This story was excerpted from Jordan Bastian’s Cubs Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
CHICAGO – It took years and perspective for Nico Hoerner to realize how special the circumstances were surrounding his promotion to the Major Leagues.
A lot of players are called into a Minor League manager’s office to receive the news. The subsequent phone calls to family and friends might happen from a team bus, clubhouse or hotel room. Hoerner was in a side room off the kitchen of his childhood home when the phone call came. And he got to walk out and tell his mom in person.
“There was a lot of shock,” Hoerner said. “It was like, ‘I’ve got to get to San Diego tonight. I’ve got to go to the airport now. Like, right now.' It quickly turned into my mom being just excited to get everybody that she could there.”
The famous line that has followed Hoerner in the years since his unexpected arrival to the big leagues in September 2019 is that the Cubs called him up “off the couch.” He was indeed back home with family, enjoying some down time after his Double-A season ended and before heading off to the Arizona Fall League.
Those plans changed when the Cubs -- dealing with a series of injuries amid an attempt to chase down a playoff spot -- needed Hoerner to join the team on Sept. 9 in San Diego. He traveled ahead of his parents, but they got there in time to see him have one of the more memorable debuts in Cubs history, going 3-for-5 with a triple, four RBIs and two runs scored.
That night marked the start of Hoerner’s eight-season run with the Cubs, who recently handed him a six-year, $141 million extension to keep their partnership going. During the press conference to announce that deal, Hoerner’s parents and sister were among those in attendance, giving him a chance to reflect on his journey and their support.
For Hoerner’s mom, Keila Diehl, in particular, Hoerner said the baseball world was entirely new for her. Diehl is an author and educator who currently works at the University of California-Berkeley. Baseball became Hoerner’s thing as a kid, and Diehl had to learn all the ins and outs of having and supporting a budding star.
“There’s a story she loves to tell,” Hoerner said with a smile. “When I was maybe 11 or 12, she was asking about going camping or doing this trip, and I was like, ‘No, I have another tournament.’ She goes, ‘Another tournament? Again?’ I stopped her and was like, ‘Mom, I’m really good at this.’”
Hoerner let out a laugh.
“That’s how she tells the story, like I was kind of letting her know, ‘This is what I’m going to do,’” he continued. “She sacrificed a ton of time. She always jokes that she failed as a mom, because I can’t play an instrument and I’m not bilingual.”
It’s never too late.
“Yeah, there’s still time,” Hoerner said.
And as time has passed and Hoerner has grown into a star for the Cubs and a fan favorite for the team’s fans, he has grown to really appreciate how he got to this point. His parents, both teachers, played a large role by supporting his love of the game without piling on any extra pressure.
“I think that’s part of why I still really enjoy it a lot,” Hoerner said. “My mom is very far from a sports person, but has grown to love baseball and the Cubs for all the other reasons, too. Just the community and the city of Chicago and the ability to just go to a baseball game and hang out with friends you haven’t seen in a long time. It’s been fun to see that for her, too.”