Photo by Kyle DeSantis
Ian Happ has never worn another team’s uniform. Not once in his professional career. So when Thursday’s game against the Miami Marlins might’ve been his last as a Cub at Wrigley Field, he decided to say thanks the way he always does — with cash, a baseball, and a note for the fans who’ve been there since day one.
Before the Chicago Cubs’ home finale, Happ wrapped a signed baseball with $300 in cash and launched it into the left-field bleachers. That’s the same section of fans he’s played in front of for a decade now. Attached to the ball was a note:
“Thank you for 10 incredible years, for the positivity and unwavering support. Y’all are the best fans in sports! BEERS ON ME!”
This wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment gesture, either.
Happ’s been doing this for years — tossing money into the bleachers at season’s end as a thank-you to the regulars who show up game after game. The tradition usually runs through a Cubs superfan known as “Bleacher Jeff,” who takes the cash and makes sure it actually gets distributed to the fans nearby. It’s become something of an unofficial ritual between Happ and the bleacher crowd.
A Decade in Chicago
The Cubs took Happ with the ninth overall pick in the 2015 draft, straight out of the University of Cincinnati. He never left. Over ten seasons, he picked up four Gold Gloves, made the All-Star team in 2022, and racked up more than 1,000 career hits in a Cubs uniform.
Now he’s headed for free agency this offseason — which means Thursday could’ve been his final regular-season game at Wrigley as a Cub. Fans in the bleachers weren’t shy about how they felt; one sign read “Ian Happ Cub for Life” as he made his way around interacting with the crowd throughout the game.
Whether that sign turns out to be true is anyone’s guess at this point.
The Cubs still have business to take care of. With three games left, they’re sitting as the No. 5 seed in the National League playoff picture, setting up a Wild Card matchup against the No. 4 seed San Diego Padres. That series is scheduled to begin Tuesday, September 29.
