Article: Friday Fan Feature - Cody Delmendo of CHGO Cubs

[CandidCubs]

I didn't let the facts get in the way of a good story. Big of me to admit, this week's feature is on Cody Delmendo of CHGO Cubs. 

Image courtesy of Cody Delmendo, @Chgo_Cody

I have been a huge proponent for therapy. In 2020, like many others, I struggled with the conditions of the pandemic. There were so many things that were contributing to my struggles: job stress, safety concerns, no baseball or anything to balance work, etc. I needed a safe place to tackle these issues and I feel I have come out the other side in a better spot. 

Sometimes, I need Cubs therapy, and I share health providers with thousands of blue-bleeding fans across the Chicago area: Luke, Ryan, Cody, and Brandon. This week, I was lucky enough to find out my baseball insurance covers private sessions with CHGO Cubs’s Cody Delmendo.

For many Cub fans, Cody is the beer bat-celebrating, big-of-him personality on the widely popular video podcast. As a person who has great interest in Cubs media and fan interaction, his work is inspiring and appreciated. However, his story makes all of his success so much more to celebrate. 

Cody started his path towards Cub obsession pretty young, catching the bug from his grandfather while growing up in central Illinois. He wasn’t always an Illinois resident, but moved into his grandparents house with his mom prior to the 1998 season. This was the season that really switched his red heart to blue. I found so much to relate to in his Cub story:  excitement for Mark Prior’s debut; the Kenny Lofton and Aramis Ramírez trade in 2003; memories of ballhawks aggressively fighting on TV for the latest souvenir Sammy Sosa deposited on Waveland. Even while acknowledging the importance of the 2016 team, Cody spoke so highly of the '98 season. We even shared admiration of the 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks, a mutual favorite Fall Classic while we waited for our beloved Cubbies to participate in the postseason. I especially enjoyed our discussion around Sosa and the Hall of Fames--the Cubs one, and that in Cooperstown. I will not share the details of our conversation, but bring Sammy home.

The path to CHGO wasn’t easy. Cody studied journalism at Eastern Illinois (“The Harvard of the Midwest”). Shortly after graduating, he tried his hand at sports reporting. The grind of working the high-school sporting scene while living paycheck to paycheck would weigh on anyone. It was easy for me to relate to the burnout he struggled with. In an attempt to pivot to a more stable career, Cody found solace in several social media roles that brought him to the city of Chicago. In 2020, Cody decided to start a Cubs podcast with a friend from college. This passion project ran headlong into the unfortunate timing of the world shutting down. On top of that, layoffs hit his company, leaving him job searching and eagerly awaiting the return of MLB. 

As we know, baseball returned, and so did the On Tap Sports Cubs Podcast on which he starred. On top of the show, he was able to do writing for the website. Cody shared so much detail on the struggles and successes, which really highlighted to me why he is such a strong member on CHGO. It is a really special skill to appear both genuine and informed. I clearly am not the only one who noticed this trait, as a chance networking opportunity for On Tap led to a game-changing DM on Twitter. The joy and feeling of validation resonated in Cody’s voice as he shared details of the CHGO pitch.

In an age of technology and social media, things are not always puppies and rainbows. Cody cautioned the disadvantages of sharing thoughts and the keyboard warriors who can come out to share their displeasure. Cody took this opportunity to share strategies and advice to me on this topic. I appreciated this moment, as sharing your personality and opinion in this day and age can be hard. It is this continued self-confidence Cody radiates, while acknowledging the struggles that have shaped his career. I asked him about the catchphrases I have come to know him for:

• “Big of me to admit it”
• “Don’t let the facts get in the way of a good story”

I had a profound interest in how these moments happened. In the context of their show, they felt natural and earned, which is how they got started. Cody credited a friend from Twitter for the idea of the post-game Beer Bat chug after wins. I also assured him we are not all designed to chug things. 

You can find Cody Delmendo on Twitter as @Cody_CHGO, along with his daily appearance on CHGO Cubs. In this specific case, the facts on Cody make a really good story. 

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