Leicester Back With Cubs

Palisadian Jon Leicester was recalled from Triple A Iowa back to the Chicago Cubs on July 21 to add depth to the Cubs’ pitching staff as the team looks to make a late run in the National League wildcard race. It is the second stint with the Cubs for Leicester, who made his major league debut June 9 against the St. Louis Cardinals and earned his first win June 13 at Anaheim. In eight appearances from June 6 to July 11, Leicester compiled a 2-0 record with a 2.63 earned run average, allowing four earned runs in 13.2 innings. As of Tuesday, the 6-3, 230-pound right-hander had played in five games since his return to the Cubs’ roster and had lowered his earned run average to 1.89. He had appeared in 13 games and was 3-0, allowing 12 hits and four earned runs with 15 strikeouts in 19 innings. Last Friday, he struck out two Philadelphia Phillies in one and one third innings to earn his third victory. Leicester began the 2004 season at Iowa, the Cubs’ Triple A affiliate. Despite pitching well in his first stint with the Cubs, he was optioned back to Iowa along with fellow pitcher Michael Wuertz, the day Chicago activated Kerry Wood and Mike Remlinger from the disabled list. A former Post Cup Award winner at Palisades High, the 25-year-old Leicester now dons jersey number 51 for the Cubs. As a child, Leicester lived in Brentwood and attended Paul Revere Middle School, then moved to Pacific Palisades in ninth grade. He chose PaliHi over University, played his prep career under head coach Russ Howard and was named the school’s outstanding senior athlete in 1997. He was drafted by the Cubs in 2000. Until two years ago, Leicester was a regular at Pali’s annual alumni game. In 2002, he went three-for-three with two towering home runs and a double in a performance Pali’s longtime scorekeeper John Mitchell called ‘the best I’ve ever seen in all the alumni games.’ The next day, Leicester was off to spring training in Daytona Beach, Florida, with one of the Cubs’ Single-A teams. In addition to Leicester, the Cubs’ pitching staff includes Wood, Greg Maddux, Mark Prior, LaTroy Hawkins, Kent Mercker, Carlos Zambrano and Matt Clement.