For some reason Ian Happ becomes somewhat of a polarizing figure among Cubs fans and it remains insane to me how much hate he receives from a portion of the fan base. Anyway, Happ celebrated his 1,000th career MLB game, which have all come in a Cubs uniform, by making the best catch of his career.
My jaw is still on the floor after watching Happ’s heroic effort, when the Cubs were beating the Padres 7-0 in the seventh inning on Saturday. Happ could have easily backed off as he raced toward the side wall in left and conceded a double. A seven-run lead, even with some shakiness from the bullpen, was a nice cushion for the Cubs.
But no, instead Happ gave Cubs fans an amazing memory, soaring through the air to make the catch and tumbling over and crashing into the wall. Nate Pearson’s reaction said it all.
OUR GOLD GLOVE LEFT FIELDER. pic.twitter.com/coC97Tj2Ki
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) April 5, 2025
Damn right, that’s our left fielder!
Not only has Happ become a solid hitter with the Cubs, but after moving around the field during the first handful of years in the majors he’s not only found a home in left field, Happ has become the gold standard in defense at his position in the National League.
By the way, Happ reaching 1,000 career games with the Cubs is a great milestone. He became the 32nd player in franchise history to reach that mark and since 1969, Happ is only the ninth player to reach the milestone.
Ian Happ received a standing ovation before his first at-bat of Saturday's game.
— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) April 5, 2025
Happ is playing in his 1,000th career game today. pic.twitter.com/NSzeT0TPeE
Happ, who was the ninth overall pick in the 2015 MLB Draft out of Cincinnati, made his debut with the Cubs on May 13, 2017. It’s probably hard to believe, but Happ has played in more games with the Cubs than either Kris Bryant or Javier Báez.
