On the eve of the trade deadline, I’m on pins and needles awaiting the fate of two of my favorite Cubbies…Willson Contreras and Ian Happ.
The rumors have been swirling for the past three weeks. It put a damper on their All-Star Game appearances. It made for a bittersweet battle with the Pirates at Wrigley on July 26th, as potentially Contreras and Happ played their last game in front of the ivy. Yeah, the Cubbies won, but any of that game pales to the crowd’s ovation for both players and the hug in the dugout as the fans started to empty out.
Willson was part of the iconic 2016 Cubs team. Happ came on in 2017, steadily growing into a focal point of the team over recent years. These guys are leaders in the clubhouse and on the field.
And, as much as the media likes to revel in all of the rumors, I think it takes a real toll out on the field. Willson isn’t the only one who’s expressed that he’s ready for the trade deadline to be in the rear view mirror. I mean, yeah, they’re cranking out the hits, but it’s got to be terribly difficult to do so, with the thought that it could be a last inning with a team you’ve called home for years.
Willson, you’ll always be a Cubbie. You’ll always have a spot out on the field, just like Rizzo and the rest of the 2016 crew. I’m hoping both Happ and Contreras are taking the field in Cubbie blue on Wednesday in St. Louis.
Mostly Baseball 