Ben Zobrist was back with the Cubs on Sunday and speaking publicly for the first time since leaving the team in May and deciding in July that he wanted to return.
The gist of his remarks: He doesn't regret stepping away from baseball in the wake of divorce proceedings with his wife, Julianna. At 38, he isn't sure this will be his last MLB season. And while he's with the Cubs, he'll give 100% as they chase the Cardinals in the NL Central.
Welcome back, @benzobrist18! #EverybodyIn pic.twitter.com/Jfx0K9QDdE
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) September 1, 2019
From his news conference at Wrigley Field, via the Chicago Tribune:
“It was a very easy decision for me (to step away), very easy. Because I’m a 100% focus type of person and I knew at that moment there was no way I could be here and be focused while I was here.
"I didn’t want to give half effort while I was here and think about where my head and heart really were. So I knew that for at least a period of time I had to fully put myself back in Nashville at home with my family, doing everything I could to keep my family together. That was my focus.
"That’s where my heart was at the time, and that’s where my heart remains. I’m here now because my heart feels like while I’m here at the field I can put 100% into it. And I can really get after it with my teammates, so I’m really looking forward to that push down the stretch.”
Zobrist didn't play Sunday against the Brewers, a 4-0 Chicago loss, and likely won’t start Monday’s game against the Mariners, manager Joe Maddon said Sunday. According to WSCR.com, he is expected to be in the lineup Tuesday and bat leadoff.
The Cubs want to ease Zobrist back into the game after he missed so much time. A career .266/.356/.426 hitter capable of playing several positions, he batted just .189 in his minor-league rehab stint following the long layoff.
Zo Day pic.twitter.com/Z6vQZMsVKm
— Paul Sullivan (@PWSullivan) September 1, 2019
Greeted warmly by his teammates and other personnel, Zobrist revealed that he came back secretly and spoke with the team in June, asking for their patience during his leave of absence.
“The guys have been awesome,” he said.“They’ve been so supportive throughout this time but also just welcoming. Honestly, there’s a part of me that’s a little overwhelmed with how much it feels like they’ve wanted me back and wanted me here.
“I don’t feel like I make that much of an impact in the clubhouse or with the guys, but they’ve certainly made me feel that way. This has always been a special place, ever since I came here in 2016. It’s a special clubhouse, special people in this organization, and the team in there are like my brothers.
"They’re very supportive and just so encouraging and challenging at the same time. They bring out the best in me.”
Maddon credited the top of the Cubs organization — owners the Ricketts family, team president Theo Epstein and general manger Jed Hoyer — for letting Zobrist put family before work.
He said he and his wife continue to work at reconciling their differences, and the divorce proceedings haven't advanced.
Zobrist admitted he “sparsely” paid attention to the Cubs during his time away. "I’d just check the scores and check on how guys were doing," he said, "and I always have checked the standings and knowing kind of where the team is at and how they were doing.”
The answer to that last bit is they've been up and down but entering September in the NL Central and wild-card playoff races. And now looking for a lift from Zobrist.
