Ian Happ plays in 1,000th major league game — all with the Chicago Cubs

CHICAGO (AP) — Ian Happ played in his 1,000th major league game on Saturday — all with the Chicago Cubs.

It's that last part that makes it special for the outfielder.

“I think the one thing that means a lot about it is is doing it all here,” Happ said. “I think that’s the thing that means a ton.”

It's a rare accomplishment, too.

Happ became the eighth active player with 1,000 games with one team, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, joining a group that includes Aaron Judge, Mike Trout and José Ramírez. He is the 21st player to appear in at least his first 1,000 games with Chicago, according to the team.

Happ, Mark Grace and Shawon Dunston are the only players drafted by the Cubs to play in 1,000 games with the franchise.

“The big significance for me is 1,000 games with the same team,” said Cubs manager Craig Counsell, who played in 1,624 games for five teams during his 16 years in the majors. "That's, to me, what makes it rare and definitely worth talking about. That, in this era of baseball, is not happening. It's just not happening.

“That speaks a lot about kind of how Ian's gone about it, I think.”

The Cubs paid tribute to Happ as he walked to the plate in the first inning against San Diego. Happ took off his batting helmet and patted his chest to acknowledge the cheering Wrigley Field crowd of 35,391.

The 30-year-old switch hitter went 1 for 4 with a double and a walk in Chicago's 7-1 victory. He also made an outstanding diving catch for the first out of the seventh inning, robbing Gavin Sheets of extra bases.

“That's a pretty good one,” said Happ, who had a HAPP 1000 jersey autographed by the team hanging in his locker after the game. “Had to go a long way.”

Happ was selected by Chicago with the No. 9 pick in the 2015 amateur draft out of the University of Cincinnati. He made his big league debut in 2017, batting .253 with 24 homers and 68 RBIs for a Cubs team that won the NL Central and made it to the NL Championship Series.

But Happ's future was uncertain after he was optioned to Triple-A Iowa before the start of the 2019 season. The stay in the minors gave him time to work on his approach at the plate — away from the glare of the big leagues — and he returned to the Cubs that July.

Happ made the NL All-Star team and won the first of his three consecutive Gold Gloves in left field in 2022. He has appeared in 480 of Chicago's last 497 games.

“The work that it takes to be healthy and be out there and be available, you know, everything that goes into it, whether that’s pregame for a day like today or whether it’s in the offseason, there’s a lot of work that goes into being available that much,” Happ said. “That part of it is kind of what I think about.”

There also was some question about Happ's future in Chicago before he agreed to a $61 million, three-year contract in April 2023 that runs through the 2026 season and includes a full no-trade provision.

When Kyle Hendricks left and signed with the Los Angeles Angels in November, Happ became the longest tenured major leaguer with the Cubs.

“He deserves every bit of praise that he gets,” shortstop Dansby Swanson said. “It’s just been so impressive watching him go about his work on a daily basis and just what he does in order to be able to play every day. ... He’s available every day. He posts up, and that’s an impressive feat.”

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Chicago Cubs catcher Carson Kelly (15), left, and Ian Happ celebrate their team's win over the San Diego Padres in a baseball game Saturday, April 5, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Chicago Cubs' Ian Happ (8) signals to the dugout after hitting a double during the first inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres, Saturday, April 5, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Playing in his 1000th game, Chicago Cubs' Ian Happ (8) acknowledges cheers from the crowd during the first inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres, Saturday, April 5, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Chicago Cubs' Ian Happ (8) stands on the dugout steps during the first inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres, Saturday, April 5, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Chicago Cubs' Ian Happ (8) stands in the dugout during the first inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres, Saturday, April 5, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Chicago Cubs' Ian Happ (8) runs the bases on a double during the first inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres, Saturday, April 5, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Chicago Cubs' Ian Happ (8) hits a double during the first inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres, Saturday, April 5, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Chicago Cubs' Ian Happ (8) hits a double during the first inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres, Saturday, April 5, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Playing in his 1000th game, Chicago Cubs' Ian Happ (8) acknowledges cheers from the crowd during the first inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres, Saturday, April 5, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

The European Union’s executive commission said Thursday it will put its retaliatory measures against new U.S. tariffs on hold for 90 days to match President Donald Trump ’s pause on his sweeping new tariffs and leave room for a negotiated solution.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told reporters on Wednesday that the pause was not a result of the brutal sell-offs in the financial markets but rather because other countries are seeking negotiations. Trump later told reporters that he pulled back on many tariffs because people were getting “yippy” and “afraid.”

Here's the latest:

“This will give us the opportunity to negotiate the reduction of tariffs so that the playing field is leveled,” said Lesotho Minister of Trade and Industry Mokhethi Shelile.

Lesotho, which relies on making and exporting clothes to the U.S. for brands like Levi’s, had feared almost half its clothing sector could be put out of business.

In Madagascar, which provides 80% of the world’s vanilla, exporters said there was now more time for government and industry officials to meet and plot a way forward.

And South Africa Trade and Industry Minister Parks Tau said on Radio 702 that while his country received confirmation that proposed export tariffs by the U.S. were paused, the 10% baseline tariff meant “it is not completely off.”

South Africa is one of more than 30 countries eligible for tariff-free access to the American market under the African Growth and Opportunity Act agreement that has been in place for 25 years. Many of them fear that Trump’s tariff tactics will mean the agreement will not be renewed.

Trump’s top economic advisers will gather a day after the president announced he was suspending for 90 days import taxes on dozens of countries while escalating his trade war with China to discuss the president’s options moving forward.

“The chief of staff’s office has called all the principals who have, you know, skin in the game and discuss their views about how this should go,” Kevin Hassett, director of the White House National Economic Council, told reporters on Thursday.

Hassett added that 15 countries have already presented offers to the administration aimed at getting Trump to drop his reciprocal tariffs. He did not detail which countries have presented offers.

This morning, at 10 a.m. ET, Trump will receive his intelligence briefing in the Oval Office.

At 11 a.m., he will participate in a cabinet meeting.

At 12:30 p.m., he will attend the swearing-in ceremony for the solicitor general.

Later, at 4 p.m., he will participate in a bill signing in the Oval Office, according to the White House.

World markets soared on Thursday, with Japan’s benchmark jumping more than 9% as investors welcomed Trump’s decision to put his latest tariff hikes on hold for 90 days.

In early trading, Germany’s DAX initially gained more than 8%. By midmorning, they were up 5.3% at 20,720.86, while France’s CAC 40 in Paris gained 5% to 7,204.23. Britain’s FTSE 100 surged 4.0% to 7,983.37.

Chinese shares saw more moderate gains, given yet another jump in the tariffs each side is imposing on each other’s exports.

The future for the S&P 500 was down 2.1%, while the contract for the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 1.6%.

Analysts had expected the global comeback, given that U.S. stocks had one of their best days in history on Wednesday as investors registered their relief over Trump’s decision.

▶ Read more about the global markets

China is reaching out to other nations as the U.S. layers on more tariffs in what appears to be an attempt to form a united front to compel Washington to retreat. Days into the effort, it’s meeting only partial success with many countries unwilling to ally with the main target of Trump’s trade war.

China has thus far focused on Europe, with a phone call between Premier Li Qiang and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen “sending a positive message to the outside world.”

That was followed by a video conference between Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao and EU Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Šefčović on Tuesday to discuss the U.S. “reciprocal tariffs.”

Wang has also spoken with the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, while Li, the premier, has met with business leaders. China has “already made a full evaluation and is prepared to deal with all kinds of uncertainties, and will introduce incremental policies according to the needs of the situation,” Xinhua News Agency quoted Li as saying.

▶ Read more about China’s response to Trump’s tariffs

Trump delivered another jarring reversal in American trade policy Wednesday, suspending for 90 days import taxes he’d imposed barely 13 hours earlier on dozens of countries while escalating his trade war with China. The moves triggered a powerful stock market rally on Wall Street but left businesses, investors and America’s trading partners bewildered about what the president is attempting to achieve.

The U-turn came after the sweeping global tariffs Trump announced last week set off a four-day rout in global financial markets, paralyzed businesses and raised fears the U.S. and world economies would tumble into recession.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt tried to characterize the sudden change in policy as part of a grand negotiating strategy. But to those outside the Trump administration, it looked like a cave-in to market pressure and to growing fears that the president’s impetuous use of import taxes — tariffs — would cause massive collateral economic damage.

▶ Read more about Trump’s reversal on most tariffs

The European Union’s executive commission said Thursday it will put its retaliatory measures against new U.S. tariffs on hold for 90 days to match President Donald Trump’s pause on his sweeping new tariffs and leave room for a negotiated solution.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that the commission, which handles trade for the 27 member countries, “took note of the announcement by President Trump.”

New tariffs on 20.9 billion euros ($23 billion) of US goods will be put on hold for 90 days because “we want to give negotiations a chance,” she said in a statement.

But she warned: “If negotiations are not satisfactory, our countermeasures will kick in.”

Trump imposed a 20% levy on goods from the EU as part of his onslaught of tariffs against global trading partners but has said he will pause them for 90 days to give countries a chance to negotiate solutions to U.S. trade concerns.

President Donald Trump speaks during an event on energy production in the East Room of the White House, Tuesday, April 8, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

People walk in Leadenhall Market at lunch time, in the financial district, known as The City in London, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick leaves after doing a television interview outside the White House, Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

President Donald Trump signs an executive order during an event in the East Room of the White House, Tuesday, April 8, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)