WATCH: Arrieta says emotional thank you to Cubs fans |
They say good things don't last forever, including Jake Arrieta pitching for the Cubs.
Arrieta is back in Chicago for a series but now as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies.
He spoke to the media before Tuesday night's game and had the following nice words to say to Cub fans. "Just really thank you for the support through thick and thin and through the rough time in 2013 and 2014," Arrieta said. "Believing in me and the rest of the team and taking that journey with us throughout 2016 and even 2017 when it just seemed like a no-brainer that we were going to be in the postseason and play deep in October and have a chance to win a World Series year in and year out. To have 40,000 plus here each and every night, bitter cold or humid heat, it meant a lot to us and me and my family and definitely a lot to Cooper. A big part of him will be a Cubs fan for life and that is very special to me." Arrieta always thought there was still a small chance that he would return to Chicago. "I knew there was always an opportunity to come back here until that contract was signed with another team, he said. "It was a very chaotic offseason for free agents. Would it have been great to sign here (in Chicago)? Yes. Am I happy with how it turned out ... signing with the Phillies? Absolutely." Arrieta said it was emotional being back at Wrigley Field. "Being in this dugout for the first time, it will be emotional obviously for good reason," he said. Jake Arrieta’s message to #Cubs fans pic.twitter.com/qhyojs7XqJ Arrieta spend some time with his former teammates and Joe Maddon during pre-game: IT’S JAKE. pic.twitter.com/UJZ0rgOKzz Jake and Rizzo. #Cubs pic.twitter.com/gRKA7pF7Z3 Arrieta, Maddon embrace pic.twitter.com/vfxrQQt0Wc
