Nine years after he helped deliver a long-awaited championship to Wrigleyville, a former Cub received a warm message from owner Tom Ricketts.
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Kyle Hendricks played a crucial role in the Chicago Cubs’ 2016 World Series championship, anchoring the rotation with an 88-mph fastball, precision, and consistency.
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Hendricks, who announced his immediate (but long-rumored) retirement from pitching Monday, led Major League Baseball in ERA during the 2016 regular season at 2.13. The right-hander emerged as the Cubs’ most reliable starter down the stretch of their historic season.
That October, Hendricks delivered several defining performances. Most notably, he dominated the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series, throwing 7.1 scoreless innings at Wrigley Field to clinch the Cubs’ first pennant since 1945.
In the Cubs’ seven-game World Series victory over Cleveland, Hendricks started two games, allowing two runs across nine innings. The championship was the Cubs’ first since 1908, ending the major leagues’ longest drought at the time.
Tom Ricketts didn’t forget.
The Cubs’ owner sent Hendricks a message upon his retirement, saying in a statement released by the team: “My family and I congratulate Kyle on his retirement after a great career. He was one of the best all-time Cubs pitchers. We would not have won the World Series without his incredible 2016 season where he won the Major League ERA title and started Game 7 of the World Series.
“The Professor was always calm, cool and collected on the mound but his great performances excited millions of Cubs fans,” Ricketts continued. “From his outstanding playoff starts in 2016 to his memorable final appearance at Wrigley Field in 2024, he gave our fans sweet emotions. Now, it is time for Kyle, his wife, Emma, and his family to make new memories in retirement and we hope they come back to Wrigley Field often.”
Hendricks spent 11 of his 12 seasons in MLB with the Cubs. The Southern California native signed with the Angels for the 2025 season and made 31 starts, posting a 4.76 ERA in 164.2 innings.
Hendricks finishes his major league career with a record of 105-91 and a 3.79 ERA in 1,745 innings. His 1,259 strikeouts with the Cubs rank seventh in franchise history, while his 270 games started rank 10th.
