'Means literally the world to me': New Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson has a special connection to Chicago

CHICAGO (CBS) -- The Chicago Cubs introduced their new shortstop.

Dansby Swanson is set to play up the middle for the next seven seasons. The Cubs rebuild might be over after they upgraded to Swanson at shortstop.

Another big boost for a team that showed a ton of improvement with a 39-31 second half, Swanson putting on his number seven Cubs jersey after playing his entire big league career in his hometown of Atlanta.

He leaves the Braves after helping them win the World Series in 2021, and then earning his first All-Star appearance and Gold Glove last season, his wife Mallory Pugh is already here as a star in town for the Chicago Red Stars.

And Swanson already has a sentimental connection with his new team.

"I pretty much mentioned to everyone being a Cub means more to me than people realized. It's no secret I left my hometown team to be here and I kept telling everyone that it's more personal to me," Swanson said, recalling the passing of his grandfather the day after he got married on December 10 and what his grandfather's love of the game means to him.

"Every day when I would come home from school, I would run up to his house, run in, and demand that he hit me ground balls, which he would always do. But every time I would walk in, he would have a Cubs game on," remembered Swanson. "I would say 'we're in Atlanta, dude. We're Braves fans.' And he loved baseball so much and all he ever wanted me to be doing what I'm doing now.

"Having won a championship for one of his favorite teams, we just felt that the Cubs, which was his second favorite team, that bringing a championship to this city is what I felt called to do. To play for my grandfather's two favorite teams means literally the world to me."

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