Because of the timing and the end of the season, there was a whole lot of Kyle Hendricks stuff that happened this weekend that I still wanted to share with you but haven’t yet.
- First, there was perhaps the nicest thing, with Kyle Hendricks waiting at the steps to hug every player as he came off the field following Hendricks’ final outing:
- Next, the way the Cubs honored their teammate in the clubhouse:
- The tribute was organized pre-game by Ian Happ, who then also stood up and spoke about Hendricks in the clubhouse, rattling off all of his teammate’s accomplishments:
“We don’t know exactly what the future’s gonna hold for Kyle here or elsewhere,” Happ said, “and to honor the contribution that he’s made to this team and this organization. He’s a perfect example of what it means to be a Chicago Cub, not only what he’s done on the field but who he is as a person, the way that he carries himself, the way that he works.
“It’s important in this game to honor that. I’ve been lucky enough to play with him for 8 years out of the 11, watched him do stuff like that quite a bit. And not only on-the-field stuff, but the personal stuff – see him get married, seeing him become a dad, all that stuff is important. He’s been a big part of my career here.”
- Hendricks spoke about his future, via ESPN:
“If I had my choice, I would love to be a Chicago Cub,” he said. “But that’s so tough. We have so many good, young arms coming up. In this game, you have to perform. I just didn’t do it this year. I didn’t have a great year, so there are ramifications for that. I could end up somewhere else.
“The door isn’t closed here, but it’s most likely going to end up being someplace else.”
- Hendricks was also asked about his future on the broadcast yesterday:
- Hendricks ranks among the organizational leaders in a number of categories now, but I think it’s particularly fun to see this one, given Hendricks’ style:
- Yes, Hendricks managed contact. Yes, he loved to get groundballs. Yes, his strikeout rates fell as the years went on. But he was around so long, and he DID strike out a lot of batters, that he shows up high on a list like that.
- If that was it for Hendricks, he’ll finish his Cubs career with a 3.68 ERA over 1580.1 innings and parts of 11 seasons (about 10% better than league average by ERA-), an ERA that ranks 21st in the organization, which spans 148 years (min. 1500 innings). It’s 15th in the modern era (1901), and 6th in the last 80 years. Saying Kyle Hendricks was one of the best Cubs pitchers of any of our lifetimes is not hyperbole.
- He’s also the only Cubs pitcher in our lifetimes to throw a freaking gem in the clinching game of the NLCS. Overall in the postseason, Hendricks had a 3.12 ERA with the Cubs over 57.1 innings and 12 games (11 starts).
- Of the moment he was pulled from Saturday’s beautiful outing, and the fans showered him with cheers, via The Athetic:
“You feel all the emotions,” Hendricks said. “I feel so lucky and so happy. I had my whole family here today in the stands, I’m sure they’re crying. Just for the fans to give me that — from the moment I showed up to the ballpark today, kind of celebrating me. Part of me hates it. I hate all that attention. But at the end, I know I have to soak in these moments. That’s what the Wrigley fans are there for. They are so special. They’re the best in the world. To play here at Wrigley Field, I’m just such a lucky guy.”
- More from Hendricks: