David Bote was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 18th round of the 2012 draft and made his Major League debut six years later, in April of 2018. The 30-year-old infielder is now with Iowa, having played 60 games entering the series against St. Paul.
Bote has played five different defensive positions and is hitting .269 with 18 doubles, eight home runs and 43 runs batted in his time with Iowa. His versatility and statistics show his value on the field, but what people maybe don’t see is the value he has provided off the field for this year’s team.
He said he wants to be a guy that his teammates can approach about anything in life or baseball. He feels like it is special to have relationships with players outside of the game to just talk about life and try to help people get better on a daily basis.
“It’s humbling,” Bote said. “The fact that a lot of these guys feel comfortable to have these conversations day in and day out.”
Players come to Bote for help with all sorts of things, from handling failure in the game to being first-time dads or expecting dads. He said he has learned a lot of different tricks through his time in the game and he is always willing to pass those on.
“I tell them what I’ve found works for me, I’m not sure it will work for them but it’s something I’ve found that helps get through a mental funk,” he said.
One of Bote’s current teammates, Jake Slaughter, said he has always looked up to Bote because of his story and rise to the big leagues.
“He (David) is always the same guy that just brings great positive energy,” Slaughter said. “He is such a great dude and a great mentor.”
Slaughter said anytime he has a question he goes to Bote and he is so open and honest every time he asks him for his opinion or advice.
It isn’t just his teammates that notice how great of a leader he is, as Manager Marty Pevey also knows how important Bote is to this I-Cubs team. He said he brings a lot of energy and is always well prepared.
“He’s good for all the young guys,” Pevey said. “He shows them how to prepare and it rubs off on the rest of the team.”
Pevey said that Bote never gets too up or down at any point of the season. He said everybody struggles, but being able to stay even keeled and not losing his mind when he struggles sets a great example for the entire team.
Bote said he wants to show up to the field every day with a smile on his face and just continue to get better each and every day. He wants to be the same player each day no matter what happened the day before.
“I’m going to continue to keep working. I’m just always trying to hone my craft and always to get better each day.”