(670 The Score) As his time as a Cubs player comes to a close this week, outfielder Jason Heyward has penned an essay in the Players’ Tribune thanking fans, the organization and the city for all their support during his seven-year tenure in Chicago.
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Heyward, 33, and the Cubs have mutually agreed to part ways this offseason as he has one year remaining on the eight-year, $184-million contract that he signed before the 2016 season. The decision came as Heyward struggled mightily at the plate across the past two seasons. Heyward hasn't appeared in a game for the Cubs since June 24.
“Playing ball for the Cubs, doing what I love at Wrigley Field, it really was a dream job for me,” Heyward wrote. “The history and tradition of this franchise, the passion of our fans, that stuff always mattered to me. I was proud of it. Proud to be a part of it. And even during the times when I was struggling, or wasn’t playing my best, there was never a bad day for me at Wrigley. Rain or shine, four hits or four K’s, I always felt like I was doing what I was meant to do … in the exact city where I was meant to do it.”
Offensive struggles were a theme of Heyward’s time in Chicago, though his all-around play was key for the Cubs early in his tenure. He acknowledged his struggles in the Players’ Tribune.
“Let’s be honest here: When you say you love someone or you love something, you understand … that doesn’t mean it’s always easy,” Heyward wrote. “Sometimes there’s sacrifice involved. Sometimes things can get rocky. That’s just how love is sometimes, right?
“With me, things weren’t always easy on the field in Chicago. I didn’t always perform how I wanted to during my time as a Cub. And when I didn’t come through, I felt for our fans more than anyone. When they hurt, I hurt. But during the especially tough moments for me as a player, I always felt like the Cubs fans were still hopeful, still optimistic, still pulling for me just as hard. That they were always on the edge of their seats, expecting something positive to happen, regardless of how things had gone in the past.”
Heyward was part of the 2016 Cubs team that broke the franchise’s 108-year championship drought by winning the World Series in seven games over the Cleveland Indians. Heyward will forever be remembered for his inspirational speech during a rain delay in Game 7 of the World Series, which came after Cleveland had rallied to tie the game. The Cubs then won in 10 innings.
“It was just me seeing our guys as down as I’d seen them all year, while at the same time knowing — absolutely knowing! — that we were the better team and that someone had to do something,” Heyward wrote.
“I just happened to be that someone, that’s all.
“I noticed how shook everyone seemed after we blew that lead, but I also knew with every fiber of my being that we were still going to win that game. So then, obviously, something needed to happen to get from point A to point B. Something had to be said. It wasn’t some incredible speech, though. There were no magic words or anything. I just told the guys we were the better team, and we were still going to win. There wasn’t that much more to it.
“The only magic involved was the precise mix of people who were in that room.”
At the end of his essay, Heyward hinted that he’ll return to the Cubs in some capacity, possibly in a few years. Cubs officials have indicated they’d love to have him be a part of the organization, as Heyward has long been well-respected.
Click here to read Heyward's full piece in the Players' Tribune.