CLEVELAND — Two days after scoring the game-winning goal for the U.S. women’s national soccer team, Mallory Swanson sat in a golf cart outside the visitors’ clubhouse at Progressive Field, a venue slightly less glamorous than the Paris Olympics.
Mallory was there to meet her husband, Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson, after Monday night’s game. It’s both a drab waiting room and the same place where so many euphoric friends and family gathered after the 2016 World Series finale.
While it’s not quite going to Disney World, it’s still the unique path they’ve chosen. The next day, the Swansons were spotted riding scooters through the streets of downtown, a scene that recalls Joakim Noah’s classic quote from when the Chicago Bulls faced off against LeBron James: “I’ve never heard anybody say, ‘I’m going to Cleveland on vacation.'”
It seemed like a good time to The Athletic to stay up to date with Dansby.
On the road to gold
Last year, the Cubs were watching the game on TV in the locker room at Wrigley Field when Mallory suffered a serious knee injury that kept her sidelined during the Women’s World Cup. That disappointment helped fuel this comeback.
Dansby: The story is just written by God. For the team, it’s the story of a new coach (Emma Hayes) and a group that worked hard and played six games in 17 days, which is crazy for football. The tenacity they showed, the resilience, the grit, all those words (apply). Especially the year after they had such a bad end to the season, by their standards, in the World Cup. There are so many incredible moments and stories over the last few weeks. It’s been really great to be a part of it remotely.
This team has always been an inspiration (and attention) to the younger generations, especially with the way soccer is growing in America. They understand how important they are as role models and take that seriously. Having gotten to know a good portion of this team, they are truly great people. Combining that with the performance makes it all the better.
Baseball at the Los Angeles 2028 Games
In four years, baseball will be back in the Olympics. Some of the sport’s biggest stars have already expressed interest in participating. There are still many hurdles to overcome for Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association, but the movement seems to be gaining momentum.
Dansby: It’s so far in the future, man. I hadn’t thought about it. I don’t have the creativity to figure out what a legitimate schedule would look like to maximize a major league season and an Olympic season. If you did the group stage/pool play for three consecutive days and then moved forward – kind of like soccer – it could be done in a 10-day window. There’s a lot of interest in that. It would be an interesting thing for a lot of people.
Guys are intrigued and interested in its potential. There are a lot more guys who have seen it and experienced a little bit of the World Baseball Classic. What could it look like when everyone is healthy for the season? Can you imagine how great and much better the product could be?
Trade Deadline Moves
Given the amount of time the Swansons spend in Chicago, Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer once joked that he offered Dansby an office, provided the $177 million shortstop wore khakis every day to the Wrigley Field office building. It was a sine qua non.
Dansby has been remarkably quiet in the run-up to the trade deadline that saw the Cubs trade reliever Mark Leiter Jr. to the New York Yankees for prospects and acquire All-Star third baseman Isaac Paredes in the Christopher Morel trade with the Tampa Bay Rays.
Dansby: No, we didn’t really talk. I didn’t really feel like it was my place to say anything. It’s funny because last year it was the other way around. But this year it was really important for me to instill confidence in this group and focus on what we have in front of us. Jed did a really good job of doing what he said he was going to do. At first, the general reaction when he says, “Hey, we’re going to focus on the future,” everyone says, “Oh, we’re going to write off the year.” No, no, he was able to improve us immediately and have a lasting impact.
Playoffs?
The Cubs are 59-62 after two straight one-run losses to a solid Guardians team. The rest of their schedule is manageable. The team has played noticeably better since July 4. The lineup has solidified with the addition of Paredes. The bullpen is in good shape even without Leiter. The rotation remains a strength.
Dansby: You start to see us build an identity and everybody buys into it and does their part. Belief is a powerful thing. We’re in a really good place with that. All you can do from here on out is keep working hard every day. We’re giving ourselves a chance. Four or five days ago, we were six games down. And then all of a sudden, we’re three games down (heading into this week). You just keep progressing.
In memory of
Former Cubs player and hitting coach Mike Brumley died in a car accident in June. In the latter stages of his long baseball career, Brumley served as the minor league hitting coordinator for the Atlanta Braves and as a private hitting instructor. Dansby cited Brumley as a key figure in his development as a power-hitting shortstop who helped anchor Atlanta’s 2021 World Series campaign. Still a Gold Glove defender, Dansby is finding his swing again and gradually returning to a league-average hitter. Brumley is the guy he would call on during down periods.
Dansby: It devastated me. I was still working with him. He came into town every few weeks. We talked on the phone all the time. I owe a lot of my professional success to him. On a personal level, it was pretty devastating. I don’t handle loss very well, especially with someone I respected as much as he did. It was really, really hard, especially during times when I felt a little lost… I felt lost in terms of where I was. The person you trusted the most wasn’t able to talk to you anymore. It was really hard. I had sleepless nights because of it. And I cried a lot because of it.
(Top photo of Dansby and Mallory Swanson: Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
