Kyle Hendricks is notoriously unemotional, but he’s not a robot.

He is the same guy who carried the same demeanor on the mound in Game 7 of the World Series as a regular season start in May at Wrigley Field.

Yet Saturday was a special day, one even Hendricks couldn’t completely go through without showing his emotions.

In what may be his final start at Wrigley Field in a Cubs uniform, Hendricks threw 7.1 shutout innings. After he got the leadoff batter out in the 8th inning (the first time all season Hendricks has pitched into the 8th), manager Craig Counsell sent pitching coach Tommy Hottovy out to the mound for an emotional meeting.

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Hottovy has been alongside Hendricks just about every step of the way for his 11-year career with the Cubs – first as the run prevention coordinator and then as a pitching coach.

So instead of Counsell taking Hendricks out of the game, it was Hottovy instead.

“Yeah, that was so cool,” Hendricks said. “For Counse to give us that moment – Tommy’s meant so much to me. … He’s been here the whole time. I can’t thank him enough just for sticking with me, making me better as a player, as a person.

“He’s just an incredible human being that brings it every single day. And I wouldn’t be who I am without him.”

[Watch every out of Hendricks’ performance Saturday]

After Hottovy and Hendricks embraced on the mound, the man affectionately known as “The Professor” walked back to the dugout as 38,180 fans at Wrigley Field delivered a standing ovation.

Hendricks embraced his teammates in the dugout and then popped out for a curtain call.

“You feel all the emotions,” Hendricks said. “Just feel so lucky and just so happy. I got my whole family here today, up in the stands. I’m sure they’re crying.

“Just for the fans to give me that from the moment I showed up to the ballpark today, celebrating me. Part of me hates it – I hate all the attention. But I know I have to soak in these moments and that’s what the Wrigley fans are there for.

“They’re so special. They’re the best in the world. To play here at Wrigley Field, I’m such a lucky guy.”

[MORE: ‘Thank you, 28′: Cubs fans react to what may be Kyle Hendricks’ final start at Wrigley Field]

Hendricks admitted that the emotions got to him a bit early in the outing. His focus was on trying to get through the 1st inning, knowing he would settle in after that.

He certainly settled in, delivering a vintage outing and needing only 81 pitches to record 22 outs.

Even with the stellar outing to close out his 2024 season, his ERA still sits at 5.92 and he will turn 35 this winter.

Hendricks understands the situation – the Cubs have plenty of options for the 2025 rotation and they could also add an impact arm in free agency or via trade.

While he didn’t shut the door on a possible return to the Cubs, Hendricks has no designs on retiring so he knows he may well be pitching in a different uniform next season.

[WATCH: Hendricks reflects on final start of ’24, Cubs career]

So he made sure to soak it all in over the final weeks of September, reflecting back on his 11-year career.

Hendricks listed some obvious moments as his favorite memories in a Cubs uniform – the 2016 NLCS clincher against the Dodgers at Wrigley Field and, of course, winning the World Series and enjoying the parade later that fall.

“I just keep going back to feeling so lucky,” he said. “So lucky and so grateful to have gotten that much time here, to have gotten that many starts out in Wrigley Field, to put that jersey on that many times.

“I just keep going back to how many memories I’m going to have and great memories because of Wrigley Field, because of Cubs fans and because of Chicago.”