First off I want to blame Brandon Johnson because that’s easy to do 1 day after an election.
Next order of business: I would like to THANK Kyle Hendricks for being The People’s Pitcher.
There’s a guy in the 300 level with a better 4-seam fastball.
There’s a couple JUCO dropouts in the bleachers with sharper sliders.
For diehards, we know this guy inside and out.
A guy who regularly pitched 88-90 with masterful control and two different change-ups.
Certainly one of the most durable, productive, clutch and even enviable.
That’s because given a choice, most of us would seeourselvessucceeding in a similar fashion.
So instead you identify with someone a little more realistic.
A Matt Duffy style hitter or an undersized hitter with unique stuff and polish.
The fact he gutted out multiple dogshit seasons after brilliant-club success only makes me like him more.
He was integral to 3 straight NLCS appearances and he obviously dragged his balls throughout the 2016 postseason.
But then mix in the cataclysmic nosedive following 2017 and your respect only magnifies.
He never bitched about Tom Ricketts being cheap during/after COVID.
Particularly considering just how good things were when they started.
It would have been great to see him finish as a Cub but that’s just not realistic.
Be happy for the guy because when it mattered most, he gave the Cubs everything he had.
It’s a damn shame things are officially over.
But it’s also an opportunity to remember how much he meant for so long to us.
Right now I love Kyle and that’s all that matters.
