In honor of their last game of the season, Chicago Cubs outfielder Ian Happ threw fans a ball with some $100 bills attached to it so they could buy beer as a way to thank them for their support in 2024. One of the fans sitting in the left-field bleachers at Wrigley Field shared a picture of the baseball on a social media post.
"Happ just tossed this ball to us with some $$ to buy our section some drinks for the last game of the year!" read the Instagram post by Brad Douglass. "What a guy! Cheers Ian!"
"Thanks for the support all season! Beers for the left field crew on me!" Happ wrote on the ball.
The Cubs wrapped up their 2024 campaign with an 83-78 overall record. They have not made the playoffs since the 2020 season, but their fans are still very supportive. This season, the Cubs finished sixth in the league in home attendance with an average of 35,949 fans.
Happ paid for the fans' drinks on Sunday, when the Cubs hosted the Cincinnati Reds in a game that ended in an 0-3 loss for Chicago. Happ, who has been with the Cubs since 2017, autographed the ball and also wrote a message for the fans.
"Thanks for the support all season!" the player wrote. "Beers for the left field crew on me!"
"Thanks for the support all season! Beers for the left field crew on me!" Happ wrote on the ball.
The two-time Golden Glove recipient is known for his thoughtful gestures and always showing how grateful he is for the fan support. He did something similar last year when he tied a $100 bill to a baseball and gave it to Cubs superfan "Bleacher Jeff."
"It's nice to feel like, 'Hey, these guys understand what we're doing and why we're doing it.' They're fans of us, too," the fan said last year.
Also this weekend, Happ helped celebrate pitcher Kyle Hendricks -- the last remaining Cub from 2016 World Series team -- because there is a chance the 11-year-veteran has played his last game with the team.
The Cubs fell to the Reds in extra innings in Sunday's finale, and they finished the 2024 season on the outside of the postseason bracket with an 83-79 record.