SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) - Chicago Cubs scout Sam Hughes watches Colin Kaepernick nowadays and still wonders what the strong-armed NFL quarterback might look like on a pitching mound, as a power arm in the pros. It's hard not to, seeing the zip and accuracy on each throw, the competitive fire and focus.
The Cubs never even watched Kaepernick throw a baseball before drafting him in the 43rd round almost four years ago. They did watch him throw a football for Nevada, and decided that college game told them more than enough.
Ultimately, the Cubs just couldn't lure Kaepernick away from his first love: football.
Hughes, the longtime national cross-checker in the Cubs' scouting department, and others, including then-general manager Jim Hendry, figured: Why not hope Kaepernick might reconsider.
