Ian Happ plays in 1,000th major-league game, joining exclusive company in Cubs history
By appearing in his 1,000th career game Saturday, Ian Happ became the 21st Cubs player to start his career with the team and stay through at least 1,000 games.
That’s the part that stood out to Happ, who's signed through 2026.
“The one thing that means a lot about it is doing it all here,” Happ said.
Manager Craig Counsell felt the same way. Counsell played in 1,624 games but didn’t reach 1,000 with any individual team, topping out at 711 for the Brewers.
“The big significance for me is 1,000 games with the same team. That’s to me what makes it rare and definitely worth talking about,” Counsell said. “That, in this era, is not happening.”
Happ made his Cubs debut in 2017. During his Cubs career, Happ has seen the 2016 championship core broken up and become one of the faces of the team.
A 2022 all-star and three-time Gold Glove winner, Happ was given a standing ovation before his first at-bat. And in a time of transition for the franchise, Happ has been a consistent presence, playing at least 153 games each of the past three seasons and 148 in 2021.
“Those are the things that mean a lot to me, is being available every day for this group,” Happ said.
After the standing ovation, Happ was quickly returned to reality by Padres starter Nick Pivetta, who buzzed him with a 91.3 mph fastball on the first pitch. Happ got some revenge by doubling two pitches later, then making a highlight-reel catch in the seventh when he sprinted and lunged to catch Gavin Sheets’ slicing drive down the left-field line.
Dansby delivering
In the third, Dansby Swanson hit his third home run of the season to give the Cubs a 3-0 lead. Swanson had a down year offensively in 2024, compiling just a 98 OPS+ (league average is 100).
Now six months removed from offseason core surgery to repair a sports hernia, Swanson feels better than he did last season and is showing signs of a rebound.
“It’s nice to be healthy, right?” Swanson said. “It’s nice to feel good and feel like you can just go be yourself, go be free and just play to the best of your ability.”
Pressing on Pressly
Acquired from the Astros to solidify the back end of the bullpen, new closer Ryan Pressly has walked five hitters in five innings, a lack of control that isn’t conducive to closing wins. Counsell said a key for Pressly is getting ahead in counts to earn “count leverage,” something the veteran right-hander hasn’t done yet.
Out of 25 batters faced, Pressly has gotten behind 16. Twelve hitters have reached a 2-1 count.
One issue Counsell mentioned Saturday was when Pressly throws low breaking balls. The Cubs manager is fine with that choice when Pressly is ahead in the count, not with no strikes.
Feeling the Blues
The Cubs wore their “Blues Alternate” uniforms for the first time. Unveiled in January, the set features a baby blue jersey and imagery that pays tribute to the city’s blues history and the team’s aesthetic heritage.
Moving forward, the Cubs will wear the alternate uniform every Friday home game.