Grateful, introspective Zobrist welcomed back to Chicago Cubs
If you want to understand the essence of Ben Zobrist, it was all there in a few short sentences Sunday.
"I don't think I have anything I need to prove personally with my career or to anybody else," he said. "My priorities have always been the same and been very consistent my whole career. My faith is important. My family is important. My career comes after those two things."
Zobrist resumed his baseball career Sunday when he came back to the Chicago Cubs after nearly four months on the restricted list as he deals with family issues surrounding a possible divorce.
Facing the media for almost 20 minutes before the Cubs lost 4-0 to the Milwaukee Brewers, Zobrist joked that he had a tan from taking the summer off to spend it with his children.
He added that he hopes his marriage can be saved, saying: "That's my hope and prayer. All I can say is nothing has gone any further as far as one way or the other. There's no legal action or anything like that happening right now. It's just kind of a period of stability and patience is I think is where we're at."
The 38-year-old Zobrist, MVP of the 2016 World Series with the Cubs, expressed gratitude to the Cubs and to his teammates for being patient with him during the summer.
"I'm excited to be back in the clubhouse with the guys," he said. "I got to get out on the field (Saturday) night and take a few groundballs and hit BP (batting practice) and stuff. Wrigley Field is a special place. Anytime you get a chance to be here, I don't take it for granted. I'm excited to be back.
"I didn't know if I'd come back at all just because I'm not sure how much more baseball I'm going to be playing anyway. The timing is right for me to be here now. I feel good about that. I feel good about just doing what I can to help the club down the stretch here and hopefully push into the playoffs and a lot further than that."
Zobrist was not in Sunday's starting lineup, nor is it likely that he will start the Labor Day afternoon game against the Seattle Mariners at Wrigley Field. More likely, manager Joe Maddon said that Zobrist likely would be up to speed "within a week."
Since going on the restricted list May 8, Zobrist said he did little in the way of baseball activity. He did, however, check in periodically with team president Theo Epstein to keep him apprised.
"It was probably about mid-July that I decided I had to make a decision of whether I'm going to go out on the field and really push to get on a baseball field to see where my skill level is," he said. "I didn't do much baseball-wise from May until mid-July."
Zobrist also revealed he met with his teammates in June.
"I came back in June, and I talked to the whole team … to let them know how I was and just asking them to continue to be patient with the process personally for me," he said. "I let them know that if I could, I would try to get back here with them. So much support from that. Also at the same time I kind of knew, 'OK, I'm going to let them be, and they're going to be fine.' And they are.
"They don't need me by any stretch of the imagination, but they always made me feel wanted. They wanted me back. That's all you can ask for from your teammates, is to know that you're wanted to be around and to help the ballclub, and that's why I'm here now."
Zobrist said he also understood that the Cubs could have moved on from him.
"I would have understood completely however they needed to move forward even it was the next day," he said. "Baseball's given me nothing but blessings and opportunities and things. They're my employer. They can do what they would like to do. I'm fortunate that they gave me the time that they gave me and still wanted me back."
Cubs manager Joe Maddon, a "players manager," said he thought the Cubs would have given the same leeway to any other player. He also put the situation into perspective.
"We play a game," he said. "This is about Zo and his family and his kids. I think the way we handled it was perfectly right.
"It is a game, and personal life does matter. Taking into consideration feelings and whatever does matter. I really appreciate that."
Zobrist spent much of his summer at his home in Tennessee. He said he feels his baseball skill level will help him contribute to the Cubs winning.
He also is a deeply religious person. His father, Tom, is pastor of a church in downstate Eureka, Illinois.
"There's no perfect family in life; there's no perfect scenario, but I'm fortunate that I'm not alone," he said. "I have so much support. I believe in a God who heals broken relationships. I'm hopeful, and I'm present and doing the best I can to just love the people that I'm around."