The Chicago Cubs took a weekend series against the San Diego Padres, winning two of three games. Their offense, led by Kyle Tucker, has been hot, and the pitching is off to a solid start as well. On Saturday, the Cubs faithful honored outfielder Ian Happ for playing 1000 games in the majors, all in Chicago. He spoke with Jay Cohen of The Associated Press about the accomplishment and what the Windy City means to him.
“I think the one thing that means a lot about it is doing it all here,” Happ said of his run with the Cubs. “I think that’s the thing that means a ton.”
He continued, “The work that it takes to be healthy and be out there and be available, you know, everything that goes into it, whether that’s pregame for a day like today or whether it’s in the offseason, there’s a lot of work that goes into being available that much. That part of it is kind of what I think about.”
According to Cohen, Happ is the third player in Cubs history to be drafted by the team and play 1000 games for the team. He followed Mark Grace and Shawon Dunston in that accomplishment.
The Cubs have high expectations in 2025
Despite a poor season last year, the Cubs are expected to win the National League Central this year. Their trade for Tucker was one of the biggest moves of the offseason, and they brought up top prospect Matt Shaw. But their outfield might be one of the strongest in the league, led by Happ.
Happ is a gold-glover and All-Star who has put up excellent hitting numbers in a difficult environment to hit in. Early in his career, Pete Crow-Armstrong has been one of the best defensive centerfielders in the league. And Tucker is one of the premier sluggers in the game. While they have a lot to prove in the postseason and throughout the year, they are elite on paper.
Happ came to the Cubs as a highly-touted prospect in 2017, hoping to provide a spark to the championship squad. But that core fell apart around him, and he is left standing to lead a new core to the playoffs. While the Cubs build their team, the fans still cheer for Happ, who is their last connection to the title team.
The Cubs welcome the Texas Rangers into Wrigley for a three-game set starting Monday.
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