Left fielder Ian Happ is the longest-tenured Cub, but he hadn’t made his mark in October.
That changed on Thursday in the Cubs’ 6-0 win in Game 4 of the National League Division Series to tie the series 2-2. Happ got the Cubs up early with a three-run homer in the first inning with two outs.
“The guy’s [have] been carrying me all postseason,” said Happ, who finished 1-for-5 with 3 RBIs. “To contribute and do it in that way, in that moment, to give us the lead, was awesome.
It was a moment a long time in the making for Happ, who transformed himself into a Gold Glove defender and reliable bat in the lineup while being a steadying force for the franchise during the rebuilding years.
“I’m just so happy for Ian,” manager Craig Counsell said. “It was great for Ian to have a playoff moment that he deserved.”
Happ has been around long enough to see the teardown at the ’21 trade deadline and the multiple missed playoff appearances afterwards. While president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer seeking to build the “Next Great Cubs Team,” Happ ascended.
In 2022, Happ batted .271/.342/.440 with a .781 OPS, earning the first of his three consecutive Gold Gloves in left field and his lone All-Star appearance. His best play coincided with uncompetitive Cubs teams as Hoyer tried to find the right players that, in many ways, had a similar demeanor to Happ. The team found players with strong work ethics, stout defense and professionalism.
So when the Cubs made the playoffs this season — the first over a full season since 2018 — it finally gave Happ a chance to earn one of those timeless playoff moments to be replayed on video boards in the years to come.
The early results were subpar. Happ struggled, and that’s putting it mildly. He entered Thursday’s playoff game batting .095/.174/.286 with a .460 OPS.
But what makes Happ successful is ability to remain measured during his slumps. He’s the essence of the team’s level-headed mentality. No matter how well he’s performing, or how poorly, Happ is consistent in his approach. He’s a streaky player who understands the rhythms of baseball tend to come back in a player’s favor.
“He embodies what we are as a group,” shortstop Dansby Swanson said. “ I’m so thankful to be able to call him a friend, so thankful to be able to call him a teammate. I’ve learned so much from him and have the utmost respect for him.”
Happ languished through the years of the Cubs not making the playoffs. When Hoyer tore things down, Happ was the foundation as players joined the team over the ensuing years. He morphed from the rookie hitter trying to accentuate the 2016 core, to the standard-bearer of Cubs baseball.
“I felt like I needed to tell him after the wild-card round that so much of what’s driving me personally is just his place in this organization,” center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong said.
The trademark resilience that Cubs have talked about since going down 0-2 showed up as they won two elimination games. Now, they have to hope that the confidence and conviction they showed at Wrigley Field will travel to Milwaukee for a win-or-go-home Game 5.
