Jason Heyward is the type of guy who paid for season-long hotel-suite upgrades for farewell-tour catcher David Ross and assistant hitting coach Eric Hinske, thanking them for all their help when he broke into the big leagues with the Atlanta Braves.
Heyward is someone with enough stature inside the clubhouse to get benched throughout the playoffs — and still organize a players-only meeting during Game 7 of the World Series.
Maybe what was said in that Progressive Field weight room will forever justify Heyward’s eight-year, $184 million megadeal. The Cubs paid for his intangibles when they gave him the biggest contract in franchise history — and he was on the field for the final out when they beat the Cleveland Indians and finally ended the 108-year drought.