Marlon Humphrey, a three-time Pro Bowler, seemed to retreat a little after that, without stating he was. However, his subsequent comments suggested that he wasn’t serious about not appreciating the 49ers.
“I’m excited for this one,” Humphrey added. “Their defense is insane, so… Our offense will struggle, but they will have to put up some effort to score points. As a result, defense must be prepared.
Over the next three years, he battled injuries and inconsistency, prompting the Cubs to trade him to Philadelphia early in the 1983 season. That’s when his career really took off, as he helped the Phillies win the pennant in ’83 before helping the Tigers win the World Series in ’84.
Hernandez emerged as one of the top firemen in baseball a year after Chicago traded him. In 1984, he was named AL MVP and Cy Young Award winner after going 9-3 with a 1.92 ERA and 32 saves in 140 1/3 innings.
The Cubs could have used him that year, since they were one win away from the Fall Classic. If Chicago still had Hernandez, their championship drought might have ended decades ago.
Unfortunately for the Cubs, they gave up on Hernandez far too quickly. Worse, they received virtually little in exchange for him (Bill Johnson and Dick Ruthven). Just add it to the lengthy list of disastrous Chicago transactions.
Hernandez finished 26-28 with a 3.81 ERA and 20 saves in 323 appearances for the Cubs over seven seasons.
While he didn’t reach his full potential until after he was traded, he spent several seasons on the North Side before moving on.
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