The Chicago Cubs parted ways with veteran starting pitcher Jake Arrieta on Thursday.
Amid a miserable 2021 season for the righty, Chicago released him.
It’s the end of an era for all involved parties.
Arrieta was one of the very few remaining players from the Cubs’ 2016 World Series team.
This was actually his second stint with Chicago—after the Cubs won the World Series, he spent three seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies.
For Cubs fans, it’s sad to see him go, but there are plenty of happy memories from his time in the Windy City.
Let’s take a look back at some of his best moments in a Chicago uniform.
To get started, we’ll take things back to 2016.
3. Arrieta Throws Second No-Hitter Of Career In 2016
Arrieta made history in 2016 by throwing the second no-hitter of his MLB career.
He did it against the Cincinnati Reds in a game that the Cubs won 16-0.
Chicago Cubs pitcher Jake Arrieta just threw his second career no-hitter pic.twitter.com/YvtkoABc7x
— BuzzFeed News (@BuzzFeedNews) April 22, 2016
The righty’s final stat line was 9 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 6 K.
Not the most dominant no-no you’ll ever see, but still worth celebrating for sure.
It was made more impressive by the fact that this no-hitter came just nine starts after the first one of his career.
Let’s talk about that first one.
2. Arrieta Throws First No-Hitter Of Career In 2015
Arrieta had a ridiculous 2015 season, and his no-hitter was arguably the best moment from it.
It came against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
His final line looked like this: 9 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 12 K.
It was an outstanding performance.
5 years ago, Jake Arrieta tossed his first no-hitter at Dodger Stadium! pic.twitter.com/TVw70alk5s
— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) August 30, 2020
For the season, he finished with a 1.77 ERA, 2.35 FIP, and 0.87 WHIP.
He won 22 games and was named the National League Cy Young Award winner.
It was an unforgettable campaign for the him.
1. Arrieta Helps Cubs To World Series Title In 2016
Every player dreams of being part of a World Series run, and for Arrieta, that dream became a reality in 2016.
The Cubs were in the midst of a 108-year title drought entering the 2016 season.
Fans had high hopes for that year’s team, but after a century of suffering, folks in Chicago knew not to set their hopes too high.
Well, the Cubs did it.
They went 103-58-1 in the regular season (yes, they oddly had a tie game with the Pittsburgh Pirates) and cruised to the division title.
Arrieta contributed with a 3.10 ERA in the regular season.
In the playoffs, it became clear that Chicago was a team of destiny.
The club knocked out the San Francisco Giants in the NLDS, the Dodgers in the NLCS, and the Cleveland Indians in the World Series.
THE @Cubs WIN THE WORLD SERIES!!! #OpeningDayAtHome pic.twitter.com/1mh9dsb3Tb
— MLB (@MLB) March 27, 2020
That World Series is widely regarded as one of the best Fall Classics of all time, and it’s hard to dispute that claim.
Arrieta was great throughout the postseason, pitching to a 3.63 ERA over four starts.
He came through with a massive start in Game 6 of the World Series, tossing five and two-thirds innings of two-run ball.
The Cubs won that game to keep their title hopes alive, then they eventually won the series in Game 7.
There’s no telling what the outcome of that year would have been without Arrieta.
NEXT: Cubs Continue Cutting Veterans With Jake Arrieta Latest To Go