Dansby Swanson’s comments came as a shock midway through a tense season for the Chicago Cubs. With the team struggling in the bottom half of the standings and the pressure to win weighing on every swing and every pitch, Swanson didn’t hesitate to say something few in baseball dare to say publicly.
“Baseball is about more than just numbers or trophies. It’s about the people, the journey, how you bounce back from defeat. But right now, it seems like it’s all about winning—no matter the cost,” he said in an interview obtained by ESPN Chicago.
Swanson, who won the World Series with the Atlanta Braves in 2021, knows better than anyone what it means to win. But there’s something more weighty in his words than pride—a concern for a generation of players who are slowly getting caught up in the emotionless cycle of winning.
“You can win today, you can sign a $200 million contract, but if you forget the joy of playing, forget why you picked up the bat in the first place, then all the victories are empty,” Swanson added.
His comments quickly spread within MLB circles. Some colleagues quietly supported him, saying that Swanson had hit on a “big problem” in modern sports – where everything is priced by performance, while sportsmanship is gradually forgotten.
However, many people thought his words were “naive” in a fiercely competitive sports world. An anonymous former coach commented to The Athletic: “He’s right emotionally, but the reality is if you don’t win, no one cares if you’re happy or not.”
Inside the Cubs locker room, sources revealed that Swanson remained calm, even ready to face any mixed reactions. “I’m not afraid of being misunderstood. I just want people to remember that real wins are not just on the scoreboard,” he said in a team meeting shortly afterward.
According to a source close to the team, Swanson’s comments stemmed from a tense past few weeks – with the Cubs dropping back-to-back big games and the Chicago media constantly criticizing the team’s performance. Swanson, known for his calm demeanor, seemed to have had enough of the pressure.
On social media, Cubs fans were split between two camps: one praised Swanson as a “truth teller,” while the other accused him of “making excuses for failure.” But amid the controversy, many neutral fans saw something precious: a player who was reiterating the value of human beings in a world dominated by numbers and contracts.
Swanson closed the interview with a quote that has been echoed throughout the MLB community:
“Winning is the destination, but character is the journey. If you lose the journey, there is nothing to be proud of.”
A statement that is enough to make the entire baseball world take a look at itself — and perhaps, make Chicago fans appreciate more the player who is not only fighting on the field, but also defending the soul of the sport he loves.
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