South Bend Completes Historic 2015 Season

SOUTH BEND, Ind. - As the rain held off and the sun peeked through the early-April clouds, the South Bend Cubs took the field for the first time in their inaugural season as a Chicago Cubs affiliate April 9 at Four Winds Field.

Three hours later, Cubs slugger Cael Brockmeyer launched a walk-off home run on the first pitch he saw in the bottom of the ninth inning, sending South Bend to a 2-1 win over Bowling Green and setting off fireworks before a crowd of 7,086 fans - an Opening Day franchise record.

"To end the game like that on Opening Day with what we've had built up in South Bend, it's nothing less than amazing," Cubs manager Jimmy Gonzalez said.

"That's how they write it in the story books," Brockmeyer said of the entire day. "I can't think of anything better, especially on Opening Day with a new organization and a new city. It'll be something I'll remember for a while."

Nearly five months later, the historic season came to a close, with South Bend shattering its old single-season attendance record and setting a new high mark of 347,678. The Cubs notched 40 sell-outs and averaged more than 5,000 fans per home game.

"We want to thank the amazing fans who came from a hundred miles in every direction to Four Winds Field all summer long," team owner Andrew T. Berlin said. "To have reached this new milestone means that the work we've been doing to make this a place where families and young people enjoy themselves night after night is working.

"To all of us at the South Bend Cubs, it's confirmation that this really is a place where everyone comes to play and not just the professional team down on the field."

South Bend also enjoyed surges in merchandise sales after the team announced its new affiliation with the Cubs, as well as its own new colors and logos. The team sold merchandise to customers in all 50 U.S. states in addition to Marco Island, Saint Croix, Sweden, New Zealand and Canada. South Bend also increased merchandise sales by 450 percent over last year.

On the field, South Bend stumbled to a 29-38 first-half record but responded with a 36-34 mark in the second half and a third-place finish in the Eastern Division, remaining in playoff contention until the final week of the regular season.

"It's been a fun year," Gonzalez said. "We had a lot of guys get out of here, which is part of the development stage and one of the things we strive for at this level. So that's a plus. Obviously we didn't finish where we wanted to with playoffs or anything like that, but we had a plus year with the development part."

Forty-seven different players suited up for South Bend to form a constantly-changing roster. When the Cubs took the field for their season finale against Lake County, 13 of the 25 active players had been with South Bend since the start of the season.

Relief pitcher Jasvir Rakkar and outfielder Trey Martin both earned April promotions to High-A Myrtle Beach, and Rakkar won a gold medal with Team Canada, along with South Bend third baseman Jesse Hodges, in July in the Pan American Games in his native country.

Infielder Chesny Young hit .315 in 28 games with the Cubs before ascending to Myrtle Beach, where he batted .321, chasing the franchise batting record, and compiled a .394 on-base percentage for the Pelicans.

Starting pitcher Ryan Williams was named the Cubs' Minor-League Pitcher of the Month for his performance with South Bend in May and then earned a promotion straight to Double-A Tennessee at the beginning of June. Williams impressed with the Smokies and posted a 2.76 ERA over 17 appearances (16 starts) in the Southern League.

Right-handed pitchers James Farris, David Garner and Jeremy Null all climbed to Myrtle Beach after the Midwest League All-Star break. Farris and Null were Midwest League All-Stars, and Garner pitched his way to an invitation to the Arizona Fall League.

"Just having the guys like Ryan Williams, Jeremy Null, those guys that got out of here, Farris, [Gleyber] Torres, [Jeffrey] Baez, Chesny Young, having them put their work in here, do what they did and getting them out of here, it's bad for our team at the time-you don't want them to leave, but then you do-because you know that that is what this is all about, especially at this lower level," Gonzalez said. You want them to develop and do those things and be able to move up to a higher level."

Brockmeyer also took home Midwest League All-Star honors, and the catcher/first baseman appeared in five games at Triple-A Iowa and seven with Tennessee before settling in with the Pelicans.

Infielder Jason Vosler and starting pitcher Brad Markey both got calls to Myrtle Beach in July. Markey, who began the year in extended spring training, thrived out of the bullpen and in one start with South Bend. In South Carolina, the 23-year old Markey turned in a sparkling 1.15 ERA in nine appearances (eight starts).

And in the regular season's final week, South Bend sent outfielder Jeffrey Baez and shortstop Gleyber Torres to Myrtle Beach. Baez, whose average dropped to a season-low .173 in mid-May and dripped again to .176 in early July, embarked on a second-half tear. The Venezuelan rose to South Bend's leadoff spot, nabbed the Cubs' Minor League Player of the Month award for July and skyrocketed his average to .284 by the time of his promotion.

Torres, the 18-year old shortstop signed out of Venezuela in 2013, spent the beginning of the season as the youngest player in the Midwest League. He consistently ranked among the top 10 hitters in the circuit, was named a mid-season and end-of-the-year All-Star and earned the league's Prospect of the Year honor.

"I think it was a big year for him, probably mentally more than anything," Gonzalez said of one of the Cubs' top prospects. "He did have some physical fatigue there at the end because it's his first full year. Getting him used to that grind. He's an everyday guy, no matter where he plays. Seeing him do what he did and put in his work and do the mental stuff, mostly. He's a mature kid and he handled the situations great knowing that he was feeling fatigued."

One of the remaining faces from the initial squad in April, starting pitcher Zach Hedges, helped the Cubs close out their home slate in style. Hedges delivered five innings of one-run ball and powered South Bend to a 5-3 win over Dayton on Sept. 4 in the home finale.

"It's great to give the city of South Bend a win for them at the end of the season," South Bend starting pitcher Zach Hedges said. "They've been fantastic for us in our first year here. Just would love to give them that win. It was really awesome to give that."