February 15, 2018
The Athletic, Don't forget the art beat: Cubs manager Joe Maddon's shtick is getting contemporary https://theathletic.com/241566/2018/02/14/dont-forget-the-art-beat-cubs-manager-joe-maddons- shtick-is-getting-contemporary/
The Athletic, How the Yu Darvish deal positions Cubs for Bryce Harper/Manny Machado sweepstakes https://theathletic.com/241907/2018/02/15/how-yu-darvish-deal-positions-cubs-for-bryce-harper- manny-machado-sweepstakes/
The Athletic, While other contenders try to finalize rosters, Cubs happy to focus on task at hand https://theathletic.com/241307/2018/02/14/while-other-contenders-try-to-finalize-rosters-cubs- happy-to-focus-on-task-at-hand/
The Athletic, Chris Gimenez gives the full scouting report on Yu Darvish: 'The sky's the limit' https://theathletic.com/241554/2018/02/14/chris-gimenez-gives-the-full-scouting-report-on-yu- darvish-the-skys-the-limit/
Cubs.com, Montgomery accepting of role in Cubs' bullpen https://www.mlb.com/cubs/news/cubs-mike-montgomery-on-role-in-bullpen/c-266445978
Cubs.com, Maddon using art to inspire Cubs this spring https://www.mlb.com/cubs/news/cubs-joe-maddon-using-art-to-inspire-club/c-266441466
Cubs.com, Rizzo's thoughts with alma mater after shooting https://www.mlb.com/cubs/news/anthony-rizzo-tweets-condolences-to-alma-mater/c-266472200
Cubs.com, Gimenez excited to work with Darvish again https://www.mlb.com/cubs/news/chris-gimenez-on-cubs-signing-yu-darvish/c-266454186
NBC Sports Chicago, Cubs thrilled with big free-agent splash: 'We really haven't seen the best Yu Darvish yet' http://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/cubs/cubs-thrilled-big-free-agent-splash-we-really-havent- seen-best-yu-darvish-yet
Chicago Tribune, As far as backup catchers go, Joe Maddon gives 'edge' to David Ross over Chris Gimenez http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-spt-cubs-david-ross-chris-gimenez- 20180215-story.html
Chicago Tribune, Joe Maddon melds baseball, art in surrealistic day at Cubs camp http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-spt-sullivan-cubs-joe-maddon-art- 20180214-story.html
Chicago Tribune, Cubs counting on closer Brandon Morrow and fifth starter Tyler Chatwood http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-spt-cubs-brandon-morrow-tyler- chatwood-20180214-story.html
Chicago Tribune, Chris Gimenez likes Yu Darvish's mix of intensity and fun http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-spt-cubs-yu-darvish-chris-gimenez- 20180214-story.html
Chicago Tribune, Is Joe Maddon changing his hairstyle? http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-spt-cubs-joe-maddon-dyeing-hair-sullivan- 20180214-story.html
Chicago Sun-Times, Team (role) player: Cubs’ Mike Montgomery wants to start, but wants to win more https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/team-role-player-cubs-mike-montgomery-wants-to-start-but- wants-to-win-more/
Chicago Sun-Times, Cubs counting on new closer Brandon Morrow to dance amid the pressure https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/chicago-cubs-brandon-morrow-joe-maddon-wade-davis/
Chicago Sun-Times, Agent Scott Boras on thaw in market as camps open: ‘Free agency has begun’ https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/agent-scott-boras-on-thaw-in-market-as-camps-open-free- agency-has-begun/
Chicago Sun-Times, Cubs surprise four young hospital patients with a free trip to spring training https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/cubs-surprise-4-young-patients-with-all-expenses-paid-spring- training-trip/
Chicago Sun-Times, New Cub Chris Gimenez on pal Yu Darvish: ‘I like [Jon] Lester better’ https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/new-cub-chris-gimenez-on-pal-yu-darvish-i-like-jon-lester- better/
Daily Herald, Four teen patients going on surprise Cubs spring training trip http://www.dailyherald.com/news/20180214/four-teen-patients-going-on-surprise-cubs-spring- training-trip
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The Athletic Don't forget the art beat: Cubs manager Joe Maddon's shtick is getting contemporary By Sahadev Sharma
MESA, Ariz. – When Joe Maddon spoke to reporters prior to a charity event in January, he alluded to what he believed his theme would be for the 2018 season. It didn’t appear to be a fully formed concept just yet, but he wanted his players to appreciate the little things in life. He pointed to the stained-glass window he was standing below to illustrated how we must soak in the amazing architecture surrounding us in the city of Chicago.
On Tuesday, Maddon said this year’s theme would be a little more elaborate and that it would be revealed week by week.
With pitchers and catchers having their first official day of workouts Wednesday, Maddon unveiled the first two of what will eventually be a series of six paintings that represent numerous themes and ideas of Maddon's Cubs tenure.
“For years, I wanted to utilize the thought of putting the art back into the game,” Maddon said. “That’s the overarching theme.”
One painting depicted Michelangelo’s David standing on the pitcher’s mound at Wrigley Field with several of the messages he wants to instill in his staff.
“Look at the David,” Maddon said. “He looks like a pitcher standing on the mound. David is the dude who went after Goliath. The actual statue of David is supposed to be prior to the event where he’s standing there, kind of tense. And he looks like he’s on a mound.
“If you look at it, he’s holding that slingshot, there’s a rock. Often times you call a baseball a rock. You talk about dictating, you talk about being proactive and you see 'Dominate 1-1.' Look what happens when the count switches from 1-1 to 1-2 or 2-1 from a pitcher’s perspective.”
Maddon shared last summer that the Cubs weren’t as concerned about a first-pitch strike as they were about getting strikes in two of the first three pitches.
Last season, a batter delivered an .835 OPS after getting ahead 2-1. After a 1-2 count, that OPS fell all the way down to .506. Maddon also had notes about pitchers' fielding practice, controlling the running game, keeping the double play in order and controlling and commanding on 3-2.
The other painting was a picture of Salvador Dali in a catcher’s mask.
“How many times have you heard the catcher’s gear called the 'tools of ignorance?'” Maddon said. “For me there’s no way. It’s the tools of intelligence.”
Maddon said this idea started to form when he walked into a Milano Exchange in Tampa Bay and saw a recreation of the Mona Lisa by an artist named Jason Skeldon.
Maddon, who likes to say “They're not all oil paintings” after sloppy wins, commissioned Skeldon to create the portrait series. The next two paintings will be unveiled to the team when the full squad reports on Feb. 19, and the last two sometime during spring training.
There will be an altered version of the Mona Lisa, something involving Albert Einstein and art inspired by Andy Warhol and Banksy.
“Everything was just popping together,” Maddon said when he saw Skeldon’s work. “So I looked at that and I thought about a bunch of different things. Then I went for the whole thing. Which means I wanted to include more than one artist and include this year’s message on art.”
Maddon said it was a three-pronged approach: create a theme for spring training, create artwork to be sold for charity and help promote art among students throughout the city of Chicago and beyond.
As far as the message he’s trying to convey to his players and to fans, he wants to make sure people appreciate the human mind and form in a world where data is becoming more and more prevalent.
“I think we’re going way too far, we’re losing humanity in a sense,” Maddon said. “I’m all about data, I’m all about numbers and information. But let’s not forget the human being, let’s not forget the heartbeat. So how do you balance data versus art? Art to me equals the human experience, the human being.”
But Maddon didn’t end there. He also believes that the players need to remember that what they’re doing on the field is a form art in itself and to take pride in that as well.
“I wanted our guys to know they’re artists,” he said. “If you really watch video of a well-played game, whether it’s baseball, basketball, football, you see artistry in the movement of athletes. So I want them to think of themselves as artists also.”
If they can recreate the masterpiece they delivered in 2016, it's safe to say that will be a work art that will never go unappreciated.
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The Athletic How the Yu Darvish deal positions Cubs for Bryce Harper/Manny Machado sweepstakes By Patrick Mooney
MESA, Ariz. — Outside of family, Clayton Kershaw was the first person Yu Darvish told about his decision to sign with the Cubs.
Darvish and Kershaw worked out together in the Dallas area, but that bromance won’t be the one we’ll be talking about this season. It doesn’t really matter whether or not Kershaw opts out of the final two years and $65 million of his contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers and joins next winter’s superb class of free agents.
It will be all about trying to interpret Bryce Harper’s Instagram and Twitter posts as the Washington Nationals superstar highlights his friendship with Kris Bryant.
It will be interesting to see how much Manny Machado’s relationship with Albert Almora Jr. matters once he leaves the Baltimore Orioles. They are like brothers after growing up together in Miami, closer than Bryant and Harper were in Las Vegas.
Stretching Darvish’s $126 million contract to six years lowers the average annual value used in calculating the competitive balance tax. His $25 million salary for 2018 will still keep the Cubs beneath the $197 million luxury-tax threshold that slowed down almost all of the free-agent action this winter.
So when is the Harper/Scott Boras press conference? Too soon to buy a Machado Cubs jersey? Well, the Cubs went through their first formal workout for pitchers and catchers on Wednesday at the Sloan Park complex and already have a clear idea of who will be here in Mesa for spring training in 2019.
“It’s hard to sit here a year removed and see what our approach is going to be next offseason,” team president Theo Epstein said. “Look, if everyone plays well and we’re healthy and productive, we have just about everybody back next year. We might be in a situation where we don’t have to do much.
“That said, this game is so unpredictable. We might have real needs in areas that we don’t anticipate, so we’ll just see where we are at that point, take stock of it throughout the course of the season and at the trade deadline, trying to look ahead.
“But we still have some flexibility as players move through the arbitration system. We’re not necessarily done, but we obviously made a significant investment in Darvish to round out our pitching staff. It’s a staff that we think is going to be together for years to come.”
The luxury-tax threshold that has essentially become a soft salary cap will rise to $206 million next season, and then $208 million and $210 million in the final two years of a labor deal that runs until December 2021.
Beyond Darvish right now, the Cubs still have six seasons left on Jason Heyward’s $184 million deal and half of Jon Lester’s six-year, $155 million contract remaining.
Kris Bryant is making almost $11 million this season and will get three more swings at the arbitration process. So will All-Star shortstop Addison Russell, who is already a $3.2 million player at the age of 24. The arbitration pitching metrics spotlight the value of Kyle Hendricks, who will earn exponentially more than the $4.18 million he’s getting this year and can become a free agent after the 2020 season.
Check out the players with a World Series ring positioned to become arbitration-eligible for the first time next winter: Javier Baez, Kyle Schwarber, Mike Montgomery and Carl Edwards Jr.
“You have to look at these things from short-term and long-term perspectives,” Epstein said. “One of our goals was to put the team together this year in a way that would maybe allow us to reset under the CBT threshold. Going forward, we think that made sense in the big picture for us.
“And then for the long haul, we’re always cognizant of how a player fits into the long-term plan with this core that we have that’s going to be earning bigger and bigger salaries as we move forward.”
Epstein said the Cubs will have some flexibility around the July 31 trade deadline — “not a ton” — but it will have to be managed throughout the season.
The Cubs also have plans to potentially launch their own TV network and turn Wrigley Field into a year- round Disney World experience where they control and make money off everything you eat and drink, where you stay and the souvenirs you buy.
Darvish — an international star who represents all sorts of marketing opportunities — now joins a team that is the Major League Baseball equivalent of the Golden State Warriors.
Chairman Tom Ricketts had the vision to turn this into a destination, and never underestimate Epstein’s creativity and aggressiveness when he wants a player.
“It’s wonderful to have an owner like that who sees the big picture,” Epstein said. “And then once he’s gotten a real taste of winning he isn’t necessarily content just to be a contender or in the mix each year. [He] really wants to capitalize on this window that we have and deliver championship baseball to our loyal fans who certainly deserve it.
“We’ve gotten nothing but support from Tom and the business side. We’re starting to capitalize on some new revenue streams, and that allows us to fish in these waters.”
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The Athletic While other contenders try to finalize rosters, Cubs happy to focus on task at hand By Sahadev Sharma
MESA, Ariz. — In an offseason that’s confounded onlookers for months now, the Cubs have emerged as one of the few contenders to have their roster settled at the opening of spring training.
With a few exceptions, nearly every other team that has its sights set on the postseason, rather than the top of the 2019 draft, will be facing questions about who might be added in the coming days and weeks or why the team isn’t being aggressive with so many impact players still available.
The Cubs, on the other hand, can just focus on the task at hand.
“I think it was very important to have [Yu Darvish] here on day one,” general manager Jed Hoyer said the day before pitchers and catchers were expected to report. “The transition for any player going into a new situation is difficult, no matter who it is. We felt like if we were going to add a pitcher, we were going to do it before camp. That was something that was very important.”
At his introductory press conference on Tuesday, Darvish was clear that one of his goals was to get the deal done before spring training opened so he wouldn’t be a distraction to his new teammates.
Team president Theo Epstein echoed that sentiment and pointed out that the unexpected nature of this winter led to a more drawn-out pursuit.
“I don’t think it was anyone’s choice to wait so long,” Epstein said. “I think it was just the nature of this particular offseason and the free agent market dynamic. It’s a process. These things don’t happen overnight. The one thing that was clear coming out of the meeting in Dallas was that we were one of the places that Yu would feel comfortable playing and he was somebody who was clearly our top priority. We just worked hard at it and in the end we felt it was very important that he be able to come in and be with the rest of his teammates at the beginning of camp. When you sign a free agent contract, it’s really important to get off on the right foot, get to know your teammates, get to know your coaches, develop a rapport with your catchers and to fit in as one of the guys. Yu also felt that was important. So we came together the last week and got the deal done.”
The Boston Red Sox and Arizona Diamondbacks, two 2017 playoff teams, continue to jostle for J.D. Martinez’s services. The Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees may want to steer clear of the luxury tax in anticipation of next winter’s big class, but that doesn’t mean the media won’t be asking about the possibility of them temporarily scrapping those plans and adding more firepower for their 2018 rosters. The Milwaukee Brewers, St. Louis Cardinals, Washington Nationals, Minnesota Twins and other contenders all are rumored to be potential destinations for some of the best players available.
Meanwhile, the Cubs' players need not worry about being peppered with questions about whether Jake Arrieta is returning, whether Alex Cobb wants to play for his old manager or if the team needs to go after an established closer to finalize a restocked bullpen.
“I mean, that’s part of the gig too,” veteran catcher Chris Gimenez said of the media asking questions about potential additions. “But it is nice to not have to speculate. Because you never want to say anything that will get you or the organization in trouble just because you’re just having a conversation with somebody. You’re trying to say things the right way and it can just be a little bit extra pressure on you.”
It’s a bit of a relief for the players, but people like Epstein and manager Joe Maddon are well-versed in handling those types of situations. Maddon has warned in the past about adding members to the team who could potentially bring toxic vibes into the clubhouse. But that’s more an issue in his eyes in the middle of a season, when an already-established clubhouse atmosphere could be rattled by a personality that may cause disruption. But Maddon suggested adding an impact talent with a likable personality like Darvish is easy to integrate at any time.
“I have so much confidence in the guys in our room,” Maddon said. “I think we’ve created the culture now, I rely on the players to absorb and bring into the clubhouse, whomever that might be. And it’s going to be somebody that’s pretty good. Whenever you bring a difference-maker in, it’s an easy absorption into the entire community. I’ve not been concerned about all of that. I have so much faith in our guys and the method we’ve created over the last couple years.”
But it certainly doesn’t hurt that the Cubs can begin the process of preparing for the upcoming season and getting to know their teammates without having to wonder if another addition is about to shake up any chemistry that’s beginning to form in the early stages of camp.
“The longer you have a group of guys together, getting to know each other, hanging out, the better off you’re going to be for it,” Gimenez said. “It allows you to gel a little bit quicker, potentially than another team that’s adding guys later in spring training. Not that [gelling] won’t eventually happen [for the other teams], but I think it definitely gives us an opportunity to go quicker in that regard. Without a doubt.”
But when it comes to Darvish in particular, Gimenez seemed to be more on Maddon’s side, believing that type of talent would be welcomed at any time. Gimenez had been going full force with his sales pitch to Darvish to join the Cubs. He can finally ease up on the daily messages.
“He told me to stop texting him every day, because I was on him a little bit, especially the last week,” Gimenez said. “I felt like this was a good place for him. Again, I had nothing to do with it. He has a lot of reasons to make his decision. I just tried to portray the culture that I know is here and the relationships I’ve had in the past with Joe and Jim [Hickey] and how I felt like he could fit into that. And I thought it would be a really good fit for him.”
And how excited is Darvish to be back with his old personal catcher?
“I like Contreras better,” Darvish deadpanned.
The room immediately erupted in laughter. Quickly, it became clear: Darvish may be the new guy, but he's going to fit into a loose and laid back clubhouse just fine.
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The Athletic Chris Gimenez gives the full scouting report on Yu Darvish: 'The sky's the limit' By Patrick Mooney
MESA, Ariz. — Right after the Cubs’ clubhouse opened to the media at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, reporters swarmed the last locker on the left side at the far end of the room. It got so crowded — at least two cameramen stood on stepping ladders — that you could only see the top of a bald head.
Grandpa Rossy, is that you?
No, that was Chris Gimenez patiently answering all the Yu Darvish questions with insight, a sense of humor and a smile on his face. While David Ross still roams the Sloan Park complex as a special assistant, Gimenez is now the personal catcher of the hour.
Gimenez already had the one-liner ready to respond to one of the memorable moments from Darvish’s standing-room-only press conference on Tuesday in Mesa: “I like [Jon] Lester better.”
“I can’t take credit for [recruiting Darvish],” Gimenez said. “He’s got 126 million reasons to want to come here. I don’t happen to be one of them. Like he said, he likes [Willson] Contreras better.”
But in listening to Gimenez — who became good friends with Darvish as Texas Rangers in 2014 and observed his rehab from elbow surgery in 2015 — you can understand the thinking behind that six-year investment.
“We really haven’t seen the best Yu Darvish yet,” Gimenez said. “He’s still evolving as a pitcher as well. Coming back, this will be his second full season off of Tommy John. Physically, he’s starting to really get in tune with his own body now and knowing his limitations, what he can and can’t do. The sky’s the limit for a guy like that.”
Of course, that’s the best-case scenario Theo Epstein laid out when he took over baseball operations at Wrigley Field in October 2011 and talked about paying for future results instead of past performance during his “Baseball is Better” press conference.
But during their recruiting pitch, the Cubs sold Darvish on using their Ivy computer system, game- planning reports and high-level defense to maximize his natural stuff.
“It’s incredible,” Gimenez said. “It’s electric. It’s extreme late movement and extreme velocity, especially now after he’s come back from his surgery. He busted his butt to get himself physically in tip-top shape. I was joking with him when he came back in ’16: ‘You look like a linebacker, man.’”
Even during the rebuilding years, that pitching infrastructure helped Jeff Samardzija and Travis Wood become All-Stars, and created trade value for Ryan Dempster and Scott Feldman in deals that anchored a future World Series rotation (Kyle Hendricks and Jake Arrieta, respectively).
Darvish is 31 years old and a four-time All-Star with an 11.04 strikeouts-per-nine-innings rate that is the highest in major league history among pitchers with at least 100 career starts.
Darvish also has only one 200-inning season on his resume and hasn’t shown up in the Cy Young Award voting since finishing second in the American League in 2013 (or his second season after leaving Japan).
“There’s more room to grow,” Gimenez said. “In the past, in my opinion, he might have relied on one pitch or two pitches out of the 15 that he throws. So I think he’s really evolving in the fact that he has so many weapons and he’s using them to different guys now.
“I joked with him the first time I met him. He told me he had like seven pitches. And I told him I only had one hand, so I didn’t really know how he wanted to go about it. I just told him: 'I’m going to put a 1 down and you throw whatever one of the fastballs you want and I’ll catch it.'
“You do have to do a little bit of picking and choosing on a daily basis, but you [need] a plan of attack going into it.”
Like sometimes less is more, especially on a team with Gold Glove defenders, an offense that should score 800-plus runs and World Series expectations.
“That’s something that he’s really learned,” Gimenez said. “You don’t have to throw all eight pitches to every single guy you see. Let’s use three or four, save two or three for when that time really comes and you need to pull something out of the bag and use it in a big situation.”
The Cubs also believe Darvish’s playoff experience last year with the Los Angeles Dodgers will improve his focus, motivating him after those two World Series losses to the Houston Astros.
Gimenez — who came to Arizona on a minor league deal and has a good chance to back up Contreras while young catcher Victor Caratini plays regularly at Triple-A Iowa — joked about being a package deal. But the Cubs will do everything they can to help bring out the best in Darvish.
“I’m a key believer in keeping things loose,” Gimenez said. “You’re together so much and so close in such tight quarters that if you can’t laugh at somebody or yourself you don’t have any business being here.
“When I first met [Yu] in 2014, I thought he was going to like eat me or something. But now that side of him — that playful side — has really come out. I think he’s a lot better for it on the mound as well. When he needs to get competitive, he does. He’s an extreme competitor. And I know the way it ended last year, some people might question that. But I know who he is as a person.
“It creates that burn inside of you.”
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Cubs.com Montgomery accepting of role in Cubs' bullpen By Carrie Muskat
MESA, Ariz. -- This offseason, Mike Montgomery prepared as if he would start for the Cubs, and he will continue to train as if he's in the rotation, even though the left-hander most likely will be a reliever on Opening Day.
"I liked winning the World Series a couple years ago, and even getting to the playoffs last year, you realize being on a winning team is the most important [thing]," Montgomery said Wednesday, one day after essentially being bumped from the Cubs' rotation because of the arrival of Yu Darvish.
"That's why we play the game -- that's why we play sports is to win. My role will find a way, and I think if I'm good, there will be times when I'll be where I want to be. I'm feeling good right now. It's about being here, getting back with the guys, seeing these guys faces every day and grinding it out with them."
Darvish, who signed a six-year, $126 million contract on Tuesday, joined his new teammates for the first day of workouts on Wednesday. The right-hander joins Jon Lester, Kyle Hendricks, Jose Quintana and Tyler Chatwood in the rotation and is expected to throw his first bullpen session on Thursday.
As of now, Montgomery is the sixth man. Cubs manager Joe Maddon said they'll stretch the lefty out this spring and can insert him into the rotation to give another starter a breather.
"We have to be creative. We have to look ahead, you have to watch your guys," Maddon said. "Do we give somebody a blow? Do we want to skip somebody? There's so many different things to look at.
"To become a member of the five-man on a consistent basis, somebody would have to be injured. We consider him our sixth starter and we'll work him in somehow."
Injuries are obviously not something the Cubs want to deal with. Last season, Lester, Hendricks and John Lackey spent time on the disabled list, while Jake Arrieta missed time in September because of a sore right hamstring.
"It's a big addition," Montgomery said of Darvish. "He's an unbelievable pitcher. It adds a confidence boost. Everyone here, we all know what it's like to have another pitcher like that on the staff. It makes other teams look at us and have a little more respect. It gives us that confidence that when we go out there, we could win every game."
The Cubs and Montgomery did talk about being more mindful of how they use the lefty so he's not going six innings one day and then being asked to pitch multiple innings in relief two days later. Maddon was impressed with how well Montgomery has handled the situation.
"Guys in his situation, it's not easy," Maddon said. "He has the ability to be a Major League starter, and he's done it and he's done it well. But he's caught in a situation where that opportunity doesn't present itself every fifth day right now. A lot of guys like that would want to go somewhere else badly and would not be accepting of their role. ... The fact that he wants to be here and fits in so well and understands exactly what's going on and is able to put his ego in his back pocket for the good of the team, it's just different and doesn't happen all the time."
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Cubs.com Maddon using art to inspire Cubs this spring By Carrie Muskat
MESA, Ariz. -- Baseball players are artists, and Cubs manager Joe Maddon made that point when he met with pitchers and catchers on Wednesday prior to the club's first workout of Spring Training, using art to present his 2018 themes in a colorful way.
Maddon's messages were included on two paintings by Tampa, Fla., artist Jason Skeldon. One features Michelangelo's David statue on the pitcher's mound at Wrigley Field, and the other depicts Salvador Dali wearing a catcher's mask.
Maddon has been reading Walter Isaacson's book on Leonardo da Vinci this offseason, and when the manager walked into a clothing store, he saw a painting of Mona Lisa by Skeldon. Maddon contacted the artist, who was able to incorporate the messages using Maddon's handwriting in the paintings.
"Look at the David," Maddon said. "It looks like a pitcher standing on the mound. Now if you research it, David is the dude who went after Goliath. The actual statue of David is supposed to be prior to the event where he's standing there kind of tense and he looks like he's on the mound -- look at him, he looks like he's on the pitching mound.
"If you look at it, he's holding that slingshot and there's a rock. Often times, you call the baseball a rock. You talk about dictating, you talk about being proactive. You see, 'Dominate 1-1.' Look at what happens when the count switches from 1-1 to 1-2 or 2-1 from a pitcher's perspective. There's other things in there -- [pitcher's fielding practice], control the running game, keep the double plays in order, all those little smaller messagews and control and command 3-2. That was the pitching side of it."
What about Dali the catcher?
"When I did clinics for 100 years, how many times have you heard catching gear being talked about as tools of ignorance?" Maddon said. "For me, no way. It's tools of intelligence. I wanted to highlight that at the top. Beyond that, in order to know something, you have to feel it. There's a great quote from Dali about how if you're looking for perfection, don't worry, you're never going to achieve it."
The actual quote is, "Have no fear of perfection -- you'll never reach it." You get the message. Maddon is hoping the players do, too.
"It's small, simple direct messages that a guy can hold onto," Maddon said.
There are four more paintings coming that will be part of Maddon's message and will be hung in the hallway of the Cubs' Spring Training complex. He is hoping to not only cleverly present his themes but also sell copies of the paintings for his Respect 90 foundation and promote art.
"I wanted our guys to know they're artists," Maddon said. "If you watch video of a well-played game, a great play whether it's baseball, basketball, football, you see artistry in the movement of the athletes. I want to think of them as artists."
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Cubs.com Rizzo's thoughts with alma mater after shooting By Carrie Muskat
MESA, Ariz. -- Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo sent out condolences to families in his hometown of Parkland, Fla., after a tragic shooting on Wednesday at his alma mater, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
Rizzo posted on Twitter: "Parkland and Coral Springs please stay strong! This is out of control and our country is in desperate need for change. I hope in this darkest of times back home this brings everyone together and we can find love. You're all in my prayers"
At least 17 people were killed in the shooting, according to the Broward County Sheriff's office.
@ARizzo44 Parkland and Coral Springs please stay strong! This is out of control and and our country is in desperate need for change. I hope In this darkest of times back home this brings everyone together and we can find love. You’re all in my prayers 🙏🏻 🙏🏻
Rizzo, 28, has maintained close ties with his hometown. In January, he helped raise more than $100,000 to install modern lighting at the high school's baseball field, and donated $150,000 himself to the cause.
In December, he hosted the sixth "Walk-Off for Cancer" in Parkland, which raised $960,000 for the Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation to fund cancer research and provide support to children and their families battling the disease.
At the event, Parkland Mayor Christine Hunschofsky presented Rizzo with the first Mayor's Medal of Charitable Service, created to honor Parkland residents or those whose deeds have heavily impacted residents.
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Cubs.com Gimenez excited to work with Darvish again By Carrie Muskat
MESA, Ariz. -- Yu Darvish was expected to have his first side session on Thursday, and it's not clear whether Chris Gimenez will catch the new Cubs right-hander. Darvish greeted Gimenez with a big hug when the pitcher first arrived in Cubs camp on Tuesday, then poked fun at him.
"He told me to stop texting him every day," Gimenez said Wednesday of Darvish, who was his teammate in Texas. "I was on him for a little bit. I just felt this was a good place for him.
"Again, I had nothing to do with [Darvish signing with the Cubs]," Gimenez said. "He has a lot of reasons to make his decision. I tried to portray the culture I know is here and the relationships I've had in the past with [manager] Joe [Maddon] and [pitching coach] Jim [Hickey] and how I felt he could fit in to that. I felt it was a really good fit for him."
Gimenez, a non-roster invitee, said Darvish has shown more movement and velocity on his pitches since coming back from Tommy John surgery in 2015.
"We really haven't seen the best Yu Darvish yet," Gimenez said. "He's still evolving as a pitcher, as well. This will be his second full season after Tommy John [surgery]. Physically, he's starting to get in tune with his own body now. The sky's the limit for a guy like that. He's still relatively young. To have his average velocity go up like it did last year, it just shows there's more in the tank.
"He's continuing to evolve as a pitcher and learning how to pitch and attack guys and that's a big part of it, too. I think in the past he might have relied on one or two pitches out of the 15 that he throws. I think he's really evolving in the fact that he has so many weapons and he's using them to different guys now differently than he has in the past. I think there's more room to grow with that, too."
• Darvish was Cubs' primary offseason target
If Darvish has all these different pitches -- and Gimenez was exaggerating when he said 15 -- what's a catcher to do?
"I joked with him the first time when I met him, he told me he had seven pitches and I told him I only had one hand," Gimenez said. "I really didn't know how he wanted to go about it. I said, 'I'll put a [No. 1] down and you throw whichever fastball you want and I'll catch it."
What's made Darvish better is learning that he doesn't have to use his entire arsenal of pitches.
"You do have to pick and chose on a daily basis," Gimenez said. "You have to have a plan of attack and make those adjustments in game. You really try to break it down and use four or five of those pitches and save a few. I think that's something he's learned is that you don't have to throw all eight pitches to every guy you see."
• Outfielder Albert Almora Jr. has heard his name mentioned as a possible leadoff option for the Cubs.
"I'll do whatever they tell me to do," Almora said. "I just put my head down and go play."
He can always ask Anthony Rizzo for advice, which Almora did on Wednesday. Rizzo was 15-for-50 in 14 games batting leadoff last season, including a seven-game stretch when he hit four home runs.
"We were sitting right there and I was like, 'Hey, I may lead off this year, you have to teach me,'" Almora said. "He goes, 'I am the best leadoff hitter in the world.' I said, 'All right, you do it then.'"
• The Cubs have reportedly signed right-handed reliever Shae Simmons to a Minor League deal, pending a physical. According to USA Today's Bob Nightengale, Simmons would make $750,000 if he makes the Major League roster. Simmons has pitched in the big leagues with the Braves and Mariners, making 42 appearances over three seasons. Last year, he posted a 7.04 ERA in nine games with Seattle.
• Anyone who knows Maddon knows he likes flamingos, and there were two large metal flamingos next to a tree behind the Cubs' Spring Training complex on Wednesday.
"That's Ron and Ernie," Maddon said. "Ernie being the taller of the two."
The birds are named after Hall of Famers Ron Santo and Ernie Banks. Apparently, Maddon saw them near where he parks his RV and wanted to add them to the decor.
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NBC Sports Chicago Cubs thrilled with big free-agent splash: 'We really haven't seen the best Yu Darvish yet' By Vinnie Duber
MESA, Ariz. — It's safe to say that Cubs players are as jazzed about the Yu Darvish signing as Cubs fans are.
"It just goes to show what this front office is all about. They’ll do anything to get us to that next level," outfielder Albert Almora said. "Before Yu, I thought we had a great team, a great starting staff, and they just threw that icing on the cake. Let’s go get it."
Perhaps more than anything, signing Darvish to a six-year deal worth $126 million showed the team's new normal: World Series or bust. In baseball's never-ending arms race, the Cubs answered the Houston Astros' trade for Gerrit Cole and the New York Yankees' trade for Giancarlo Stanton with an upgrade of their own.
While filling a Jake Arrieta-sized hole in the starting rotation and answering questions about the depth of that unit were important achievements, the bottom line is that the Cubs just added one of the game's top pitchers. And that tends to get people excited.
"It’s great when you add a talent like that to a team that’s already expected to be at the top of the division. It’s great," said Brandon Morrow, the Cubs' new closer and a teammate of Darvish's last season with the Los Angeles Dodgers. "I got to know him a little bit last year over in LA. He’s a great guy and obviously a great pitcher. Really, really awesome to have him here."
Morrow saw what Darvish did with the Dodgers up close, witnessing the 3.44 ERA and 61 strikeouts in nine regular-season starts, the back-to-back playoff shutdowns against the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Cubs and the two nightmare outings against the Astros in the World Series.
The Cubs weren't convinced that two outings in the Fall Classic defined Darvish. Morrow feels the same way.
"We’re getting the guy you’ve seen for the last six years," Morrow said. "Two starts isn’t going to change anything. I think that’ll only be motivation for him.
"I love the way he works. His stuff is incredible. It’s really fun to watch. S**t moves all over, his slider’s nasty, throws like mid to upper 90s, everything that you would want to see. He’s got a good mentality out there. Even when things were going a little wrong for him he wasn’t falling apart or anything. And then watching him in between, he prepares as well as anybody. Really happy to have him."
But Morrow isn't the only new Cub with ties to Darvish. Earlier this offseason the team brought in veteran catcher Chris Gimenez, who played with Darvish when the two were with the Texas Rangers and established a "personal catcher" type relationship. When Gimenez signed, there was plenty of online speculation that it was to give the Cubs a leg up in the Darvish sweepstakes.
Well, the Cubs landed Darvish. Though the effect Gimenez had is a little less obvious.
"He probably didn’t like me texting him too much, but I tried to let him know," Gimenez said Wednesday. "Obviously I’ve been with Joe and Jim Hickey before and just kind of portray what I thought this organization was about. Obviously having that relationship with Joe in the past, knowing what he brings to the table and just kind of knowing Darvish and what he might like, I thought it would be a really good fit, to be honest with you. I can’t take credit for it. He’s got 126 million reasons to want to come here, I don’t happen to be one of them.
"I would be crazy to not try to contact him, but it’s basically on him. He earned the right to make that decision, and I tried to give him as much information as I had. Honestly, just having that relationship in the past is a big part of it. I don’t think I had anything to do with it, really. ... It was completely on him, and I just tried to kind of portray what I felt the organization was like. And honestly having that relationship with the people in the past, I thought it could be a really, really good spot."
The Cubs certainly thought so. Their investment in Darvish is another investment in the only mission that exists anymore for this team: bringing another World Series title — multiple ones, actually — to Wrigleyville.
And if Darvish is as good as everyone's said, then maybe that's an attainable goal.
"I think we really haven’t seen the best Yu Darvish yet," Gimenez said. "He’s still evolving as a pitcher, as well. Coming back from second full season off Tommy John, physically he’s starting to really get in tune with his own body now and kind of knowing his limitations, what he can and can’t do. I think really, the sky is the limit for a guy like that. He’s still relatively young, and to have average velocity go up like it did last year, it just shows there’s more in the tank and he’s continuing to evolve as a pitcher and learning how to pitch, how to attack guys.
"I think he’s really evolving in the fact that he has so many weapons and he’s using them with so many guys now differently than he has in the past and there’s more room to grow with that, too."
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Chicago Tribune As far as backup catchers go, Joe Maddon gives 'edge' to David Ross over Chris Gimenez By Mark Gonzales
David Ross and Chris Gimenez have made livings as backup catchers who attended college and are follicly challenged.
In fact, both are currently present in the Cubs’ spring training camp, with Ross serving as a special assistant and Gimenez trying to make the opening day roster as a non-roster invitee.
Joe Maddon managed both players but wouldn’t say they’re exactly alike.
“They’re wonderful teammates,” Maddon said. “Rossy might be more edgy. Gimmy is more amenable. They have the same kind of background. They’re really good working with pitchers. They’re good in the clubhouse and they’re good students.
“Ross came with more of an edge, Gimmy came with softer edge, but they do have a lot of similar qualities.”
When Ross joined the Cubs in 2015, he developed a reputation as more than just a personal catcher for Jon Lester with his leadership skills. Gimenez also was a serviceable catcher with the Twins last season, two years after handling Yu Darvish in Texas and playing for Maddon with the Rays prior to his stint with the Rangers.
Gimenez believes Ross’ success as a leader and his handling of pitchers takes precedence over a low batting average and could pave the way for veteran backups like himself.
“Everyone wants to hit .300,” Gimenez said. “We’re so numbers-oriented these days that I think sometimes people don’t necessarily look between the lines. I hit .220 (with the Twins), and I was never more proud of hitting .220 in my life.
“These guys are good. This is the best pitching in the world, the best defenses in the world. It’s hard to get hits. Batting averages can be a little misconstrued at times. You might hit the ball harder than you’ve hit in your life and have nothing to show for it. It’s kind of one of those things you can’t control where it goes. Just what you swing at.”
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Chicago Tribune Joe Maddon melds baseball, art in surrealistic day at Cubs camp By Paul Sullivan
When asked last month to speculate on Joe Maddon’s theme for the 2018 season, Ben Zobrist asked what his manager had been reading of late.
Informed Maddon had read Walter Issacson’s best-selling biography on Leonardo da Vinci, Zobrist said: “Yeah, he’s going to get something from that — something about inventing or painting.”
Well, Zobrist called it.
On Day 2 of Cubs camp Wednesday, Maddon revealed that art would indeed be one of the thematic motifs of 2018, name-checking da Vinci and Warren Spahn in the same breath during a bizarre 25- minute news conference that touched on surrealism, flamingos, artificial intelligence and Yu Darvish.
“For years I wanted to utilize the thought of putting the art back into the game,” Maddon said. “That’s the overarching theme.”
It all began over the winter in a Tampa, Fla., clothing store called Milano Exchange. After reading Isaacson’s biography of da Vinci, Maddon visited the store and saw a version of the Mona Lisa by an artist named Jason Skeldon.
A light bulb appeared over his head, and Maddon eventually got in touch with Skeldon to see if they could team up on a project.
“Three-prong,” he said of the purpose. “I wanted to create a theme for spring training. I wanted to create items that we could sell for the (Respect 90 Foundation) and raise money for charity, and I also wanted to promote the arts amongst students … throughout the city of Chicago and beyond.”
Instead of turning his annual theme into a catchy T-shirt, like the ubiquitous ‘Try Not to Suck” T’s in 2016, Maddon said he wanted to create pieces of art and sell the replicas online for charity while “delivering a message about baseball … and art itself, and maybe stir some interest that way.”
So Maddon wrote down some thoughts for Skeldon, who created six pieces of art, two of which were on display at camp Wednesday, based on artists da Vinci and Salvador Dali. Four other pieces will arrive later, based on the Mona Lisa, Albert Einstein, Andy Warhol and Banksy, the graffiti artist.
The painting of Dali featured the surrealist wearing a catcher’s mask, with Maddon sayings like “Tools of excellence” scribbled around his face. Maddon, a former catcher, said the phrase was his retort to the cliche that catching gear represents “the tools of ignorance.”
“There’s a great quote there from Dali,” he said. “‘If you’re ever looking for perfection, don’t worry about it. You’re never going to achieve it.’”
The mask also has a pink flamingo on it, and the phrase “Balance this, data vs. art.” Maddon also brought a pair of pink flamingos to camp, which he nicknamed “Ron and Ernie” for Ron Santo and Ernie Banks. He said there was a “subliminal message” there he would reveal later.
The second painting on display was of Michelangelo’s David. But in this rendition David is standing in front of the center-field scoreboard at Wrigley Field, wearing a jockstrap.
“David is the dude that went after Goliath,” Maddon said in his Cliffs Notes version of the biblical tale. “And the actual statue of David is supposed to be prior to the affair, and he’s standing there kind of tense, like he’s on a pitching mound.”
Asked by WGN TV’s Dan Roan why his David was wearing a cup, Maddon cracked: “I wanted to make sure nobody was offended.”
Maddon went on to suggest that the rock in David’s slingshot was similar to a baseball, which is sometimes called a “rock.” He said he included a Spahn quote as well, relaying the idea that “hitting is timing, and pitching is the upsetting of timing.”
As the theater of the absurd continued, the scene from “Animal House” in which Bluto was ranting about the Germans bombing Pearl Harbor drifted through my head. Should we stop him?
As Boon said to Otter: “Forget it. He’s rolling.”
Maddon eventually got to his point, which was letting the players know they are artists.
“If you really watch video of a well-played game or a great play, whether it’s baseball, basketball, football, you see artistry in the movement of athletes,” he said. “So I want them to think of themselves as artists also.”
Maddon said he wasn’t trying to promote himself as an art “expert” and admitted he’d never even been to the Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, Fla., only a couple of miles away from his former workplace at Tropicana Field.
He simply enjoys Dali’s surrealistic works, including "The Persistence of Memory.”
“Just a crazy dude, man,” Maddon said.
He was talking about Dali, not himself.
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Chicago Tribune Cubs counting on closer Brandon Morrow and fifth starter Tyler Chatwood By Mark Gonzales
Sure, it helps to land the big blow of the offseason before spring training by adding marquee free agent Yu Darvish to a National League title contender.
But for the second consecutive day manager Joe Maddon reminded everyone that one player doesn’t assure success, and the six free-agent pitchers joining the Cubs on Wednesday for their first workout reflect the organization’s World Series goal.
“The fact we weren’t content and brought in some new guys shows (management) wants to win,” said left-handed reliever Brian Duensing, a free agent who was re-signed two weeks ago. “That proves that. We’re trying to do what we can to get the right group of guys to get it done.”
While Darvish garners most of the attention, much of the Cubs’ fortunes could hinge on the stability of closer Brandon Morrow and starter Tyler Chatwood.
Morrow, 33, appreciates that even after he signed the Cubs informed him they were pursuing Wade Davis. Morrow believes his experience and maturity will help him succeed in a role he hasn’t performed since 2008, when he finished 24 games with 10 saves for the Mariners.
“I probably wasn’t prepared for that (then) as far as (possessing) command and the ability to go out on a daily basis and really compete,’’ Morrow said. “My stuff was there and I was getting by on that mainly, but I consider myself a better pitcher now. All the experience over the last 10 years has prepared me well.”
The Cubs showed enough faith in Morrow to sign him to a two-year, $21 million contract that includes a mutual option for 2020. Morrow, who has battled an array of ailments throughout his career, said he treated his hybrid relief duties with the Dodgers last season as if he was pitching the ninth inning — reserved for All-Star closer Kenley Jansen.
“Over the past 10 years, I’ve seen it all,” said Morrow, who posted a 2.06 ERA in 45 games while striking out 50, walking nine and not allowing a home run in 43 2/3 innings in 2017. “I have a much lower heart rate than I used to.”
Maddon plans to handle Morrow as carefully as he tried to do with Davis, who signed a three-year, $52 million contract with the Rockies. Morrow’s faith in the Cubs was so strong that he didn’t visit Wrigley Field before agreeing to terms four days after Chatwood signed with the Cubs.
“They brought us in for a reason,” Chatwood said. “If we do our jobs, everything else will take care of itself.”
If Morrow struggles or needs a break, the Cubs can opt for fellow free-agent signee Steve Cishek or returnees Carl Edwards Jr. and Pedro Strop.
The Cubs made a three-year, $38 million commitment to Chatwood to be their fifth starter in the hope he can continue the success he enjoyed away from Coors Field the last two seasons for the Rockies.
Chatwood’s 2.57 road ERA over that period trails only the Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw (2.16) for the lowest in the NL. Maddon raved about Chatwood’s performance at Wrigley Field on June 8 in which he scattered four hits over six innings in a 4-1 Rockies victory.
The Cubs were an easy sell for Chatwood, who made two trips to Chicago this winter “to see the (scouting reports and analytics) they have. What they bring to the table is very in-depth, and I haven’t seen anything like it.”
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Chicago Tribune Chris Gimenez likes Yu Darvish's mix of intensity and fun By Mark Gonzales
Despite his past association with Yu Darvish, catcher Chris Gimenez isn’t assuming he has a spot on the Cubs roster locked up.
“There are no guarantees at all,” said Gimenez, a non-roster invitee to spring training. “That’s OK with me. I’m completely accepting of my situation.”
Gimenez, who caught 12 of Darvish’s starts with the Rangers in 2014, stressed his main concern is getting acclimated to the Cubs pitching staff as quickly as possible, and he has watched video to accelerate the process.
“The worst thing is trying to make a team never having seen a pitch from a guy before,” Gimenez said.
Gimenez, 35, has seen Darvish become more relaxed while not losing his intensity on the mound.
“In 2014, I thought he was going to eat me,” Gimenez said. “But that playful side has really come out. He’s a lot better for it, on the mound as well.
“When he needs to get competitive, he does. He’s an extreme competitor. The way it ended last year (with two rough starts in the World Series), some people might question that. But I know who he is as a person and we’ll see what he ends up doing this year.”
Pitching protection: Manager Joe Maddon vowed to honor left-hander Mike Montgomery’s request to abuse his arm as he appears destined for a swing role.
“He has thrown a lot of innings, and by the end of the (2017) season he was kind of fatigued, primarily based on this unusual schedule of usage,” Maddon said. “We have to be mindful of how we piece this thing together.”
Montgomery posted a 4.15 ERA in 14 starts and 2.49 ERA in 30 relief appearances in 2017.
The Cubs will have a tougher time fulfilling Montgomery’s desire to be a full-time starter considering all five in the current rotation are under team control through at least the next two years, with left-hander Drew Smyly targeted to return from Tommy John surgery in the second half of this season.
“To become a member of the five-man (rotation) on a consistent basis, someone would have to get hurt,” Maddon said. “We have to be creative. We have to look ahead.”
For the second consecutive year, the starting pitchers will make their first spring starts around the second week of exhibitions.
Extra innings: Maddon bought statues of two flamingos, named them “Ron” and “Ernie” and had them placed under a tree on the patio adjacent to the agility field. “It always has been my intent to be able to balance things,” Maddon said. “I can’t describe it any better. The flamingo on one leg indicates balance.” … Darvish will throw his first bullpen session Thursday. … The Cubs agreed to terms with reliever Shae Simmons on a minor-league contract. Simmons, 27, has a lifetime 3.50 ERA in 46 games with the Braves and Mariners.
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Chicago Tribune Is Joe Maddon changing his hairstyle? By Paul Sullivan
Does he or doesn’t he?
Only his hairstylist knows for sure.
While everyone was fixated on the Cubs’ signing of Yu Darvish to a $126 million deal Tuesday on the first day of camp, the big story was overlooked.
Manager Joe Maddon reported to camp with the same dye job as last year in spite of the wishes of general manger Jed Hoyer.
Joe, what about the hair?
“It’s getting even better right now,” Maddon told the Tribune on Tuesday on the opening day of camp. “It’s getting (bleeping) good.”
For those not following the saga or who simply chose to forget it, Maddon left Chicago on the “Easy Rider” trip Aug. 6 with his distinguished, silver-haired mane intact.
But when he returned from the trip a week later, the hair was much darker. His hairstylist, known only as “Fred,” advised Maddon to use a hair dye called blue steel.
The Cubs went on a hot streak, won the division title and then knocked off the Nationals in the National League Division Series. All was good, and Fred was seemingly in line for a World Series ring.
But then the Dodgers knocked the Cubs out in the NL Championship Series, and Maddon’s new hair color finally had run out of luck.
Would Maddon go back to his old look by the time spring training rolled around?
Nope. Maddon’s hair was darker in January — he doubled down on the dye job.
Hoyer revealed at the Cubs Convention the new look had to go.
“I hate the gray hair,” Hoyer admitted. “I want the white hair back. That’s my only criticism of Joe. It’s not the same. It bothers me.
“So I’m not going to criticize him other than to say ‘I don’t like the hair.’”
Obviously an intervention was needed.
I told Maddon on Tuesday he had to go back to the silver-haired look. The fate of the season depended on it.
He admitted the blue-steel look was being designated for assignment next month.
“Oh yeah, I’m getting it shaved off soon,” he said. “I’m just keeping it alive because we shave our head (for charity) the first week of March.”
Maddon said if he dyed it back now it would leave him with a two-tone look.
“I didn’t want to look like a ’57 Chevy, so I just kept going with it,” he said. “Then I’ll get it shaved off and it will all grow back (white).”
Many have asked why Maddon dyed his hair in the first place, wondering if he was going through a midlife crisis. He really doesn’t care what anyone thinks about his hair — as long as they’re talking about the Cubs.
“I love it,” he said. “Whatever creates conversation.”
Toasting Harry In the early-morning hours 20 years ago, news broke that Cubs broadcaster Harry Caray was hospitalized after collapsing during a Valentine’s Day dinner with his wife, Dutchie, at a nightclub in Rancho Mirage, Calif.
A Tribune overnight editor called my spring training apartment in Scottsdale, Ariz., where I had just checked in earlier in the day. He asked me to confirm an Associated Press report, and I woke up team President Andy MacPhail, who was unaware of the news.
Still groggy, I looked for my laptop to write down MacPhail’s quotes and quickly realized it was gone. While I was sleeping, the apartment had been robbed by someone who apparently had a key to the unit.
The start of Cubs camp was marred by the news, and Caray wound up dying a couple of days later. The Cubs announced they would use guest conductors for the seventh-inning stretch, at least for the 1998 season.
“It would be foolish for us to think that any idea or concept is ever going to duplicate that magic he gave us,” Cubs marketing chief John McDonough said. “You can't replace an American original.”
Nope. And he’s still being celebrated in Chicago 20 years later. The annual Worldwide Toast to Harry Caray will take place at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Harry Caray’s Steakhouse in River North.
Cheers, Harry.
Sign of the times With dozens of free agents remaining at the start of spring training, is this a trend or just a brief correction in the market?
“I hope it’s not (a trend),” said Yu Darvish’s agent, Joel Wolfe. “I think it’s also driven by the number and quality of the players. But we will make adjustments based on what we’ve seen in this offseason. And it’s certainly not over. There are a ton of great players still out there that need to find homes and jobs.
“We all need to take a good, long look once this is over. We’re still in the thick of it, unfortunately.”
Some agents have hinted at collusion by owners, but with Darvish getting $126 million and a few others having huge paydays, it’s hard to suggest that’s the case.
“There are isolated instances where there was open competition, like in the reliever market, some players did well,” Wolfe said. “But when it’s over we have to look at the entire (class), especially the middle class, and figure out how to address it, and if it needs to be addressed.”
Stay tuned.
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Chicago Sun-Times Team (role) player: Cubs’ Mike Montgomery wants to start, but wants to win more By Gordon Wittenmyer
MESA, Ariz. — The Cubs have told Mike Montgomery, and anyone asking about Montgomery, that he is a bona fide major-league starter.
“I really think this guy’s capable of 10 to 15 wins if he’s given the opportunity,” manager Joe Maddon said — last spring.
But, if anything, the left-hander’s chances of ever becoming a bona fide member of a five-man rotation for this team have gone from slim to slimmer since then and are fast approaching none with the signing of Yu Darvish to a six-year, $126 million contract.
That deal put five multimillion-dollar starters under club control for the next two years — three if Darvish doesn’t exercise his opt-out clause after 2019. And that doesn’t count rehabbing Drew Smyly, who could enter the mix next spring after signing in December.
So what happened to that “capable of 10 to 15 wins” sentiment the staff and front office keep talking about?
“I hear you on that,” Montgomery said. “I think I’m going to be a really good [starter].”
He has shown as much in 19 starts for the Cubs since being acquired from the Mariners two summers ago, including 14 as an injury replacement last year that might have been the difference in making the playoffs.
Montgomery, 28, made those feelings clear in December when he spoke up about wanting a legitimate shot to win a starting job and to avoid the swingman role that he considers a potential health risk.
“It wasn’t like, ‘Hey, make me a starter or I get traded,’ ” he said Wednesday, the first official day of spring training. “It wasn’t that black and white. It was just, ‘Hey, I want to be a starter.’
“People can take it however they want to take it. It’s no big deal. I think it’s obvious I want to do that, and I think it’s just a matter of time and place and situation.”
If anything, Montgomery wants to make this feeling clear, as well: Even in the same role as last year, he doesn’t want to be anywhere else anytime soon.
“I definitely want to be here,” he said. “I know I want to be a starter, but, look, being a part of this team the last couple years, it’s a special group, and we not only have a good team, but I’ve never had more fun playing baseball.”
Other teams seemed to sense an opportunity when the Cubs signed Darvish, with the Cubs getting several calls about trades. At least one team, the Phillies, talked with the Cubs about Montgomery long before the Darvish deal looked close.
But his value to the Cubs might be as great as ever, with already high postseason expectations skyrocketing and his role having become so important for the pitching staff.
Already well-liked in the clubhouse, Montgomery’s team-oriented perspective in the face of a return to sixth-starter status only adds to his value, Maddon said.
“Guys in his situation, it’s not easy,” Maddon said. “A lot of times guys like that would want to go somewhere else badly or would not be as willing or accepting of their role.”
Montgomery talked with Maddon and team president Theo Epstein over the winter about avoiding some of the more taxing turnarounds, such as the time in September he came out of the bullpen to get four outs just three days after a six-inning start.
“Being in a unique role is something that I take pride in, as well,” he said. “I just want to make sure my arm is healthy, my body, because last year was definitely a tough year physically. I’m not gonna lie. During the playoffs, I could definitely feel the wear and tear of the regular season. So we’ll try to even that out a little bit.”
He said he’d be surprised if he got traded, but he added, “This is baseball. You never know. I plan on being here.”
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Chicago Sun-Times Cubs counting on new closer Brandon Morrow to dance amid the pressure By Rick Morrissey
MESA, Ariz. – The last time Brandon Morrow was a closer was 10 years ago.
It’s that time gap, not his pitching ability, that raises questions about whether the Cubs have found a real, live closer to take the place of the departed Wade Davis.
There are two ways of looking at this.
The sunshiny view: It’s not as if Morrow is being asked to be a policeman after 10 years as a plumber. He’ll still be doing the same thing he has always done. One moment the ball will be in his hand, and the next it will leave his hand at a high rate of speed. Simple, right?
The dark-and-stormy-night view: He’ll be doing it in the ninth inning, an inning that weighs more than all the others. He’ll still be a policeman, but now he’ll be a hostage negotiator.
If he’s as unconcerned on the mound as he was talking about his new role Wednesday, he’ll be fine.
“Over the last 10 years, I’ve kind of seen it all,’’ he said. “I’ve got a much lower heart rate than I used to.’’
When Morrow was 23, the Mariners asked him to be their closer. He went from competing for a spot as a starter to closing games. That’s not the way you draw it up, but it would serve as perfect foreshadowing for a career path that has meandered.
“Closing at a young age, I probably wasn’t necessarily prepared for that as far as command and ability to go out on a daily basis and really compete,’’ he said. “The stuff was there, and I was getting by on that mainly, but I consider myself a much better pitcher now. All the experience over the last 10 years I think has prepared me well.’’
He had 10 saves in 2008, split time between starting and closing the next season and became a starter with the Blue Jays after Seattle traded him in December 2009. When the Cubs saw him with the Dodgers in the National League Championship Series last season, he was shutting them down as a setup man.
“I plan on being really good anytime I’m out there,’’ he said. “I don’t think it really matters at what point. Obviously, the ninth inning is really important mentally for the team. Blown saves are tough mentally. If you lose a game in the third, it’s not the same as when you lose a game in the ninth. Having someone that can be consistent in that role is important.’’
He saw Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen mow through hitters last season. If he can’t duplicate Jansen’s pitching ability — few can — he can at least take a swing at Jansen’s ability to ignore everything around him in the ninth inning. Blissful ignorance is one of the secrets to being a successful closer.
“I think just putting the blinders up, just treating it like a different inning,’’ Morrow said. “I was kind of treating it like I was pitching in the ninth last year. From a mindset point of view, we had Kenley behind me, and if you could get through the eighth, the game’s basically over. He’s one of the best. I was just kind of thinking, hey, if I close out the eighth, we’re going to have Kenley in there and finish it off.’’
Talent has never been an issue with Morrow. Cubs manager Joe Maddon remembers the right-hander beating his Rays team with a 17-strikeout one-hitter in 2010. He remembers it the way he might remember a large kidney stone.
“I had never seen anything so dominant in my life,’’ he said.
Now it’s a matter of seeing if Morrow can handle the pressure of being a closer.
“I don’t think I should have any issues,’’ he said. “If there are problems, it’s because I’m not locating pitches at the time. I don’t think mentally it will be too big for me. I think I’ve come a long way. I’m not a really super-intense person, but I can keep my intensity level above the game (and make sure) the situation isn’t too big. I think I do a good job of minimizing that.’’
Maddon said he wants to give Morrow lots of rest, especially early in the season, hoping he’ll be fresher later in the season. He pitched in all seven World Series games last year and struggled, giving up five earned runs in 5.1 innings.
He’s used to stress. He’s not used to the stress that will come with being the Cubs closer. How he deals with it could mean everything.
For relief, he can look to his fellow relievers. Last year, they celebrated a big play by dancing in the bullpen. Will he?
“We’ll see,’’ he said. “I might be the awkward one in the corner bobbing my head.’’
People aren’t expecting Riverdance, Brandon. However, they might be expecting Mariano Rivera.
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Chicago Sun-Times Agent Scott Boras on thaw in market as camps open: ‘Free agency has begun’ By Gordon Wittenmyer
MESA, Ariz. — What kind of impact will the Cubs’ signing of Yu Darvish have on the slowest free-agent market in history?
Whether the six-year, $126 million deal serves as the first significant signpost for the market, or whether its timing sets off a chain reaction as camps open, activity finally seems to be increasing.
“Free agency’s begun,” agent Scott Boras said Wednesday. He represents most of the highest-profile free agents who remain unsigned, including former Cubs right-hander Jake Arrieta, closer Greg Holland, outfielder J.D. Martinez, first baseman Eric Hosmer and third baseman Mike Moustakas.
“For all my clients, the phone has been more akin to what you would expect for free agency in December,” Boras said. “It’s been more like that in the last week.”
He wouldn’t comment on his expectations regarding timelines or contracts for those clients.
A handful of smaller deals have been done since Darvish, including pitcher Bud Norris with the Cardinals on Monday and catcher Chris Stewart with the Braves on Wednesday.
An estimated 30 to 40 free agents are attending a closed spring camp run through the players’ union in Bradenton, Florida.
None of Boras’ clients are there, preferring to stay on personal training programs started months ago and designed to keep pace with spring prep work.
Florida tragedy hits home
The latest American high school shooting, which claimed at least 17 lives, happened at the Parkland, Florida, high school that Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo and his brother attended.
Dozens of students and adults were shot at Stoneman Douglas High School by a former student, police said.
Rizzo, who worked out at the Cubs’ complex earlier in the day, later tweeted:
“Parkland and Coral Springs please stay strong! This is out of control and our country is in desperate need for change. I hope in this darkest of times back home this brings everyone together and we can find love. You’re all in my prayers.”
From T-shirts to canvas
Manager Joe Maddon’s latest foray into inspirational slogans and themes involves the unveiling of art with a message. He commissioned Florida artist Jason Skeldon to create six paintings with baseball- related thoughts through lenses of such classic artists as Salvador Dali and Michelangelo.
“Just small, simple, direct messages that a guy can hold onto,” said Maddon, who plans to use the paintings to help promote the arts among students in Chicago “and beyond” and to eventually auction the paintings to benefit his charitable foundation.
In one painting he shared with the team Wednesday, Dali is wearing a catcher’s mask, and among the scrawled messages in the frame is a paraphrased Dali quote: “Have no fear of perfection. You will never reach it.”
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Chicago Sun-Times Cubs surprise four young hospital patients with a free trip to spring training By Madeline Kenney
The Cubs surprised four young patients, their best friends and family members with a once-in-a-lifetime trip Wednesday.
The patients, who all are receiving treatment at Advocate Children’s Hospital for various forms of cancer and heart health issues, were invited to join the Cubs next week at spring training in Mesa, Ariz.
None of the young patients — ranging in age from 12 to 17 — had any clue why they were asked to meet at the American Airlines Conference Center near Wrigley Field. That was until the lights dimmed and Cubs outfielder Albert Almora Jr. appeared on the screen to announce they all were getting a free trip to spring training.
Zachary Lum, a 17-year-old battling cancer who is also an avid Cubs fan, said he knew something was up earlier this week when his parents told him they were going on a trip to Milwaukee.
“She tried to trick me,” Lum joked while pointing at his mother, Donna Potts, after the video. “But I was like yeah, OK, it’s definitely spring training because it’s in February.”
Although Potts knew that the Cubs were going to officially invite Lum to spring training Wednesday, she was still overcome with emotion seeing Lum’s smile, especially after his arduous journey this past year.
Lum was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer, in 2017 and he had his right leg amputated shortly after doctors found a tumor below his knee.
“It’s overwhelming,” Potts said. “It’s been a wild ride with all the treatments and everything over the last year and I can’t explain it. It’s a glimmer of normalcy.
“I love his smile, and to see him smile throughout all of this, it warms my heart.”
This is the second time the Cubs have invited kids battling adversity to spring training. Last year, the Cubs helped coordinate free trips for nine patients. Advocate Health marketing coordinator Cristina Enea said this trip creates a special bond between the families.
The invitees will enjoy personal time with Cubs players and coaches, plus a variety of behind-the-scenes experiences. They’ll also receive swag bags, play catch with players and participate in team stretches.
The group will depart Chicago on Monday and spend three days in Arizona before returning Feb. 21.
Lum said he’s excited about this opportunity before he finishes his last two rounds of chemotherapy.
“It’s not necessarily an escape,” Lum said. “I see it more of an opportunity.
“Yes, having cancer sucks, but also being out with my family and friends, it’s going to be great. And seeing the team I love the most play, it’s awesome.”
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Chicago Sun-Times New Cub Chris Gimenez on pal Yu Darvish: ‘I like [Jon] Lester better’ By Gordon Wittenmyer
MESA, Ariz. — Is Chris Gimenez the Cubs’ new David Ross?
Sure, if that’s measured in hours of media coverage, based on the crowd at his locker Wednesday for the first round of clubhouse access this spring.
But Yu Darvish’s one-time personal catcher, who was signed just ahead of the right-hander, is no Darvish security blanket, as Ross was for Jon Lester.
New Cubs catcher Chris Gimenez, left, with new Cubs pitcher Yu Darvish in 2014.
“I like [Willson] Contreras better,” Darvish said, smiling, when asked about Gimenez on Tuesday.
That’s OK, Gimenez said.
“I like [Jon] Lester better,” he said with a laugh.
Despite a social-media storm of Darvish speculation when Gimenez signed a minor-league deal last month, Cubs officials made it clear that bringing in the favorite to win the backup catching job was more about Gimenez’s experience and the Cubs’ catching needs than the part of one season he spent with Darvish with the Rangers.
That said, Gimenez did talk to Darvish about the Cubs after signing, his opinions based largely on his experience with manager Joe Maddon with the Rays.
New Cubs pitching coach Jim Hickey was the Rays’ pitching coach at the time.
“I just tried to portray what I thought of the organization, knowing what Joe brings to the table,” Gimenez said. “I can’t take credit for [Darvish signing]. He’s got 126 million reasons to come here. I’m not one of them.
“And, like he said, he likes Contreras better.”
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Daily Herald Four teen patients going on surprise Cubs spring training trip By Doug T. Graham
Spring training is a time for rookies to make a good first impression and for veterans to get into playing form.
And for four young Chicago Cubs fans, it will be an opportunity to make memories to last a lifetime.
On Wednesday, 16-year-old Jonathan Olmos of Des Plaines, 17-year-old Zachary Lum of Sleepy Hollow, 12-year-old Kyle Munch of Montgomery and 14-year-old Izabella Marin of Chicago learned they're going on an all-expenses-paid trip with their families and a best friend to join the Cubs for a day of spring training in Mesa, Arizona.
All four are cancer or heart health patients at Advocate Children's Hospital in Park Ridge. They were selected because they are huge Cubs fans whose positive attitudes raise the spirits of all around them, according to Cristina Enea, Advocate's sports marketing coordinator.
The teens' parents, who were told about the surprise trip weeks ago, had to concoct another reason for going to the Cubs' front office building next to Wrigley Field on a random Wednesday afternoon.
Donna Potts, Lum's mom, said she told him the Cubs were taking them on a trip to Milwaukee. Lum said as soon as he saw a picture of a cactus in the conference room, he had a strong suspicion they weren't going to Wisconsin.
"There are no cactuses in Milwaukee," he said after the big reveal delivered to the teens in a personalized video message by Cubs center fielder Albert Almora Jr.
"He kind of pieced it together. He's a smart kid. He loves puzzles," Potts said.
The group will fly to Phoenix on Monday -- American Airlines and Sheraton Hotels join the Cubs and Advocate as sponsors that made the trip possible. Tuesday, they'll hang out with the team and have a lot of one-on-one time with players. And then they'll return home Wednesday.
Olmos said he hopes he has a chance to challenge his favorite player, Javy Baez, to a foot race.
"I know I'm not going to be up there, but it would be a fun thing to do," Olmos said of his chances to beat the speedy second baseman.
In addition to their families, each teen got to choose one friend to come along on the trip. Kelly Jo Golson, the chief marketing officer for Advocate, said that was something new organizers added this year. Golson lost a son to cancer last year and she said he always enjoyed sharing fun family times with his friends.
"It's not all about treatment. It's not all about being in the hospital," Golson said. "It's about laughing and having fun."
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