By Paul M. Banks
Bob Dernier is currently a roving instructor within the Cubs organization. I caught up to him after the threw batting practice for the Peoria Chiefs in their big game at Wrigley Field. In this interview we discuss the minor league path to the majors as player versus as a manager, the most storied Cub teams in franchise history, and whether the ’08 team can join them. Although I’m a Sox fan, my favorite team as a kid was the ’84 Cubs and Dernier was their leadoff hitter, so this was pretty cool.
Dernier’s Wikipedia bio reads….
Bob Dernier, also known as “Bobby”, was a center fielder for the Philadelphia Phillies and the Chicago Cubs in the 1980s. The fleet-afoot 1984 Gold Glove Award winner was also nicknamed “The Deer” by The Wrigley Faithful. Dernier was the lead-off hitter Cubs’ 1984 N.L. East Championship team. Hall-of-Fame second baseman Ryne Sandberg batted second and the lead-off pair was dubbed “The Daily Double” by Cubs announcer Harry Caray.Dernier was a member of the 1983 Phillies team, which won the National League pennant but lost the World Series to the Baltimore Orioles, and the 1984 Cubs team which won the NL East but lost in the playoffs to the San Diego Padres.
Currently, he serves as the Cubs minor league outfield and baserunning coordinator.
[audio:https://www.thesportsbank.net/audio/bobdernier exclusive.mp3]
The link to the audio works in Internet Explorer, but not in MOzilla for some reason….sorry!