MESA, Ariz. – Before the Cubs’ workout Wednesday, shortstop Dansby Swanson walked onto the infield dirt at Wrigley Field. He stood at shortstop, where he’ll start Thursday in his regular season Cubs debut.
“It’s just such a beautiful place,” he said later. “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be. And I’ve made that pretty clear throughout the last few months.”
Opening Day will be full of high-profile Cubs debuts. And there was a common theme among introductory news conferences this winter. One new Cub after another praised the atmosphere at Wrigley Field. Positive comments were, of course, an obvious way for players to endear themselves to a new fan base. But the Cubs’ pitches to free agents this winter did leverage the alluring combination of Chicago, the Cubs fan base and Wrigley Field.
Manager David Ross played for the Cubs when they were a hot ticket, exceeding playoff expectations in 2015 and winning the World Series in 2016. Last year, when the Cubs were clearly in a rebuild, the attendance for the season (2,616,780) was down compared to Ross’ playing days, but it still ranked among the top 10 in MLB.
“We didn’t have the best record last year,” Ross said of the 74-88 season, “but our fan base supported us, stood by us. It’s a special place, and Wrigley has a lot to do with that. The day games at Wrigley in the summer, like there’s nothing better. Maybe an airshow flying over if you really want to put a cherry on top.”
Among the players the Cubs signed this offseason, National League Central mainstays Jameson Taillon and Tucker Barnhart were the most familiar with Wrigley Field. Taillon pitched for the Pirates for the first four years of his major-league career. Barnhart spent eight years behind the plate for the Reds.
“I’m super thankful to be able to call Wrigley Field home,” Barnhart said in his introductory conference in January. “For lack of a better term, it sucked to go play there as a visitor because it’s been a hard place to play for quite some time.”
Barnhart called playing at Wrigley as a Cub a “bucket list” item.
After Taillon’s last spring training start, he said he’d started picturing what that first time on the Wrigley Field mound would be like with the fanbase behind him, not against him. He’s lined up to start Sunday.
“A little bit nervous, just going to a place for the first time on the home side, not knowing where to park, or what door to go in, or where my locker is, and all that,” Taillon said. “But I’m excited. I always remember playing there and seeing the fans in the bleachers and stuff, giving the ovations to the guys going out to warm up. And I just always thought it was super cool.”
New Cubs center fielder Cody Bellinger doesn’t have a long track record at Wrigley Field, but he has a strong one. Bellinger has played nine games at Wrigley in his career and is hitting .321 with a .964 OPS. That’s the best he’s hit in any ballpark where he’s played more than five games.
“The environment,” Bellinger said when asked what made him decide to commit to the Cubs shortly after meeting with team representatives over Zoom this winter. “I’ve always loved Wrigley. I played a day game last year in Wrigley, I was in center field, and I was like, ‘This place is awesome.’ Just having the opportunity to play in Wrigley Field and the organization, I don’t take it for granted.”
First baseman Eric Hosmer, too, listed Wrigley as one of the reasons he was excited to join the Cubs.
“The main thing everyone says, especially around the league, is when you play at Wrigley Field, it feels like a state championship every game,” he said during Cubs Convention. “It’s just a different energy, it’s a different atmosphere.”
All of that will be on display Thursday, when the Cubs open the season against the Brewers. The weather is supposed to warm up for Opening Day, with a high of about 50 degrees – a treat for Chicago in April. And fans will pack the stands to see a new-look team that’s expected to start prying open the Cubs’ next championship window.
For the first time in his major-league career, Swanson, the face of the new Cubs era, will be taking the field on Opening Day for a team other than his hometown Atlanta Braves.
“I’m not really accustomed to much change,” he said. “I’ve obviously been in the same place for a while and hadn’t really left home in like seven years. So it was a little bit different for me. And I can’t even lie, the first couple of weeks it was a little bit of a struggle, just getting used to new people, new teammates, new staff, new spring training – Arizona is much different than Florida.”
Now, he feels like he’s found his footing.
Swanson’s “whole crew” is in town for Opening Day, he said. Mallory Swason, the Red Stars’ star forward, will be in the stands to watch her husband, along with Dansby’s best friend, parents, siblings and their families.
“So many great people, so many memories to be had,” Swanson said, “and obviously the start of a new journey.”
