Big shout out to Kyle Hendricks, a superior pitcher and an even better teammate

by Junna Base November 8, 2024

Although he was known for both his throwing style and his success, it’s not like Kyle Hendricks was “good for a guy who doesn’t throw hard.” Kyle Hendricks was simply one of the best Chicago Cubs pitchers of our lifetime.

When he last left the mound for the Cubs in September, he posted a 3.68 ERA over 1,580.1 innings and parts of 11 seasons. That’s an ERA that, according to ERA, is about 10% better than league average. It’s an ERA that ranks 21st in the organization’s 148-year history (minimum 1500 innings). It is the 15th in modern times (1901) and the 6th in the last 80 years. Maybe he wasn’t an individual player in the truest sense of the word, but Kyle Hendricks is one of a very small group of pitchers that we will long regard as the best we’ve seen with the Cubs over a long period of time.

Breathe in, prepare for a feeling or two, and observe:

Not only was Hendricks one of the most successful pitchers we’ve seen in a Cubs jersey, he’s also considered one of the best teammates.

The praise in this Marquee article is over the top, including how impressed Craig Counsell was immediately with what he saw – and he had only worked with Hendricks for a year.

“He taught us all lessons.”

“Watching him throw a bullpen is like art.”

“He’s one of the best guys I’ve ever known.”

Kyle Hendricks’ legacy with the Cubs will live on long after his death. Tony Andracki (@TonyAndracki23) November 7, 2024

Standout comments included this one from Ethan Roberts:

“With Kyle, it’s more than just baseball,” Roberts said. “He’s not just about making you feel better here, he’s also about making you a better person. … He shows you through his daily actions how you should do it – around coaches, around fans, around players.

“And he’s been very successful in showing a lot of these young people here how it’s done. It’s not like he goes out of his way to say, “Hey, you gotta do this or that.” It’s just like, take care of Kyle. That’s what Kyle does. You should do that because he does it well and he does it right and he treats everyone right.”

Performance on the mound had declined in recent years, but the stuff? That peer-level leadership, friendship, and coaching? The Cubs will miss that.

Now Hendricks is heading off to pitch for the Angels, his first non-Cubs MLB team. I wish him all the best. I hope he gets back on his feet. I hope he brings the same skills, consideration and kindness for many years to come. And then I hope he returns to the Cubs organization to contribute in his post-game days…

“Great teammate, great pitcher, and I think he’ll forever be a Cubs legend…You know it’s not goodbye.”

Jed Hoyer would like to see Kyle Hendricks back with the Cubs in some capacity. pic.twitter.com/iotU4tZVek— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) November 8, 2024