Cubs Call Kyle Hendricks 'Karl' For Some Reason That Doesn't Make Sense Except They're The Cubs

(CBS) Cubs right-hander Kyle Hendricks is making a name for himself across baseball with a strong 2016 season in which he ranks second in MLB with a 2.22 ERA.

The problem is, he just can't quite get his own teammates to call him by his, well, name.

"We call him Karl," Cubs catcher David Ross revealed Wednesday morning in an interview on the Mully and Hanley Show. "Look at Karl's heart rate. He doesn't even (show it even though) he's so amped up right now. What's that dog in that cartoon, Droopy? He never wavers from his emotions. It doesn't go up and down. He stays so even-keeled.

"Karl just executes the pitch, no emotion."

So, why exactly is Hendricks referred to as "Karl"?

"It's (Chad) Noble, the bullpen catcher, added an 'R' to everybody's name one time," Ross said. "With Kyle, he went to Karl. So we all call him Karl. It stuck, and we've laughed."

If this doesn't exactly make sense, the Cubs are fine with that, and it seems like Hendricks is too.

"He's probably one of my favorite young teammates of all time, just the way he carries himself," Ross said.

Listen to Ross' full interview below. He also talks about Hendricks' development and much more.