Chicago Cubs fans know a thing or two about patience. You don’t suffer the longest championship drought in North American sports history – 108 seasons from 1908 to 2016 – without learning how to deal with disappointment.
Despite another underwhelming season in which the Cubs finished with a record of 83-79 and missed the playoffs for the fourth year in a row, Chicago had the sixth-highest average home attendance in the MLB this season at 35,949.
To show his appreciation for the Cubs faithful, left fielder Ian Happ chucked a ball wrapped in $100 bills to the left stands on Sunday. The gesture marked the team’s final game of the season, in which the Cincinnati Reds claimed a 3-0 shutout win over Chicago.
Happ’s message, written on the ball, read: “Thanks for the support all season! Beers for the left field crew on me!”
The moment was shared on the Bleacher Bums Instagram page – which dubs itself a fan page for the left-field bleachers at Wrigley Field – adding, “(Ian Happ) just tossed this ball to us with some $$ to buy our section some drinks for the last game of the year! What a guy! Cheers Ian!”
Happ has been with the Cubs since 2017 and has been keen to share his love of the fans during his stint in the Windy City. Last year, the two-time Gold Glove winner tossed a ball wrapped in money to Cubs superfan “Bleacher Jeff.”
The left fielder went 0-4 with a walk in Sunday’s game against Cincinnati. Dominant starts from Caleb Kilian and Hunter Greene on the mound eventually led to extra innings being required at Wrigley Field with the score tied at 0-0.
In the top of the 10th, Elly De La Cruz’s two-run triple finally got the Reds on the board, and Tyler Stephenson drove in De La Cruz with a single to give Cincinnati a 3-0 lead.
De La Cruz also stole two bases during the game, meaning he ends the regular season with an MLB-high 67.
“Seasons are sacred. You don’t take them for granted,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said afterwards, according to MLB.com. “I told the team this: ‘We’re fortunate and blessed to get chances, to get to wear the uniform.’ So, when you don’t accomplish all your goals, there’s a bitter taste in your mouth, absolutely.”