The Cubs selected former University of Notre Dame football standout Jeff Samardzija in the fifth round of the 2006 MLB Draft knowing, if nothing else, they were getting an elite athlete. After all, he had toyed with the idea of being a two-sport professional athlete – but quickly decided to focus his efforts on his baseball career instead.
Just over two years later, Samardzija made his big league debut at Wrigley Field. It was a forgettable one, with him blowing a one-run lead in an eventual 3-2 loss to the Marlins. But from there, he turned in an impressive rookie campaign out of the Cubs bullpen, making 26 relief appearances and working to a 2.