The Cubs today announced that they had selected the contract of outfielder Narciso Crook from Triple-A Iowa. He replaces outfielder Jason Heyward, who moves to the injured list. To make room on the 40-man roster for Crook, the Cubs moved outfielder Michael Hermosillo to the 60-day injured list.
Crook, who turns 27 on July 12, is one of the best stories in the Cubs minor leagues this summer. Born in the Dominican Republic, he moved to Trenton, New Jersey when he was 11. In this great article by The Des Moines Register’s Tommy Birch, Crook claims baseball saved his life by keeping him out of trouble in the tough streets of Trenton.