After jogging out to left field, Ian Happ pulled off his hat and gazed out over the bleachers. The fans responded with a surge of cheers. His routine before first pitch held a little extra sentimentality on Monday.
“I don’t want to leave here without absorbing it and taking it in,” Happ said before the game Monday.
This two-game set against the Pirates this week is the Cubs’ last home series before the trade deadline. So, it could also be Happ’s last series at Wrigley Field in blue pinstripes. He and catcher Willson Contreras are the longest tenured Cubs who are embroiled in trade speculation ahead of the Aug.