Tuesday morning, All-Star outfielder Dexter Fowler called it a career at the age of 36, announcing his retirement from Major League Baseball after 14 big league seasons.
Fowler will forever be remembered for his contributions to the Chicago Cubs in the 2015 and 2016 seasons. Perhaps his greatest moment with the club was when he hit the first ever lead-off home run in a World Series Game 7 in baseball history.
On a 2-1 count, Fowler took Cleveland Indians ace Corey Kluber for a ride, setting the tone for a historic night. Game 7 would go on to be highly regarded as one of the greatest games in Major League Baseball history.
Fowler's solo shot put the Cubs on the board early, giving them a 1-0 lead. The Cubs would take a 5-1 lead, but manager Joe Maddon's decision to pull National League Cy Young Award finalist Kyle Hendricks early, in the fifth inning, at only 63 pitches, would backfire, as the Indians would later come back to tie the game 6-6.
The Cubs would go on to win in extra innings following a rain delay, clinching their first championship in 108 years.
Fowler came up big for Chicago on that night in Cleveland, collecting three hits in five at bats. It was the final game he would play with the Cubs, before signing a five-year, free agent contract with the St. Louis Cardinals.
The Cubs were never quite able to replace Fowler at the top of their lineup, upon his departure, and would go on to cycle through lead-off hitters almost every year. Fowler led the Cubs in On Base Percentage in 2016, with a .393 clip.
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