Kyle Hendricks grew up in Mission Viejo, California—an affluent, tree-lined suburban community. His dad is a professional golfer. He went to Dartmouth College—a high-priced Ivy League school known far more for academics than athletics. Sounds like a life of privilege and good fortune.
And yes, Hendricks would probably admit that he has been fortunate, though it has taken quite a bit of hard work for him to find success as a starting pitcher for the Chicago Cubs.
The soft-tossing right-hander first came to the Cubs organization from the Texas Rangers in 2012 as part of the Ryan Dempster deal.