter and a reliever, including one start against the Yankees in Game 4 of the American League Division Series.

Travis Wood, LHP
Born: Little Rock, Ark.
DOB:2/6/87 HS: Bryant HS (Bryant, Ark.)
Minors: GCL Reds (R), Billings (R), Dayton (A), Sarasota (A), Chattanooga (AA), Carolina (AA), Louisville (AAA)
• He was an All-State selection in three years at high school, the Gatorade Player of the Year in Arkansas back-to-back seasons and was named to his high school's Hall of Fame. He is the first player from his high school to reach the Major Leagues.
• Wood was named a National League All-Star in the 2013 season as a starter for the Cubs. He began the year with nine consecutive quality starts.
• He has nine career home runs as a batter since making his debut in 2010, including a grand slam off Jake Peavy.

Clayton Richard, LHP
Born: Lafayette, Ind.
DOB: 9/12/83 HS: McCutcheon (Ind.) High School
College: University of Michigan
Minors: Great Falls (R), Kannapolis (A), Winston-Salem (A+), Birmingham (AA), Charlotte (AAA)
• He was named Mr. Football and Mr. Baseball in the state of Indiana his senior year of high school and was the class valedictorian, for good measure.
• Richard continued as a two-sport athlete at Michigan, used as the second-string quarterback on the football team and a reliever on Michigan's baseball team.
• He was drafted by the White Sox, where he served as starter before being traded to the Padres with three others for Jake Peavy. He played for three more clubs before the Cubs acquired him in July from the Pirates.

Fernando Rodney, RHP
Born: Santo Domingo, Distrito Nacional, Dominican Republic
DOB: 3/18/77 HS: Liceo Sol Ana Nolan (D.R.)
Minors: GCL Tigers (R), Lakeland (A+), West Michigan (A), Erie (AA), Toledo (AAA)
• Rodney is a two-time American League All-Star as a reliever, earning a spot with the Rays in 2012 and the Mariners in 2014. He earned the AL's Comeback Player of the Year in 2012.
• He set a Mariners franchise record with 48 saves in the 2014 season. He also led the AL in saves that season.
• Rodney, along with Justin Verlander and Joel Zumaya of the Tigers, were the first trio of teammates in MLB history to have thrown a pitch over 100 mph.

Tsuyoshi Wada, LHP
Born: Konan, Aichi, Japan
DOB: 2/21/81 HS: Hamada (Japan) High School
College: Waseda University  
Minors: Norfolk (AAA), Iowa (AAA)
• He was a member of the Japan National Team at the 2004 Olympics in Athens -- where he won a bronze medal -- and the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. He was also a member of Japan's gold medal team at the 2006 World Baseball Classic.
• Wada played seven years of professional baseball in Japan before he signed with the Orioles in 2012.
• He was used as a starter by the Cubs for just over a month in the season, but was moved to the bullpen following a shoulder injury suffered in June.

Trevor Cahill, RHP
Born: Oceanside, Calif.
DOB: 3/1/88 HS: Vista (Calif.) High School
Minors: AZL Athletics (R), Kane County (A), Stockton (A+), Midland (AA), Sacramento (AAA)
• Cahill was one of four players in the Cubs organization to win a bronze medal with Team USA in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
• He was an All-Star during the 2010 season as a member of the A's. He finished the season with an 18-8 record and 2.97 ERA.
• Cahill averaged more than 200 innings pitched in a season between 2010 and 2012. He has worked out of the bullpen since the 2014 season.

Zac Rosscup, LHP
Born: Clackamas, Ore.
DOB: 6/9/88 HS: Forest Grove (Ore.) High School
College: Chemeketa Community College  
Minors: Princeton (R), GCL Rays (R), Hudson Valley (A-), Daytona (A+), Peoria (A), Tennessee (AA), Iowa (AAA)
• He is back in his third stint with the Cubs after he missed nearly two months due to inflammation in his left shoulder.
• Rosscup earned his first career win 2014 after the Cubs won on a walk-off single over the Cardinals.
• He has held opponents to a lifetime .240 average against since making his debut in 2013.

Carl Edwards Jr., RHP
Born: Newberry, S.C.
DOB: 9/3/91 HS: Mid-Carolina (S.C.) High School
Minors: AZL Rangers (R), Spokane (A-), Hickory (A), Daytona (A+), Tennessee (AA), Iowa (AAA)
• He was named the Minor League pitcher of the year with the Daytona Cubs in 2013 after he was part of a four-player trade for Matt Garza. He posted a 1.96 ERA with 33 strikeouts over 23 innings that year.
• Edwards was drafted in the 48th round (the 1,464th player selected) by the Rangers in the 2001 Draft. He made his Major League debut on Sept. 7 this season against the Cardinals.
• He entered the Minor Leagues at 155 pounds, and has worked to gain more than 15 pounds since then. Edwards joked that anything he saw, he ate, in an effort to get bigger.

Yoervis Medina, RHP
Born: Puerto Cabello, Carabobo, Venezuela
DOB: 7/27/88 HS: Liceo Ambrosio Plaza (Venezuela)
Minors: VESL Mariners (R), Everett (A-), Clinton (A), Jackson (AA), Tacoma (AAA)
• After four years in the Venezuelan Summer League, Medina moved to the United States where he began as a starter.
• He was traded to the Cubs from the Mariners in May 2015 for Welington Castillo. Medina rejoined the roster after he was designated for assignment on August 1.
• Medina posted a 2.88 ERA over four seasons with the Mariners between the 2013 and 2014 seasons. He struck out a combined 131 batters in that time.

Jason Motte, RHP
Born: Port Huron, Mich;
DOB: 6/22/82 HS: Valley Central (N.Y.) High School
College: Iona College  
Minors: State College (A-), Quad Cities (A), Palm Beach (A+), Springfield (AA), Memphis (AAA)
• Motte was a member of the Cardinals' World Series championship team in 2011, serving in a setup role for much of the season. The next year, he was the National League saves leader, recording 42 saves with a 2.75 ERA.
• He was drafted as a catcher out of Iona College in 2003, where he played for three years. He was not converted to a pitcher until the 2006 season, and he made his Major League debut two seasons later.
• He started the Jason Motte Foundation in an effort to aid families affected by cancer. The foundation hosts events every year in an effort to raise money for families and fund cancer research.

Miguel Montero, C
Born: Caracas, Distrito Federal, Venezuela
DOB: 7/9/83 High School: Nuestra Senora la Esperanza (Venezuela)
Minors: Missoula (R), South Bend (A), Lancaster (A+), Tennessee (AA), Tucson (AAA), Phoenix (AAA)
• Montero was a member of the D-backs for the entirety of his career before being traded. He was named an All-Star in 2011 and in 2014 and went to the playoffs with Arizona in 2011, but has not returned since until this season.
• Montero has caught two no-hitters in his career, most recently Jake Arrieta's on Aug. 30. He also was behind the plate for Edwin Jackson's effort in 2010.
• He started the hashtag #WeAreGood with the Cubs this season.

David Ross, C
Born: Bainbridge, Ga.
DOB: 3/19/77 HS: Florida (Fla.) High School
Colleges: University of Florida, Auburn University
Minors: Yakima (A-), Vero Beach (A+), San Bernadino (A+), San Antonio (AA), Jacksonville (AA), Las Vegas (AAA)
• Ross participated in two College World Series playing with two different schools, playing with Tigers in 1997 and the Gators in 1998.
• A 13-year veteran, Ross is now on his seventh Major League team. He made his debut with the Dodgers and was part of the Red Sox World Series championship club in 2013.
• Ross has thrown out 35.1 percent of attempted basestealers (117-333) over his past 10 seasons. That's the second-best rate among active Major League catchers, trailing only Yadier Molina (40.8 percent).

Anthony Rizzo, 1B 
Born: Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
DOB: 8/8/89 HS: Stoneman-Douglas (Fla.) HS
Minors: GCL Red Sox (R), Greenville (A-), Salem (A+), Portland (AA), Tucson (AAA), Iowa (AAA)
• Rizzo was a Red Sox Minor Leaguer in 2008, when he was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma, and he met then-Boston pitcher Jon Lester, who overcame anaplastic large cell lymphoma in '06. Now, Rizzo and Lester are teammates on the Cubs, and both are active with their foundations (Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation and Lester's NVRQT), which support kids and families in their battle against pediatric cancer. Rizzo hosts a walk-a-thon and a "Cook Off for Cancer" in Chicago in which celebrity chefs offer their take on ballpark food.
• Rizzo played for Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic in March 2013, and in December 2014, he went to Italy with his parents, brother and sister-in-law, including a stop in Rome, where he celebrated Christmas Eve Mass at the Vatican.
• Growing up in Parkland, Fla., which is located near Fort Lauderdale, Rizzo batted .468 with 48 RBIs his senior year. He was a sixth-round Draft pick by the Red Sox in 2007.

Tommy La Stella, 2B/3B
Born: Westwood, N.J.
DOB: 1/31/89 HS: St. Joseph Regional (N.J.) High School
College: Costal Carolina University  
Minors: GCL Braves (R), Rome (A), Lynchburg (A+), Mississippi (AA), Gwinnett (AAA), Iowa (AAA)
• He has now finished four straight seasons in the Minor Leagues with more walks than strikeouts, including his limited time this season despite being injured in May.
• La Stella Led National League rookies with 36 walks and a .328 on-base percentage in 93 games with Atlanta in 2014. He was traded to the Cubs in November following his stint.
• When he decided to stop playing baseball in the summer of his senior year, La Stella was forced to get a job working at a farm stand. Aside from carrying bales of hay, La Stella had to feed a donkey every day. He said he realized then that he needed to get back into baseball.

Javier Baez, 2B/SS/3B
Born: Bayamon, Puerto Rico
DOB: 12/1/92 HS: Arlington Country Day School (Fla.) High School
College: None
Minors: AZL Cubs (R), Boise (A-), Peoria (A), Daytona (A+), Tennessee (AA), Iowa (AAA)
• He moved from Puerto Rico to Jacksonville with his family in 2005 so that his sister could receive medical treatment for spina bifida. Before arriving in Jacksonville, they were traveling three or four times a month to the United States for treatment. His sister, Noely, passed away in April.
• Baez is the second professional baseball player in his family after his brother, Rolando, was drafted by the Padres in 2002. Baez says he and his brother learned to love baseball from their father, Angel, before he passed away when Javier was 10.
• The Cubs' top prospect heading into the 2013 and 2014 seasons, Baez has swiped 80 bases in his Minors career and has been caught stealing just 20 times.

Jonathan Herrera, 2B
Born: Maracaibo, Zulia, Venezuela
DOB: 11/3/84 HS: Manuel Segundo Sanchez (Venezuela) High School
Minors: Casper (R), Asheville (A), Modesto (A+), Tulsa (AA), Colorado Springs (AAA)
• He's one of four Major Leaguers to appear in at least five games at shortstop, second base, and third base in each of the last four seasons (others include Alberto Gonzalez, Maicer Izturis, and Nick Punto)
• Herrera is the only Major Leaguer from his high school in Venezuela. He signed with the Rockies out of high school in 2002.
• He started a team tradition of rubbing helmets when reaching base. Players now signal toward the dugout after they reach base cleanly.

Addison Russell, SS
Born: Pensacola, Fla.
DOB: 1/23/94 HS: Pace (Fla.) High School
Minors: AZL Athletics (R), Vermont (A-), Burlington (A), Stockton (A+), Sacramento (AAA), Tennessee (AA), Midland (AA), Iowa (AAA)
• Russell celebrated the birth of his first child, a baby boy named Aiden Kai Margallo Russell, with fiancée Melissa Reidy in early August.
• He was drafted 11th overall by the Athletics in 2012 and was ranked as the club's top prospect before he was traded to the Cubs on July 4, 2014.
• A shortstop through high school and the Minor Leagues, Russell played the first three months of the season at second base. He was permanently moved to shortstop on Aug. 6.

Starlin Castro, 2B/SS
Born: Monte Cristi, Dominican Republic.
DOB: 3/24/90 Minors: AZL Cubs (R), Daytona (A+), Tennessee (AA)
• Castro became the first Major League player born in the 1990s when he was called up on May 7, 2010. He has played with the Cubs since then.
• Castro hit a home run in his first Major League at-bat, off Homer Bailey. He's just the sixth player in club history to have accomplished the feat. After he tripled later in the game, Castro set a Major League record with six RBIs in his debut.
• He was moved to second base for the first time in his career this season after being named to the National League All-Star team three times as a shortstop.

Kris Bryant, 3B
Born: Las Vegas
DOB: 1/4/92 HS: Bonanza (Nev.) High School
College: University of San Diego
Minors: AZL Cubs (R), Boise (SS), Daytona (A+), Tennessee (AA), Iowa (AAA)
• Bryant played with the Nationals' Bryce Harper while growing up in Las Vegas. They were together when Harper was 14 and Bryant 13 on the Southern Nevada Bulldogs. There was one game when Bryant pitched a one-hit complete game and Harper homered for the winning run. Bryant also faced Rangers prospect Joey Gallo in high school. Bryant recorded a single off Gallo in a game.
• Bryant's father, Mike, was a Minor Leaguer in the Red Sox organization, and he learned from Ted Williams. Mike gives private lessons at a batting cage at his Las Vegas home, which is where Kris learned to hit. Gallo also was a student.
• The Cubs slugger graduated from Bonanza High School in Las Vegas, and donated two sets of uniforms and cleats to the school.

Kyle Schwarber, OF/C
Born: Middletown, Ohio
DOB: 3/5/93 HS: Middletown (Ohio) High School
College: Indiana University
Minors: Boise (A-), Kane County (A), Daytona (A+), Tulsa (AA), Tennessee (AA), Iowa (AAA)
• He was named MVP of the 2015 All Star Futures Game in Cincinnati after he hit a go-ahead, two-RBI triple for Team USA in his first at-bat of the day.
• He made his Major League debut in June during Interleague play, where he served primarily as a designated hitter in games against Cleveland and Minnesota before he was optioned down for another month. He hit .364 with a home run and triple while adding six RBIs in that short stint.
• Despite entering the Majors as a catcher by trade, Schwarber moved to the outfield at the beginning of August, where he has remained since.

Dexter Fowler, OF
Born: Atlanta
DOB: 3/22/86 HS: Milton (Ga.) High School
Minors: AZL Casper (R), Ashville (A), Modesto (A+), Tulsa (AA), Colorado Springs (AAA), Oklahoma City (AAA)
• He won a bronze medal while representing the United States in the 2008 Beijing Olympics by defeating Japan.
• Fowler was exclusively a right-handed hitter before he joined the Rockies in September 2008. He learned to hit from both sides of the plate where he continues to do so.
• He tied a modern-day rookie record with five stolen bases in a game when he did so against the Padres on April 27, 2009.

Austin Jackson, OF
Born: Denton, Texas
DOB: 2/1/87 HS: Billy Ryan (Texas) High School
Minors: GCL Yankees (R), Charleston (A) Tampa (A+), Trenton (AA), Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (AAA)
• Jackson was ranked as the No. 10 basketball prospect in the country out of high school by Athlon Sports. He averaged more than 22 points a game as a point guard and was recruited to play both baseball and basketball at Georgia Tech.
• Jackson opted to sign with the Yankees rather than attend Georgia Tech. He was later traded to the Tigers in 2009, when he finished second in the American League Rookie of the Year voting that next season.
• He led the American League in triples during both the 2011 and 2012 seasons, finishing with 10 and 11, respectively.

Chris Coghlan, OF/2B
Born: Rockville, Md.
DOB: 6/18/85 HS: East Lake (Fla.) High School
College: University of Mississippi
Minors: GCL Marlins (R), Jamestownt (A-), Greensboro (A), Jupiter (A+), Carolina (AA), New Orleans (AAA), Iowa (AAA)
• Coghlan has played all but three positions -- shortstop, catcher, pitcher -- during his six-year career in the Majors. He has played five of those positions with the Cubs alone this season.
• He was named National League Rookie of the Year in 2009 with the Miami Marlins, when he hit .321 with a .390 on-base percentage while scoring 84 runs. He posted back-to-back months with at least 40 hits in his rookie campaign.
• Coghlan participated in the 2007 Futures Game in San Francisco as a starter for Team USA. He finished 0-for-1 with a walk.

Jorge Soler, OF
Born: La Habana, Cuba
DOB: 2/25/92 Minors: AZL Cubs (R), Peoria (A) Daytona (A+), Tennessee (AA), Iowa (AAA)
• He won a bronze medal with the Cuban National Team at the World Junior Baseball Championship, where he posted a .500 on-base percentage. He later was named to the World Team in 2013 for the All-Star Futures Game.
• Soler defected from Cuba and established a residency in Haiti in order to become an MLB free agent. He was one of five players cleared at the time before he signed with the Cubs in June 2012.
• He became the seventh player in Cubs history to hit a home run in his first Major League at-bat when he debuted in August 2014.

Chris Denorfia, OF
Born: Bristol, Conn.
DOB: 7/15/80 HS: Choate Prop (Conn.) High School
College: Wheaton College
Minors: GCL Reds (R), Dayton (A), Potomac (A), Chattanooga (AA), Louisville (AAA), Iowa (AAA)
• Denorfia is the first player from Wheaton College -- a Division III school -- to play in the Major Leagues. He was named an All-American his senior year after he hit .467, and he still holds the school record with a single-season batting average.
• Denorfia played for Italy during the 2009 and 2013 World Baseball Classic. He batted a combined .387 in eight games across the two tournaments.
• He has been one of manager Joe Maddon's go-to defensive replacements in the outfield this season. In his first 71 games played, he did not committ an error.

Matt Szczur, OF
Born: Cape May, N.J.
DOB: 7/20/89 HS: Lower Cape May Regional (N.J.) High School
College: Villanova University (PA)
Minors: AZL Cubs (R), Boise (A-), Peoria (A), Daytona (A+), Tennessee (AA), Iowa (AAA)
• He was a member of the football team at Villanova, where he won the Division 1 FCS National Championship in 2009 -- the school's first football title. He played four positions with the Wildcats and was named MVP of the Championship game.
• Szczur led the Southern League (AA) in hits during the 2013 season, when he was named a midseason and postseason All Star.
• He donated peripheral blood cells to a young leukemia patient who had a 1-in-80,000 chance of finding a match while at Villanova. He missed 10 games during the 2010 college baseball season due to medication taken in advance of the donation.

Quintin Berry, OF
Born: San Diego
DOB: 11/21/84 HS: Morse (Calif.) High School
College: Grossmont Junior College (CA.), San Diego State University
Minors: Batavia (A-), Lakewood (A), Clearwater (A+), Reading (AA), San Antonio (AA), Carolina (AA), Louisville (AAA), Toledo (AAA)
• He attended high school with current Orioles outfielder Adam Jones. The two have known each other since they were 7 in elementary school.
• Berry worked through the Minor Leagues for six years before making his debut with the Tigers. His first hit was a double that he executed on a bunt play.
• The outfielder was a former teammate of David Ross' before returning to the Cubs this season. Berry was a member of the Red Sox 2013 World Series team.