July 17, 2018

 NBC Sports Chicago, put up an epic HR Derby showing but couldn't quite hold off https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/cubs/kyle-schwarber-put-epic-hr-derby-showing-couldnt- quite-hold-bryce-harper-javy-baez-nationals

 NBC Sports Chicago, Nationals fans sent Kyle Schwarber from hero to villain in monumentally entertaining Derby https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/cubs/nationals-fans-sent-kyle-schwarber-hero-villain- monumentally-entertaining-home-run-derby

 NBC Sports Chicago, 'The Javy Baez Show' hits the All-Star Game, with El Mago taking his place among baseball's best https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/cubs/javy-baez-show-hits-all-star-game-el-mago-taking-his- place-among-baseballs-best

, Bryce Harper's epic duel with Kyle Schwarber will be hard to top http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-spt-bryce-harper-kyle-schwarber-home- run-derby-20180717-story.html

 Chicago Tribune, Kyle Schwarber falls to Bryce Harper in Home Run Derby final; Javier Baez eliminated in first round http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-spt-cubs-home-run-derby-kyle-schwarber- javier-baez-20180716-story.html

 Chicago Tribune, Showtime comes naturally for All-Stars Javier Baez and http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-spt-javier-baez-chicago-all-stars- 20180716-story.html

 Chicago Tribune, Cubs' Jr. says wife Krystal 'is doing much better' http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-spt-cubs-albert-krystal-almora-medical- leave-20180716-story.html

 Chicago Tribune, Cubs rookie reliever James Norwood maximizing his midseason audition http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-spt-cubs-james-norwood-20180716- story.html

 Chicago Sun-Times, Cubs’ Kyle Schwarber falls to Nats’ Bryce Harper in Home Run Derby final https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/cubs-kyle-schwarber-falls-to-nats-bryce-harper-in-home-run- derby-final/

 Chicago Sun-Times, Do Cubs — with talent everywhere — need ‘Bryzzo’ to lead them in second half? https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/do-cubs-with-talent-everywhere-need-bryzzo-to-lead-them- in-second-half/

 Chicago Sun-Times, Tat-two part harmony: Javy Baez, brother wear love of the game on necks in Derby https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/tat-two-part-harmony-javy-baez-brother-wear-love-of-the- game-on-necks-in-derby/

 Daily Herald, have been full of surprises in first half http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20180716/chicago-cubs-have-been-full-of-surprises-in-first-half

 The Athletic, The making of El Mago: How Javier Báez became ’s true crossover star https://theathletic.com/434349/2018/07/16/the-making-of-el-mago-how-javier-baez-became- major-league-baseballs-true-crossover-star/

 The Athletic, An All-Star once again, Cubs ace is doing everything he can to stay on top of his game https://theathletic.com/433462/2018/07/16/an-all-star-once-again-cubs-ace-jon-lester-is-doing- everything-he-can-to-stay-on-top-of-his-game/

 Cubs.com, Cubs' trio enjoying their All-Star experience https://www.mlb.com/cubs/news/cubs-trio-set-to-rep-nl-in-all-star-game/c-286138014

 Cubs.com, Runner-up Schwarber hits Derby-high 55 HRs https://www.mlb.com/cubs/news/kyle-schwarber-makes-home-run-derby-finals/c-286165734

 Cubs.com, 479 feet! Baez belts longest home run of Derby https://www.mlb.com/cubs/news/javier-baez-hits-16-homers-in-home-run-derby/c-286157526

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NBC Sports Chicago Kyle Schwarber put up an epic HR Derby showing but couldn't quite hold off Bryce Harper By Tony Andracki

The hometown hero adorned with American flag attire took down America's Large Adult Son.

Bryce Harper walked off Kyle Schwarber in the 2018 Home Run Derby with his 19th homer in bonus time Monday night, lining a shot to center field to appease the Washington crowd at Nationals Park.

Schwarber went first in the Final Round, drilling 18 homers.

Harper followed and got off to a slow start, with only four dingers before he took his first timeout. As the final minute came around, it looked like Schwarber was going to take the crown, but Harper turnd in an incredible performance, hammering a ridiculous nine homers in 47 seconds at one point:

Schwarber wasn't an All-Star, but still showed out in the Derby with 55 homers total between the three rounds. Harper had only 45 overall, but 1 more when it mattered most:

Christopher Kamka @ckamka Most TOTAL home runs in 2018 #HRDerby 55 Kyle Schwarber 45 Bryce Harper 37 29 Max Muncy 16 Javier Báez 15 Alex Bregman 12 Jesús Aguilar 12 Freddie Freeman

Schwarber hit 16 in the first round, narrowly beating Astros infielder Alex Bregman by one homer. Schwarber followed that with 21 longballs in the next round to walk-off Rhys Hoskins in an epic, energizing performance.

The second-round performance from Schwarber was one for the ages. After Hoskins hit 20 to begin the showdown, Schwarber started his round slow before heating up. By the end, almost every swing was a shot out from Schwarbs and he pumped the crowd up with his fiery display of emotion after each blast.

And then, right before regulation time was to end, Schwarber notched a spot in the final for himself:

Despite a long day at the ballpark and a LOT of swings, Schwarber was still peppering the third deck in right field at Nationals Park and hit one dinger out at a whopping 111 mph.

Javy Baez hit 16 homers in the first round, but was ousted by Dodgers slugger Max Muncy (17 homers).

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NBC Sports Chicago Nationals fans sent Kyle Schwarber from hero to villain in monumentally entertaining Home Run Derby By Vinnie Duber

WASHINGTON, D.C. — How could someone like Kyle Schwarber play the villain?

The fan favorite who’s always quick with a smile — or an Uncle Sam costume on the Fourth of July — Schwarber doesn’t fit the mold of a loathsome target of boos. But he made quite the heel turn in the minds of fans Monday night, and of course he knew it was coming.

Schwarber went from getting cheered by the legions in attendance at the Home Run Derby to getting booed when he took on, and eventually lost to, hometown hero Bryce Harper in the final round.

“I was down in the tunnel saying, ‘If we get to the finals, Harp, they’re all going to be against me. I think they’re all going to be against me,’” Schwarber said Monday night. “And then I went out there and got booed after they all got pumped up for me. That’s just the beauty of it, and I was happy for Bryce that he won it in front of the home crowd.”

Harper delivered an incredibly memorable baseball moment Monday night, catching up to Schwarber’s 18 home runs with a ridiculous display of repetitive power to win a Home Run Derby for the ages. The format of this event, revamped a couple years ago, made for a dramatic and hugely entertaining evening. Harper smacked nine homers over the final 47 seconds of the final round to tie Schwarber, then bested him in bonus time. Unsurprisingly, the home crowd was going ballistic for their boy.

But earlier in the night, it was Schwarber getting all the cheers, when he made his own last-second comeback to beat slugger Rhys Hoskins in the second round. Schwarber was pumping up the crowd, pumping his fists and screaming while putting on a show of his own to catch and pass Hoskins' 20 home runs and advance to the finals.

How quickly the locals forgot.

By the finals — during which Schwarber looked understandably exhausted — the crowd had turned on him, trying to get every advantage for Harper.

“As soon as I got done with that round, I told myself that he had it,” Schwarber said. “I knew that he had the home crowd behind him, and I knew that he was a very prolific power hitter with a great swing. For him to come in and do that and started getting down to the wire, all of a sudden he started racking them up one at a time. You kind of just accept your fate there.”

Perhaps the night could’ve ended differently for Schwarber had he listened more closely to the advice of his teammates, Javy Baez and Willson Contreras, who were quick with Gatorade, a towel and words of encouragement on Monday. Baez hit 16 home runs in his own first-round appearance, though slugger Max Muncy knocked him out.

“I was just telling him to slow down,” Baez said. “He was kind of rushing a little bit, that’s why he was jumping to the ball.”

“They were actually giving me really good advice that I didn’t take because I was really dumb-headed,” Schwarber said. “‘Make sure you take some pitches and get the pitch that you want.’ At the end, I felt like I was swinging at everything. I was just running out of gas. I felt like I had to put up as many swings just to try to put a couple out.”

Schwarber was totally content with losing out to Harper’s home-field advantage. Though as his homers flew out deep into the right-field seats Monday night, you couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like if Schwarber was instead taking aim at Sheffield Avenue and getting his own home-field advantage from Cubs fans.

The North Side hasn’t played host to the All-Star Game since 1990, so perhaps Schwarber will still be slugging the next time the Friendly Confines are the site of the Home Run Derby.

“That’d be really cool one day if the All-Star Game’s at Wrigley,” Schwarber said, “and to participate in the Derby, that’d be fun.”

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NBC Sports Chicago 'The Javy Baez Show' hits the All-Star Game, with El Mago taking his place among baseball's best By Vinnie Duber

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Asked not long ago how special Javy Baez is, brought up another name: Jon Lester.

To paraphrase the Cubs’ skipper: When a player with the experience of Lester is raving about Baez, you know he’s something special.

It doesn’t take a lot to realize that Baez can do things on a baseball field that few others can. The man nicknamed “El Mago” is pulling a new rabbit out of his hat each and every game, it seems, leaving even those the closest to him consistently wowed.

And, yeah, Lester thinks pretty highly of his Cubs and All-Star teammate, saying Monday that Baez is the best infielder he’s played with during his big league career, now in its 13th season.

“I think he is, probably, the best infielder I’ve ever played with. That speaks pretty highly,” Lester said the day prior to the Midsummer Classic in D.C. “I’ve played with some pretty good ones: (Dustin) Pedroia, Mike Lowell, (Adrian) Beltre at third. These guys are pretty special defenders and players, and I think Javy’s athleticism makes him above and beyond those guys.

“How athletic he is, how he’s able to control his body. There’s times in the game where you feel like it’s almost going backwards for him it’s so slow. And the stuff he’s able to do at the plate, defensively, you guys all see that. He’s a special player to watch. I’m just glad he’s on our side and we get to do it every day.”

Baez’s breakout campaign has him in the MVP discussion at the season’s midway point. And he’s one of the stars of these All-Star festivities, a participant in Monday’s Home Run Derby and the NL leadoff hitter in Tuesday’s All-Star Game. While Cubs fans and observers have watched it all season long — Cubs teammate and fellow Derby participant Kyle Schwarber dubbed it “The Javy Baez Show” on Monday — these two days will put Baez on the national stage, one of the game’s biggest.

“I’ve seen him do some amazing things the past few years,” Reds second baseman and NL All Star Scooter Gennett said. “He couldn’t do anything that I’d be surprised (by). That’s just Javy doing some — what do they call him, ‘The Magician’ or whatever? — just doing some magic stuff. Nothing would surprise me. I’ve seen enough to be like, ‘Man, he’s extremely blessed and a really good baseball player.’”

“Javy is an electrifying player to say the least,” Houston Astros and All Star Gerrit Cole said. “Probably the most impressive thing outside of Javy’s glove work, which is just kind of magical in its own … I got to see him when he first came up and he knows how that first stint went in the major leagues and how he’s adjusted since he’s been there. And that’s probably the most important thing. He’s very flashy, he’s very flairy, which is great, is exciting, is attention grabbing. But his skill work and his talent is really what shines through, and he’s just a wonderful player and tough out.”

Though he paused, seemingly to take in the fact that Lester had such high praise for him, Baez himself said comparisons don’t mean much. It’s not a surprise from someone who has established himself as a unique talent not just in the current generation of ballplayers but perhaps throughout the game’s history.

“There’s a lot of comparisons with me. I just try to be myself, to be honest, out there, off the field, too,” Baez said. “There’s a lot of people who are scared to be them. I play the way I play because I do me. I do it the way I think. … I’m not trying to show anybody up. That’s the way I play, just me being me and trying to do the best for my teammates.”

The numbers and the highlight-reel plays have thrust Baez into the realm of baseball’s very best. His inclusion in the All-Star Game isn’t a surprise, it’s a necessity.

Baez said he’s hoping to learn a lot from this experience, and Lester, at his fifth All-Star Game, said the lesson should be a simple but important one.

“The biggest thing is — when I got my first All-Star Game, it makes you feel like you belong. It’s like, ‘I am pretty good,’” Lester said. “So I think to get rewarded for your hard work, to get to be able to do this, I think it’s kind of like the little pat on the back. Like, ‘Hey, good job.’ For me, it was like, ‘Maybe I am pretty good.’ It was like the big, eye-opening thing for me the first time I got to do this.

“Hopefully they (Baez and Cubs Willson Contreras) see that, hopefully they feel like they are two of the best in the game and that just carries over to their game.”

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Chicago Tribune Bryce Harper's epic Home Run Derby duel with Kyle Schwarber will be hard to top By Paul Sullivan

A picture’s worth 1,000 words, and the photo of Bryce Harper being lifted up by after winning the Home Run Derby Monday night said it all.

Harper has been a target for criticism around town for a significant drop in his batting average and the Nationals’ sub-par record, while Washington fans have yet to fully embrace Martinez, the former Cubs bench coach, in his first year as manager after replacing .

“I mean that's what it's all about,” Harper said. “I woke up this morning and talking to my wife, I was like, I just want to enjoy it, win, lose or draw. That's all I can ask for, and to have the crowd show up like they did and to have the support of my family, like I said, and my D.C. family, and Dave Martinez out there fired up as all-get up.

“I have one of the best managers in all the baseball, glad to have him at our helm. He's a guy I would run through a brick wall for, and I was trying to do that for him tonight.”

Mission accomplished.

Even while losing to Harper in the final round, Cubs Kyle Schwarber looked like a winner for making Harper work for his title and graciously accepting defeat.

“It wasn’t happening,” Schwarber said afterwards with a laugh. “The last round I knew they were all against me and once I started popping all these balls up at the end and they were cheering, I was like, ‘Yeah, keep cheering. I’m done.’

“Just a lot of fun. Just an experience to have with all these guys. For Bryce to be in the finals and for him walk away with the championship, awesome.”

Harper lauded Schwarber and fellow NL teammate Javier Baez, who he called “one of my favorite players in all of baseball” for his flair.

“Just the way he plays, his swag and the way he plays the game, the way he uncoils and the way he thinks,” Harper said. “He told me up here before the thing, he says, "Hey, do you think if I get tired on the right side, I can hit on the left side?

“I was like, ‘Man, if you do that on the left side, that would be epic.’ I wish he would have gotten a little more tired because I would loved to have seen it. Just great being on the field and having a lot of fun being around the guys enjoying that.”

Harper can be a moody player, especially when he’s being asked by the media what his future plans are. He snapped Monday when a New York reporter asked him if he shaved his beard when he played in New York, knowing the Yankees’ policy against facial hair.

“I know exactly what you’re getting at,” he said. “No.”

But Harper not only showed Monday how talented he is, but how much he adds to the game when he shows off his personality. He may play the role of “Johnny Drama,” but at least he’s interesting, which is something not every baseball star can say.

“You know, I think outside the game, I think you guys got a gist of how I feel on a basis of having fun and enjoying, you know, this game and things like that,” he said. “I'm very serious on the field, I am. I'm a very serious player. I enjoy the game, and I want to win every single game I play, and I want to do everything I can to help this team win on a daily basis and you guys see that.

“But off the field, that's the kid you see out there tonight and I was fortunate to share that with you guys and show that to the fans. This wasn't only for me and my family and everybody like that but this is for, you know, the cook, the guy that works the front, and the people that work upstairs. I mean, this is the whole City of D.C. I was very fortunate to be able to bring this back to them and do it here.”

Harper will get the spotlight treatment again on Tuesday night at the All-Star Game, and then the questions about his future will resume.

Will he become a Dodger, a Phillie or maybe even a Cub?

Who knows?

But if he does leave, at least he and Washington had this one shining moment for the memory banks.

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Chicago Tribune Kyle Schwarber falls to Bryce Harper in Home Run Derby final; Javier Baez eliminated in first round By Paul Sullivan

Nationals Park was eerily quiet late Monday when Kyle Schwarber was pounding his patented Schwarbombs into the right-field stands.

The oohs and aahs that followed Schwarber’s prodigious shots earlier in the night were missing because the Cubs slugger had the misfortune of competing against local hero Bryce Harper in the final of the Home Run Derby.

Schwarber put up 18 in the final round, only to lose 19-18 as Harper tied him with a buzzer-beater after a furious finish and added a center-field shot to win it in bonus time.

Even when he led by nine home runs with a minute left in Harper’s turn, Schwarber knew what was coming.

“I wasn’t confident at all,” he said with a grin. “I’m like, ah, here it comes — whack, whack, whack. I had the mic on and I go: ‘He’s got me. He’s got me.’ I thought it was fun. I hope it was fun for everyone else.”

It was a classic ending to a Derby that lacked the big sluggers of past years but wound up with some thrills along the way.

Harper was ecstatic, especially after the dramatic finish that included nine homers in his final 10 swings in regulation time.

“That was the kid in me you saw tonight,” Harper said.

Cubs All-Star Javier Baez also competed, losing in the first round to the Dodgers’ Max Muncy.

Schwarber was on his game most of the night but looked cooked in the semifinal matchup against the Phillies’ Rhys Hoskins when he needed nine home runs to tie with one minute, 32 seconds left. He went on a long-ball spree to win 21-20 on a last-second buzzer-beater, even pausing with about 12 seconds left to point to his National League pals cheering him on a few feet away.

“When I tied it up, I thought I had a pretty good chance of winning,” he explained. “That’s when I got excited.”

Being in your first Home Run Derby is a nerve-wracking experience, as reigning champion Aaron Judge explained.

“The biggest thing is taking your time, conserving your energy and just have some fun with it,” he said. “Give the fans what they want, a little show.”

Schwarber and Harper did just that.

Schwarber chose Mike Sanicola, a friend of his agent, to pitch to him.

“I would have picked my dad, but he’s a little bit too old,” he said with a laugh.

Did he tell him that?

“Yeah,” Schwarber replied. “He’s had too many falls on his bike too.”

What was his game plan?

“You just can’t take it too seriously,” he said. “Just go out there and wing it.”

Schwarber “winged it” with 14 homers in his allotted four minutes in the first round, then was awarded another 30 seconds of bonus time for hitting at least two homers of 440 feet or more. His longest was a 450-foot shot.

It turned out Schwarber needed the extra time. He wound up edging the Astros’ Alex Bregman 16-15 when the clock ran out on Bregman as his last attempt hit high off the outfield wall.

Baez chose his brother, Gadiel, to pitch to him, explaining: “I can yell at him if he don’t do it right.” He also got some advice from and , who both lost in the first round while competing in San Diego in 2016.

“I’m ready to put on a show,” Baez said. “They said I’d get tired. I’m not going to take it easy, but hopefully I’ll get a little rest.”

Baez got off to a slow start with only three home runs in the first minute. He then turned it on and like Schwarber was granted bonus time for a couple of prodigious shots. He wound up with 16, but Muncy hit his 17th with more than 30 seconds left.

Even with the loss, Baez pleased his fans.

“He’s one of my favorite players in baseball, just his swag,” Harper said of Baez, who had the longest homer of the first round with a 479-foot shot.

Baez will get another chance to show his swag Tuesday, while Schwarber hopes to get his All-Star shot next year, and maybe another Derby as well.

“I want to be here multiple times,” Schwarber said. “Just to get a taste of it makes you want to be here even more. It’s definitely something to work toward every year.”

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Chicago Tribune Showtime comes naturally for All-Stars Javier Baez and Willson Contreras By Paul Sullivan

After pitching Sunday in San Diego, Cubs ace Jon Lester doesn’t have to worry about getting into Tuesday’s All-Star Game at Nationals Park.

Lester is fine with that and said Monday he’ll be watching with interest like every other Cubs fan, albeit with a much better seat.

“The big thing for me is watching these two knuckleheads over here having fun,” Lester said of teammates Javier Baez and Willson Contreras. “I’m excited for them. Obviously I’m excited to be here for myself, but I get to kick my feet up and watch these guys. It’ll be a good time.”

The “knuckleheads” will take center stage Tuesday after fans voted them into the National League’s starting lineup. Baez and Contreras hope to put on a show with the same flair they exhibit on a daily basis at . Along with White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu, who is making his second appearance but his first All-Star start, they can truly feel they’ve arrived.

The two Cubs have different approaches heading into the game.

“We don’t know when the next one is going to be,” Baez said. “I’m just going to have fun and take selfies with everybody I can.”

Contreras, who will catch starting pitcher , echoed that thought but added: “I’m here to win a ballgame. I’m all about having fun, but once the game starts I’m all about winning.”

The All-Star Game is a chance to shine in front of a national audience, and for Baez it’s an opportunity to add to his growing reputation as one of the game’s most exciting players. After competing in the Home Run Derby on Monday night, perhaps he’ll show off his famous swim-move slide, make a delicious swipe tag at second or even steal home. Anything is possible during Javy Time.

Lester called Baez the best infielder he has ever played in front of, listing him ahead of players such as , Mike Lowell and Adrian Beltre, and said sometimes in the game “you feel (as if) it’s going backward for him, it’s so slow.”

Adding to the degree of difficulty, NL manager Dave Roberts inserted Baez into the leadoff spot. He’ll be facing Red Sox ace Chris Sale and trying to immediately ignite the NL lineup, as Kris Bryant did in the 2016 game in San Diego when he homered off Sale in the first inning.

“I’m swinging the bat,” Baez said.

Shocking news, Javy.

“I’m trying to hit the first pitch I see out,” he added.

We wouldn’t expect anything less. Baez has never met a pitch he didn’t like, and his free-swinging ways aren’t all that conducive to the leadoff spot. But this midsummer exhibition game no longer matters since Major League Baseball changed the rule awarding home-field advantage in the to the league that wins, so anything goes.

“He’s a very exciting player,” Roberts said. “I’m not going to lie — when I see (Scherzer) take the mound, I want to give our guys the best chance to have success. And I like Javy at the top. I like the energy, and hopefully (he’ll) get something started.”

Cubs manager Joe Maddon, who doesn’t mind using nonconformist lineups, has only penciled Baez’s name in the leadoff spot once, on May 12 against the White Sox at Wrigley Field. Baez tripled to right leading off and went 2-for-5 in an 8-4 win.

Baez said he was “really nervous but trying to control it” before the Home Run Derby. Lester, in his fifth All-Star Game, told Baez and Contreras to “just be prepared for craziness.”

“It’s nonstop from when we get here until we leave,” Lester said. “I think that was probably the most eye-opening thing for me my first time. You have 10 minutes, it seems, to sit down with your family. I think that was the only thing I said.

“Just have fun. Don’t worry about the Home Run Derby or the game. Just try to enjoy it as much as you can.”

Abreu knows the feeling well. He was selected as an All-Star reserve in his rookie season, but he hasn’t been back since. Now he gets to take it all in with his family in the house.

“It’s a very different feeling, especially because the first time I didn’t have my kids with me,” Abreu said. “Now I have my two kids with me, and that makes it special. … It’s a once-in-a-lifetime moment.”

Abreu was psyched to play again alongside Sale, his former Sox teammate who was “one of the guys (who) helped me the most when I came to the U.S.”

Tuesday will be an emotional day for all three players. Baez recalled that when he and Contreras heard they won the fan vote, they had different reactions: Baez started laughing while Contreras started crying.

“I was kind of like, ‘Are you happy or not happy?’ ” Baez said. “This is huge. What we’ve been through, where we’re coming from. … All this stuff is really big for us.”

The best part for the young Cubs is they made it here without having to sacrifice their personalities. Some have criticized them for showboating or being too flashy, but Maddon told them not to change a thing.

“Be yourself,” he said.

Now they’re in an All-Star Game, and there is no telling how far they’ll go from here.

“I’ve been having a great first half,” Baez said. “I want to say I belong here, but I think I’ve still got things to do. I think I can do a little bit more — not more homers or whatever, just play better and (have) people see my name more.

“There are a lot of people scared to be (themselves). I play the way I play because (that’s) me.”

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Chicago Tribune Cubs' Albert Almora Jr. says wife Krystal 'is doing much better' By Staff

Cubs outfielder Albert Almora Jr., who was placed on family medical emergency list Sunday, tweeted Monday that his wife, Krystal, “is doing much better and baby #2 is kicking all over the place!”

He went on to say: “We want to thank you for all your prayers and support.”

No specifics were given regarding the medical emergency.

Albert Almora Jr. ✔ @albertalmora @krystalalmora Is doing much better and baby #2 is kicking all over the place! We want to thank you for all your prayers and support!! Much love #5

The Almoras announced in April that there were expecting a second child in late October.

Their son, A.J., was born in August 2016.

Almora didn’t play Saturday or Sunday in San Diego. He is expected to rejoin the team when they open the second half Thursday at Wrigley Field against the Cardinals.

David Bote, taking Almora’s roster spot, went 1-for-2 with a hit by pitch and a walk and made three exceptional plays at third to help the Cubs preserve a 7-4 win over the Padres on Sunday.

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Chicago Tribune Cubs rookie reliever James Norwood maximizing his midseason audition By Mark Gonzales

There was a different pecking order Sunday during the final 3 2/3 innings of the Cubs’ 7-4 win over the Padres, and it included rookie James Norwood, who quickly has taken on a more prominent role in the .

Norwood, not , was summoned to relieve left-handed ace Jon Lester in the sixth inning. Norwood retired two of the three batters he faced with the bases loaded, and Maddon intimated that Norwood might have been the victim of an inconsistent strike zone by home plate umpire Ryan Blakney. Norwood issued a two-out walk to force in a run but allowed no further damage.

Maddon said his greatest fear was warming up Strop in the sixth, only to not use him if Lester got out of the inning unscathed. Maddon preferred to use Strop at the start of an inning.

That illustrated Maddon’s trust in Norwood, or presented a test to see how the rookie right-hander handled protecting a six-run lead for his ace. With the trade deadline two weeks away, the Cubs could be looking for bullpen help outside the organization. Finding it inside the clubhouse would be a plus.

“Of course, I think he can throw a strike, and he’s got good stuff,” Maddon said of the 24-year-old Norwood, a 7th-round draft pick in 2014. “He’s a strike thrower. There might have been some ambiguities about his walk. But he’s able to throw a strike, and he’s calm.”

Maddon also wanted to save left-hander Justin Wilson for the eighth inning when the Padres had a few left-handed batters scheduled to bat.

“The balance was there, and Norwood put it together,” Maddon said.

Norwood’s 97 mph fastball is complemented by a split-finger fastball he developed after struggling with his changeup last season.

“Originally I was told to work on a slider that developed last year,” Norwood said. “That was another option that wasn’t hard to pick up. I just throw it like my fastball, and it (tumbles) and became a lot better.”

Norwood said the split-finger pitch was mentioned to him last season by a pitching coordinator because it would help him develop his slider from an overhand delivery.

Norwood is getting a closer look than , one of the hardest throwers in the organization, received during two brief stints this season. While Justin Hancock recovers from a shoulder injury, Norwood has a chance to cement a role in the Cubs’ bullpen.

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Chicago Sun-Times Cubs’ Kyle Schwarber falls to Nats’ Bryce Harper in Home Run Derby final By Steve Greenberg

WASHINGTON — It had to be Kyle Schwarber.

No offense to Javy Baez, who might be the most fun-to-watch Cubs player since Ernie Banks. But if any Cub was going to light up the night in the Home Run Derby, it might as well have been Schwarber. The mythology surrounding him almost demands moments such as the one he produced Monday at Nationals Park.

Hometown hero Bryce Harper out-homered Schwarber 19-18 in an epic final. It’s more than just a nagging detail. But Schwarber more than lived up to the hype and excitement his trip here for the Derby created. His 55 total homers were the second-most in Derby history to Giancarlo Stanton’s 61 in 2016.

‘‘That moment right there was pitch-perfect,’’ Schwarber said. ‘‘What an experience for [Harper], and it was a great experience for me.’’

Call him Ruthian. Call him Bunyanesque. The talk of Schwarber as a hero of long-ball tales has existed since the day he joined the Cubs in 2015.

Forget that he’s nothing like Stanton or 2017 Derby winner Aaron Judge. Those guys are enormous. Schwarber is a trimmed-down, more athletic version of the player he was before. He has become a more complete hitter this season, too.

But — who are we kidding? — the storyline that Schwarber was representing the little guy in the Derby never was going to fly.

Teammates Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant figured Schwarber would do well in a lefty-friendly park. All- Star catcher Willson Contreras admitted beforehand that he thought Schwarber would out-homer Baez.

Both Cubs tallied 16 first-round homers, which was enough for Schwarber to nip the Astros’ Alex Bregman by one but not enough for Baez to beat the Dodgers’ Max Muncy.

Schwarber won over the crowd in the semifinals with a finishing flourish that will go down in Derby lore. After the Phillies’ Rhys Hoskins put up a monstrous 20, Schwarber found himself in a deep hole in the last minute of his round. He hit his 17th with less than a half-minute to go and threw both hands in the air to exhort the crowd. Then came Nos. 18, 19 and 20 — each shot precipitating similar antics from Schwarber — and finally a winning 21st on a last-second pitch.

That he did it all with pal Mike Sinicola — a real-estate agent who occasionally throws batting practice to Schwarber in Tampa, Florida — pitching only makes the tale taller.

After Schwarber’s final round ended, he tipped his cap to the crowd and hugged Baez and Contreras.

‘‘There was nothing left in the tank,’’ he said. ‘‘I gassed it all out.’’

Then Harper went to work — slowly at first. Nearly three minutes into his four-minute round, Harper had only nine homers. In true superstar form, however, he went bonkers from there. Red confetti fell.

Oh, well.

Schwarber was trying to become the Cubs’ first Derby winner since Sammy Sosa in 2000. Ryne Sandberg won it in 1990 and in 1987.

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Chicago Sun-Times Do Cubs — with talent everywhere — need ‘Bryzzo’ to lead them in second half? By Steve Greenberg

WASHINGTON — Let’s say the right side of the Cubs’ infield swapped first-half offensive numbers. That would give first baseman Anthony Rizzo a .292 average, 19 home runs and a league-leading 72 RBI at the All-Star break. Second baseman Javy Baez would be at .246, 12 and 61 — not bad, but not the stuff of an MVP candidate.

Would anyone be the slightest bit worried?

No, of course not. Instead, it’s Rizzo, the team leader and top run producer of this Cubs era, who’s at something of a crossroads after what, for him, was a subpar first half. It seems like a bigger deal.

Kris Bryant, who’s supposed to be the Cubs’ best player, had a forgettable first half, too. Shoulder pain may have been the main culprit. Regardless, his signature home run ball has been largely missed.

Are Rizzo and Bryant still the Cubs' clear top pair?

Isn’t it a wonder, then, that the Cubs are 55-38 and owners of the best record in the National League?

And isn’t it tantalizing to think of how good the Cubs could be if Rizzo and Bryant lead the way in the second half?

Those questions somewhat miss the point, though. The Cubs have a lot of players who are capable of carrying the team. A few of them — Baez, catcher Willson Contreras and Home Run Derby competitor Kyle Schwarber — are here in the nation’s capital. No longer is it a given that the pecking order of Cubs position players begins with “Bryzzo” before the other guys can be slotted in.

When it comes to pure playing ability, All-Star pitcher Jon Lester doesn’t see much of a distinction between Bryant and Rizzo, and Baez and Contreras.

“I think we have a lot of talent in a lot of different areas,” Lester said. “Obviously, you’re going to have the guys that fans are drawn to naturally that are going to be kind of the faces of the team. But I would put [Baez and Contreras] up there with [Bryant and Rizzo] now.”

Contreras tried to nip that kind of talk in the bud.

“Rizzo and KB, they are different,” Contreras said. “They are the faces of the team. We have to admit that.

“They are the faces of the team, but they don’t think that way. They think about winning. Everything with those guys is about the ‘W.’ ”

There is no doubt, though, that Baez’s emergence, Contreras’ progression, Schwarber’s comeback from a rough 2017 and improvements by , and Albert Almora Jr. have kept the pressure off Rizzo and Bryant and sent a strong message about how well distributed the talent is throughout the roster. Baez believes the Cubs’ ceiling is significantly higher than it was in the championship season of 2016.

“Everybody keeps getting better through the years,” he said. “We’ve got great athletes. We’ve got a lot of first-rounders. I’m really excited for what’s going on. I think we can go far in the second half.”

Bryant and Rizzo are more than welcome to come along for the ride. They can even grab the wheel if they’re up to it.

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Chicago Sun-Times Tat-two part harmony: Javy Baez, brother wear love of the game on necks in Derby By Gordon Wittenmyer

SAN DIEGO — The legend of Cubs second baseman Javy Baez’s tattoo of the Major League Baseball logo started with the story that began circulating among scouts after an event honoring some of the best high school players in Florida in his senior year.

Players took turns introducing themselves to the crowd and stating their college commitments. When Baez took his turn, the story goes, he said his name, then turned his head, pointed to the logo on the back of his neck and declared: ‘‘University of Major League Baseball.’’

Baez recently said he didn’t remember that.

What he remembers most about the tattoo is the immediate dread that set in after he, his brothers and several cousins all got the same tattoo in the same spot on the neck a year earlier.

‘‘I was just worried about my mom, to be honest, that she would be mad about us getting tattoos,’’ said Baez, who will join teammate Willson Contreras as first-time All-Stars in the Midsummer Classic on Tuesday in Washington and joined teammate Kyle Schwarber in the Home Run Derby on Monday. (Baez lost in the first round to the Dodgers’ Max Muncy 17-16.)

This week is filled with enough meaning for Baez that some visitors to Washington might think they’re seeing double — or even triple — at times because so many people with the same MLB logo tattoos will be in town. That includes Baez’s older brother Gadiel, who pitched to him in the Home Run Derby, putting one of the most recognized tattoos in baseball on center stage in two-part harmony.

Even though Baez was right to be worried about his mom’s reaction and drew some unflattering attention from opponents, he said he has no regrets about getting the first of his many tattoos.

‘‘I still feel the same way,’’ he said. ‘‘I got the tattoo for the love of the game.’’

It earned him as much scrutiny as love from scouts at the time, including Cubs player-development executive Jason McLeod, who scouted him for the Padres.

‘‘I thought it was super-flashy,’’ said McLeod, who joined ’s front office with the Cubs the year after former general manager Jim Hendry’s regime drafted Baez ninth overall in 2011. ‘‘Yeah, maybe without knowing him, flashy, cocky, arrogant almost. You see a 17-year-old high school kid with the MLB tat — you don’t see things like that.

‘‘But I’ll say this: What I got to realize was just how much he loves to compete. Yes, how freakishly talented he is. But once the game is on, this guy wants to win and he wants to compete and he loves to play baseball.’’

Baez will share that love in Washington with enough brothers, uncles and other family members that he didn’t know the exact number without going through the names.

And, yes, his mom will be there.

And about all those tattoos?

‘‘Yeah, she still don’t like them,’’ Baez said. ‘‘Every time I get one, she’s like: ‘Oh, another one. You going to keep going?’ ’’

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Daily Herald Chicago Cubs have been full of surprises in first half By Bruce Miles

In the Joe Maddon era as manager, the Cubs have had a better winning percentage at the all-star break than they do now once: in the world-championship season of 2016, when they were 53-35.

Surprised?

Maybe you shouldn't be. After all, the Cubs were the consensus preseason choice to win their third straight title and make their fourth straight postseason appearance.

But the ways the Cubs have arrived at a record of 55-38 and a 2½-game lead over the second-place and free-falling might make this record a bit surprising.

After all, for the second year in a row, there were cries of, "What's wrong with the Cubs?" during April, May and into June.

These are the biggest surprises -- some pleasant, some not so pleasant -- for the Cubs in the unofficial first half of the season, which is 57.4 percent complete for the North Siders.

Bryzzo no longer the headlining act: If you had preseason picks for which players would represent the Cubs at Tuesday's All-Star Game, no doubt Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo would be the top two choices.

But they're not going. Bryant battled injury in the first half, and he goes into the break with a line of .280/.384/.482 with 10 homers and 40 RBI. His offensive wins above replacement (oWAR) is 2.0. Not bad but not great.

Rizzo has struggled at the plate as evidenced by his line of .246/.341/.407 with 12 homers, 61 RBI and an offensive WAR of 0.1.

The two players going to the Midsummer Classic are Javier Baez and Willson Contreras. Baez is a midseason MVP candidate with a line of .292/.326/.566 with 19 homers and a National League-leading 72 RBI. Baez's offensive WAR is 3.5, and he has dazzled on the basepaths and in the field.

Contreras, whom Cubs manager Joe Maddon calls the best catcher in baseball, is at .279/.369/.449 with 7 homers, 34 RBI and an offensive WAR of 2.2.

If the Bryzzo team gets back on track in the second half, it could be a fun few months at Wrigley Field this summer and into the fall.

Rotation roulette: When the Cubs signed Yu Darvish on the eve of , many believed they had the best starting rotation in the National League.

It hasn't worked out that way. Cubs starting are 33-28 with an ERA of 3.88, sixth best in the NL. They have only 36 quality starts compared with 57 non-quality starts, and that is not good for the bullpen.

The standout, by far, is 34-year-old Jon Lester, who on Sunday ran his record to 12-2 with a 2.58 ERA. Lester is an all-star for the fifth time in his career (he will not pitch in the All-Star Game because he pitched Sunday).

As far of the rest of the rotation, (3.92 ERA) has shown better signs of late, but he has struggled with his mechanics. Jose Quintana (3.96 ERA) has been up and down.

No. 5 starter Tyler Chatwood, whom the Cubs signed to a three-year free-agent deal last December, is 3- 5 with a 5.04 ERA and a WHIP of 1.77, thanks in part to 73 walks allowed in 84 innings.

The Cubs need to get Darvish off the disabled list and into form as soon as possible, but that may not be until early August. Darvish has been on the DL effective May 23 with right-triceps tendinitis. The Cubs signed Darvish to a six-year, $126 million deal, and he is 1-3 with a 4.95 ERA.

Lefty Mike Montgomery has provided depth, and he may force the Cubs to make a choice between him and Chatwood whenever Darvish comes back.

The world's largest bullpen: are the most fickle part of baseball teams each year. With new closer Brandon Morrow aboard and questions about others, it was only fair to wonder about the Cubs bullpen.

But this has been a pleasant surprise for the team.

Morrow is 22-for-24 in save chances, and the Cubs' bullpen's ERA of 3.09 is second in the NL to Arizona's 2.85.

Most surprising is that the Cubs have effectively expanded their bullpen from eight members to up to 14 (not all at once, of course) through the use of their "Iowa shuttle" to and from Des Moines, site of their Class AAA affiliate.

These relievers, who did not open the season with the Cubs, have contributed to the first-half success: Luke Farrell, Justin Hancock, Cory Mazzoni, , Randy Rosario and Anthony Bass.

That these pitchers have minor league options has made the Iowa shuttle workable.

Change in attack: The Cubs offense enters the break ranked first in the NL in runs scored, batting average and on-base percentage. They're third in walks.

The big surprise is that the Cubs are 10th of 15 NL teams in home runs, with 100.

Last season, the Cubs ranked third in homers.

Maddon has voiced his distaste for the "launch-angle revolution" numerous times this season in favor of "moving the baseball." It took awhile for the teachings of new hitting coach Chili Davis to kick in, but they've been on display for the last month or so.

Hey-hey Heyward: Many fans and media may have written off Jason Heyward as an offensive force after two lackluster years at the plate.

Perhaps because of his work with Davis, Heyward has experienced an offensive renaissance, with a line of .285/.344/.431 with 6 homers, 41 RBI and an offensive WAR of 1.0. After posting OPS-plus figure of 68 and 84 in each of his first two seasons with the Cubs, Heyward is at 104 (with 100 being league average).

Maddon has pointed to Heyward's hands getting through the hitting zone more effectively. A move to near the top of the batting order has followed. This version of Heyward looks more like the one the Cubs envisioned when they signed him to an eight-year, $184 million contract before the 2016 season.

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The Athletic The making of El Mago: How Javier Báez became Major League Baseball’s true crossover star By Patrick Mooney

For a moment, forget about all the Hall of Fame elements that other people have seen in Javier Báez. The Manny Ramirez swing. The Gary Sheffield bat speed. Giancarlo Stanton’s power. Roberto Alomar on defense and Willie Mays on the bases.

Cubs manager Joe Maddon tried to explain Baez in rock star terms. But Báez — who was born in Puerto Rico in 1992 — hadn’t heard of The Beatles.

To truly understand what Báez has become — El Mago, the rare crossover personality who transcends Tuesday night’s All-Star Game in Washington, D.C. — just listen to a dad in the Chicago suburbs trying to get home in time to watch his son’s baseball games.

“It’s like Steph Curry in basketball where kids can kind of relate to him,” Cubs bench coach said. “He’s not the biggest guy out there and he makes the game so fun to watch because you just never know what you’re going to get with all the athletic things he does.

“He plays the game with joy — like in Little League. That’s why kids can relate to him so much. My son uses his glove. He loves all these guys [in the clubhouse] the same, but [Javy’s] relatable to kids.”

Colton Hyde is 10 years old and will be a fifth-grader this fall at St. Joan of Arc School in Evanston. His father joined the Cubs as the minor league field coordinator in December 2011, six months after they drafted Báez with the ninth overall pick out of Arlington Country Day School in Jacksonville, Florida.

Hyde got promoted to farm director near the end of the 2012 season and remembered watching one series that year at Class-A Peoria where Báez scored from second base — twice — on wild pitches to the backstop.

“You hardly ever see that and the guy does it a couple times,” Hyde said. “He had anticipated ball in the dirt, so he cut his angle to score and just beat the pitcher to the plate both times. That’s when I was like, ‘OK, this guy’s base-running instincts are a little off the charts.’”

Hyde was the bench coach when Báez made his big-league debut in 2014 and struck out 95 times in 52 games. Hyde was Maddon’s first base coach when Báez became the breakout star of the 2016 playoffs. When he’s driving around Colton’s friends, he understands how popular Báez has become.

“When the kids are in my car, that’s what they ask about,” Hyde said. “They ask about him a lot because the swing’s fun to watch, the defense is fun to watch, the smile on his face, the slides.”

Hyde laughed and said: “Colton asked me the other day, ‘Dad, can you show me how to slide like that?’ I said, ‘Nope.’ If you asked Javy, he wouldn’t know, you know what I mean?”

When Báez starts taking his swings during Monday night’s Home Run Derby at Nationals Park — what Maddon would call John Daly hacks — it will be the natural extension of his breakthrough performance during the run.

“That was the catapult,” said Nick Chanock, a senior vice president in the Wasserman agency’s baseball division. “It just went into Javy-mania.”

Across the last two years, Báez’s endorsement portfolio has grown to around $2 million, an unusually large amount for a baseball player. Báez has a partnership with T-Mobile, the Home Run Derby’s corporate sponsor. David Sunflower Seeds made Báez the first baseball player to appear on its national packaging since icon Derek Jeter. Báez also has deals with Nike, New Era, Fanatics and Toyota.

“These companies feel his passion is real and they’re all looking for authenticity in their marketing nowadays,” said Chanock, who has represented Báez since 2014. “He’s not playing to show someone up. He’s playing because he loves to play baseball.”

When the Cubs visited the White House in January 2017, President Barack Obama gave Báez a shout-out for “turning tagging into an art form.” Type “Javier Báez tagging” into YouTube’s search engine and the top hit is a video that has generated more than 534,000 views and lasts five-plus minutes.

“I didn’t even know tagging was a skill until watching him [in 2016],” former Cubs pitcher said before that World Series. “He’s definitely the best I’ve seen at it.”

At the dedication of the “Javier ‘Javy’ Báez Way” street sign last year, Mayor Rahm Emanuel visited the Humboldt Park neighborhood with a strong Puerto Rican community and explained the evolution of “Be Like Mike” from Jordan’s run with the Bulls: “Now, in the city of Chicago, kids are growing up saying, ‘I want to be like Javy.’”

MLB.com named Báez “Baseball’s Funnest Player” in the same year that ESPN The Magazine featured him posing naked in its “Body Issue.” MVPindex, a company that tracks reach and engagement on social media within the sports, entertainment and advertising worlds, ranked Báez as Major League Baseball’s most socially relevant athlete last year, putting him at No. 1 on the list ahead of Washington superstar Bryce Harper and two-time MVP Mike Trout.

A surge in the All-Star fan voting made Báez — who has almost 442,000 followers on and an Instagram account that reaches 950,000 users — the National League’s starting second baseman. For Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, that energy and excitement made Báez an easy pick to hit leadoff in his first All-Star Game.

“This guy is beloved because he plays with such passion,” Chanock said. “It’s inspiring the way he plays. The reason that he has the fans and the brands — and all of the things that go with it — is because he embodies what the fans want him to be.

“You can see this guy loves playing baseball. He’s just being himself. He’s relatable because he enjoys playing the game, so to a fan who’s watching this guy: 1.) he does something almost every game that you can’t believe. And 2.) he seems to enjoy doing it. There’s nothing fake about his antics on the field. It is authentic.”

Image isn’t everything: On his first night in The Show, Báez hit a game-winning homer in the 12th inning against the Colorado Rockies – and then pushed his sister in a wheelchair from Coors Field back to her hotel in downtown Denver. Noely Báez, who was born with spina bifida, died eight months later, near the beginning of an emotional 2015 season that refocused her brother.

The Báez you see flipping his bat, using the swim move on slides and making highlight-reel plays on defense is very different from the guy you have trouble hearing while answering questions in a quiet voice at his locker jammed with reporters and cameramen.

When asked about his popularity and the contagious way he impacts the Cubs, Báez credited third base coach and first base coach Will Venable.

“There’s a lot of people that follow me because of the way I play,” Báez said. “On the bases, I just keep my head up and I know the situation and obviously I’m trying to get another 90 feet. But it has a lot to do with the coaches, too. Butter and Will —before the game —they do their homework. They got everything on the pitchers and the timing and all this stuff. It’s really huge for me.”

Deep down, Báez is an old-school ballplayer who happens to wear big gold chains around his neck and have tattoos (including the MLB logo) all over his body. He had the toughness and IQ to play some catcher in high school and now provides Gold Glove-caliber defense at three different infield positions. He handled personal tragedy — and the responsibilities of providing for his family — and now has a fiancée and a newborn son.

Báez leads the Cubs — the team with the NL’s best record at the All-Star break and MLB’s version of the Golden State Warriors — in homers (19), RBIs (72), hits (100), slugging percentage (.566), OPS (.892), runs scored (61) and stolen bases (18).

“I can’t think of a player who’s any more instinctual or any more exciting than him,” Cubs president Theo Epstein said. “Those are some great qualities to have. I don’t think he gets enough credit for his pure baseball intelligence. He sees the game so well. His innate sense of timing and anticipation is really unrivaled, so he’s someone you don’t take your eyes off on the field, which makes him unique. Those guys don’t come around very often.”

Back in January 2014, someone on Twitter asked the popular analyst Jason Parks: Who will have the better major-league career, Báez or Houston Astros prospect Carlos Correa? Before Parks would leave , become one of Epstein’s special assistants and join the Arizona Diamondbacks as their pro scouting director, he responded: “Both could be all-stars; Báez could be a religion.”

As the scouting director for the Cubs in 2011, Tim Wilken didn’t really view Báez as a high-risk, high- reward decision because area scout Tom had gotten to know the family so well; his staff agreed that a legitimate middle-of-the-order hitter is harder to find than a frontline starting pitcher; and “Javy being Javy” still meant sparkling up-the-middle defense and sharp baserunning, even if he still had all-or- nothing streaks on offense and room to grow as a teenager.

Wilken earned two World Series rings with the Toronto Blue Jays and his drafts there yielded Roy Halladay and Chris Carpenter. Wilken drafted the pieces — and Jeff Samardzija — that Epstein’s baseball operations group turned into Anthony Rizzo and Addison Russell. Win-now deals near the end of the Tribune Co. era saw the Cubs trade away future All-Stars that Wilken drafted like and .

“I’ve been involved with a lot of feel-good stories and MVPs, Cy Youngs, blah blah blah,” said Wilken, now a special assignment scout for the Diamondbacks. “But this … wow … I just laugh almost every time. It seems like the next [Javy] story’s better than the last one. Hopefully, that’s something for the next seven to 10 years as a Cub. Jeez, he probably could have been traded about 15 times before this point and now you would get [crushed] in Chicago if he got traded.”

The Cubs never flipped Báez for pitching, allowing him to make mistakes, show his personality and play with emotion on one of the biggest stages possible.

While Trout performs outside Los Angeles for a fourth-place Angels team that has been to the playoffs once (a three-game sweep) during the six seasons he’s shown up in the American League MVP voting, Báez has already experienced seven postseason rounds, earned the 2016 NLCS co-MVP award and received a championship ring from a franchise that hadn’t won the World Series since 1908. All before his 25th birthday.

At a time when baseball can feel too old, too slow, too insular and too regional, Báez is young, fast, bilingual and multicultural. In an environment where managers have lost authority to the suits and the geeks in the front office, middle relievers take over playoff games and big-name free agents remain unemployed in the middle of spring training, Báez is still must-see on your TV, iPhone or tablet.

Wilken projected Báez would be a very good player, but never saw this coming, all those No. 9 jerseys in the stands, a network of corporate alliances and the El Mago persona that could make something as routine as tagging look cool.

“Definitely not in my report,” Wilken said with a laugh. “I would have never guessed that part. But I’m now of the opinion — after what has transpired here in the last two, two-and-a-half years — that nothing’s going to surprise me. I’m going to say nothing’s going to surprise me, but who knows? He may have a real humdinger in there. I don’t know. It’s something else. I can’t wait for the next surprise.”

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The Athletic An All-Star once again, Cubs ace Jon Lester is doing everything he can to stay on top of his game By Sahadev Sharma

SAN DIEGO — Coming off one of the worst seasons of his career, Jon Lester has bounced back at 34, leading a struggling Cubs staff with a 2.58 ERA and 111 2/3 innings. The results have been impressive, but for those who look at more than just a pitcher’s win total and ERA, there’s only one question: How can he keep it up in the second half?

Lester wrapped up a brilliant first half on Sunday afternoon in San Diego as the Cubs won 7-4, improving to 55-38 (a game behind the 2016 team at this point) and they head into the break with a 2 1/2-game division lead and the best record in the National League.

But is a second-half regression on the horizon for Lester? And if that happens, how can the Cubs withstand it?

Through his 19 starts, Lester has a middling 19.1 percent rate and a not-ideal 8.9 walk rate. Both numbers would be the worst of his Cubs career and help contribute to the fact that he has a 4.34 FIP and is on many a stathead’s list of likely regressing pitchers in the second half.

“I would tend to agree that some of the peripheral numbers may indicate he’s due for a bit of a downturn,” pitching coach said. “But I would also say they’re a little bit misleading. He’s seen how good his defense is and he’s basically taken advantage of that. Sometimes he’s said forget trying to strike people out.”

It’s more than just the lack of , Lester has a hard-hit rate of 33.1 percent and his ground ball rate is just 38.2 percent. Since becoming a full-time starter in 2008, Lester has never been above 30 percent in hard-hit rate or below 40 percent in ground-ball rate. But Lester is aware of these issues.

“I’ve noticed I’m not striking as many guys out,” Lester said. “I think that’s a combination of changing how I’m pitching. I’m throwing more changeups and I’m pitching up in the zone a little more, trying to throw in on guys’ hands as opposed to being down.”

Lester believes opponents aren’t chasing his curveball as much because he’s pitching differently. According to Pitch Info, batters are swinging at Lester’s curve 32.6 percent of the time, the lowest rate of his career. Between 2014-17, that number was between 38.9 and 45.8 percent.

The 39.8 percent whiff/swing rate he’s getting on the pitch is his lowest since 2013, the last time he had a sub-20-percent strikeout rate. While he’s throwing his changeup a lot more often than he has in recent seasons (his 10.4 percent mark is his first in double digits since 2013) and it’s leading to some success, it doesn’t have nearly the swing-and-miss threat his curveball once was. To put this into perspective, Lester’s 23.6 percent whiff/swing rate on the changeup is more than 14 points lower than what his diminished curveball is getting right now. Still, Lester isn’t worried about strikeouts.

“The big thing is trying to get guys out as quickly as you can,” he said. “Strikeouts are great — I know there are formulas supposedly break down what a pitcher is doing that year based on their strikeout rate — but I think the big thing is really the walks. I’ve been pitching to the corners so much that I’m falling behind and I’m putting myself in bad situations.”

Hickey said he’s a big believer in not “fixing what isn’t broken” so he doesn’t believe it’s imperative for Lester to change right now to continue finding success in the second half. The results will show what adjustments need to be made. But Hickey also believes focusing on strikeouts could lead to more walk issues.

“I don’t think he should make that his goal, necessarily,” Hickey said. “I think that’s actually been counter-productive as a whole for us. That’s led to a lot of walks because we’re trying to miss bats more often than we should. We’re also asking for pitches with a high degree of difficulty in very crucial counts where if you 100 percent execute the pitch, it’s still borderline as to whether or not the umpire will call it a strike or the hitter will swing and miss.”

Lester and Hickey are on the same page in that regard.

“A lot of times when you’re not getting swing and misses, you’re trying to get swing and misses instead of just getting those swings and getting bad contact,” Lester said. “These guys are good and you’re going to miss locations, but then your defense picks you up.”

While Hickey said there are things Lester can do to raise his strikeout rate this season, he just doesn’t believe Lester needs to do them to succeed. Two starts before the break, Lester showed some signs of deteriorating as he gave up four earned runs in 6 1/3 innings. Hickey said that was because Lester was “getting a little bit out in front. The ball was on plane more, a little bit flatter. It didn’t have that downhill angle which makes it very effective and everything just works off of that.”

But a good side session led to what Lester felt was a better outing to wrap up his first half.

“Over the last week or so we’ve made an adjustment with mechanics,” Lester said Sunday. “Trying to stay behind the ball better.”

Hickey repeatedly uses the word “evolving” when talking about where Lester is in his career. For his part, Lester admitted he’s going up in the zone more with his fastball and relying on his changeup more often. Hickey said that could be a strategy Lester uses even more often in the second half. Lester found success doing those things early in his career and perhaps he can do it again with what he has today.

“I don’t have the stuff anymore to create strikeouts,” Lester said. “When I have a guy set up for a pitch, I have to execute that pitch. And I’m kinda not doing that right, especially on the fastball down and away with two strikes, or my backdoor cutter, or that curveball that just seems too short. I’m kinda doing it to myself.”

Hickey said that while Lester may not have the same velocity he once had, the way he pitches gives him a higher “effective velocity.” So while he may be sitting 91.8 mph, according to Pitch Info, that can look more like the 93 mph fastball he used to deliver as recently as last year. One could counter that the 93 he had just a year ago would then look like 95, but it’s important to note that Lester has said he’s going up-and-in more, which is an area where effective velocity is truly present.

“I don’t have 95 anymore,” Lester said. “That’s where, two years ago, my curveball played more because I was 93-95. I pitch in a lot, so guys were already getting going earlier on pitches inside, and then that curveball didn’t get there and they swing over the top. But my changeup wasn’t as effective out over the plate. Now, the roles are reversed, I feel like my curveball strike percentage is a lot better as far as in the zone, but I’m not getting the swings and misses under on the curve. But I’m getting swings and misses and bad contact on the changeup. Now it’s a viable pitch again. Now I can use it again.”

Hickey credited the current pitching infrastructure of and for working with Lester to try and reinvent himself and get prepared for what’s been a strong 2018 after a dreadful

2017. Lester knows he’s not the same guy he was a decade ago, or even two years ago. But that’s what makes him so special. He’s one of those pitchers who has learned how to thrive even though he may not be at his very best.

“I think you’re witnessing it right now,” Hickey said. “He reminds me a lot of Andy Pettitte when he started to come back to the pack a little bit at the end of his career and some of the changes he made. And a changeup was actually part of that and he had a lot of success. So I’m confident whatever it’s going to be, it’s not like he’s going to just become an unproductive pitcher. He’s going to remain productive throughout the course of his contract.”

(Cubs president Theo Epstein compared Lester to Pettitte when he signed him to a $155 million deal before the 2015 season: “If you look at Andy Pettitte, he aged extremely well through his 30s. He’s a reasonable [comparison]. The second half of Jon Lester’s career you want to look like Andy Pettitte.”)

The reality is, it’s hard to suggest Lester is going to continue to get the same results just by pitching the same way he did in the first half. He knows how much his defense helped him and how often he benefited from a hard-hit ball finding a glove or a strong lake wind. But that doesn’t mean he’s done trying to find ways to be one of the more impressive pitchers in baseball. Time may be working against him, but Jon Lester is once again an All-Star, and he’s not planning on that being the high point of his season.

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Cubs.com Cubs' trio enjoying their All-Star experience By Mark Feinsand

WASHINGTON -- During their cross-country flight from San Diego on Sunday night, Javier Baez began asking Jon Lester questions about what to expect during his first All-Star experience.

"I said, 'You've got four already, right?'" Baez said. "He said, 'You better get it right; I've got five.'"

That was just one of the laughs the teammates shared as they made their way to our nation's capital for All-Star Week, where Lester, Baez and Willson Contreras will represent the Cubs in the 89th All-Star Game presented by Mastercard on Tuesday night. The game, held at Nationals Park, will be live on FOX at 6:30 p.m. CT.

Also on the flight to Washington was Kyle Schwarber, who along with Baez, was part of Monday night's T-Mobile Home Run Derby.

Schwarber belted a Derby-best 55 homers and finished second to Bryce Harper, while Baez hit the event's longest homer at 479 feet and 16 total in a first-round loss to the Dodgers' Max Muncy.

Lester may be an All-Star for the fifth time, but Baez and Contreras are first-timers, while Schwarber was making his Derby debut.

"The biggest thing I told them is just be prepared for craziness," Lester said. "It's non-stop from when we get here until when we leave; that was probably the most eye-opening thing for me my first time. You have 10 minutes to sit down with your family. The big thing is to just have fun. Don't worry so much about the Home Run Derby or the game; just kind of sit back and try to enjoy it as best you can."

Lester won't pitch in the All-Star Game, having started for the Cubs on Sunday in San Diego. As honored as he is to be part of the festivities, the 34-year-old seemed more excited to see his teammates go through the experienced for the first time.

"The big thing for me is watching these two knuckleheads over here have fun," Lester said, pointing toward Baez, 25, and Contreras, 26. "I'm excited for them. Obviously, I'm excited to be here for myself, but I get to kick my feet up and watch these guys, so it will be fun."

Lester has shared an All-Star clubhouse with many teammates in the past, but being here with Contreras was especially meaningful to him. served as Lester's personal catcher during his first two seasons in Chicago, but once the veteran backstop called it a career after the 2016 World Series, Contreras and Lester began their working relationship.

"On a personal level, it's even more gratifying for myself," Lester said of Contreras' All-Star nod. "With the whole Rossy thing, I know that was kind of a chip on his shoulder. When Rossy retired, he wanted to be that guy -- and he has. He's done an extremely good job in every aspect of the game. I'm very proud of the way he's grown, both physically and maturity-wise behind home plate."

"If he says so," Contreras said with a grin. "Lester is an amazing teammate and an amazing pitcher. If he says that, I don't have to say anything else. ... Now that we've gotten to learn each other more, to know each other more, it's been way easier than before."

Baez will lead off and play second base for the National League, while Contreras will start behind the plate and hit ninth.

The three Cubs All-Stars took turns lobbing bouquets in each others' direction during Monday's media availability, lauding their teammates for their impact on and off the field.

"You see the flair they play the game with and the ease that they play the game with, and that kind of oozes energy," Lester said of his younger teammates.

Then the pitcher took it to another level as he continued to talk about Baez, calling him "probably the best infielder I've ever played with."

That's quite a compliment given that Lester has shared clubhouses with the likes of Dustin Pedroia, Adrian Beltre and Mike Lowell among others.

"Javy's athleticism just makes him above and beyond those guys; not only on the basepaths, but he plays multiple positions," Lester said. "If you're able to do that, that puts you in a pretty special category. Three years ago, we had him playing center field. He's a special talent. The game just seems so slow and easy to him."

When Baez learned he had been voted as the NL's starting second baseman, he began laughing. Contreras, on the other hand, had a different reaction.

"He started crying," Baez said. "I said, 'Are you happy or are you not happy?"

The emotion Contreras felt carried into Monday as Contreras talked about the feeling of sharing a room with the best players in the world.

"It means a lot; it means another dream came true," Contreras said. "First there was the World Series in 2016, now an All-Star; it's something I dreamed about since I was a kid. I used to tell my mom and dad that I wanted to be in the big leagues, but also that I wanted to be an All-Star. Now I'm here, so I'm trying to enjoy every single second of this."

Lester knows the feeling. He remembers being a first-time All-Star in 2010, his fifth season with the Red Sox. For the lefty, it was a sign that he had taken his game to the next level, much the same as Baez and Contreras have in the early years of their respective careers.

"When I got to my first All-Star Game, it just kind of makes you feel like you belong; like, 'I am pretty good,'" Lester said. "To get rewarded for your hard work, to get to be able to do this, it's like that little pat on the back or 'Good job.' Hopefully they see that and hopefully they feel like they are two of the best in the game and that just carries over to their game."

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Cubs.com Runner-up Schwarber hits Derby-high 55 HRs By Mark Feinsand

WASHINGTON -- Kyle Schwarber hit more home runs than anyone else in Monday's T-Mobile Home Run Derby, but unfortunately for the Cubs slugger, Bryce Harper hit one more when it counted most.

Schwarber, who clubbed 55 homers on the night, fell to the Nationals' hometown hero in a memorable final round, 19-18, as Harper hit a walk-off homer in bonus time to snap the tie and win the event in front of a packed house at Nationals Park.

"That's an experience right there, taking all those swings in a short amount of time," Schwarber said. "I ran out of gas a little bit at the end, but I thought I still put up a good number. Bryce did a really good job there at the end. He had the whole crowd behind him; that was a really cool experience. I'm happy for him."

Schwarber had disposed of Houston's Alex Bregman and Philadelphia's Rhys Hoskins in the first two rounds to earn a head-to-head meeting with Harper in the finals.

Schwarber hits 16 HRs in Round 1 Schwarber hits 16 HRs in Round 1 06:19 Jul. 16th, 2018

"I was really excited to see him in the finals with Harper," said Javier Baez, who fell to the Dodgers' Max Muncy in the first round. "They put on a great show."

Schwarber hit 14 home runs in his four minutes of allotted time in the opening round, though he earned a 30-second bonus thanks to a number of prodigious blasts that topped the 440-foot mark. He hit a pair of monster shots in the extra time, giving him 16 for the round.

Schwarber's 450-ft. homer Schwarber's 450-ft. homer 00:12 Jul. 16th, 2018

Bregman made things interesting, hitting four homers in five swings down the stretch as he got to 15 with only a few swings left.

Bregman looked to have a chance to tie Schwarber on his final swing, but the ball hit the top of the wall in left-center, ending his night as Schwarber advanced to the semifinals to face Hoskins.

"My heart was pounding," Schwarber said. "I was like, 'Man, Bregman's going to knock me out in the first round!' He's one of my good friends. He went out there and made it close; that last swing was definitely scary."

Hoskins belted 20 home runs in his semifinal round, presenting Schwarber with a tall task to get to the finals.

Schwarber's 21 homers in Round 2 Schwarber's 21 homers in Round 2 04:54 Jul. 16th, 2018

"Rhys put up a really big number in that second round," Schwarber said. "I was like, 'Man, I've got to get after it.'"

Schwarber started out slowly, hitting only one home run in his first eight swings. But a pair of five-homer stretches and a well-timed timeout got him back in the groove. A couple of long blasts earned him a 30- second bonus, and Schwarber went on another big run, hitting five in a row for a third time in the round.

"Once we started hitting a roll, I was getting into it and the crowd was getting into it," Schwarber said.

Six of Schwarber's final seven swings in the round left the yard, including the walk-off homer. Schwarber celebrated his second-round win with an epic bat flip on his 21st home run, then embraced Hoskins as the two men showed respect for each other's extraordinary display of power.

Statcast: Schwarber's 462-ft. HR Statcast: Schwarber's 462-ft. HR 00:34 Jul. 16th, 2018

The last hurdle for Schwarber was Harper, who kept the hometown crowd on its feet with wins against Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman and Muncy, each by a score of 13-12.

"Washington was on point tonight, cheering everyone on," Schwarber said. "I was down in the tunnel saying, 'If we get to the finals against Harper, they're all going to be against me.' What do you know? I went out there and got booed after they had gotten all pumped up for me. That's the beauty of it."

Schwarber hit five home runs in the first minute of his final round, earning the bonus time in the first 60 seconds with a pair of blasts that exceeded 440 feet each. He took the first of his two timeouts with 2:50 remaining, getting a hug and some words of encouragement from Baez.

Schwarber's 453-ft. Finals blast Schwarber's 453-ft. Finals blast 00:10

Jul. 16th, 2018

Schwarber hit home runs on four straight swings shortly after the break, giving him nine. He appeared to be tiring as he came up short on six straight swings, prompting him to use his final timeout with 1:49 left on the clock.

This time, it was Cubs catcher Willson Contreras giving Schwarber a pep talk, though he went deep on only one of his next six swings.

But Schwarber continued his streaky ways, belting five homers on his next six swings, including a run of four straight -- two of them settling in the third deck in right field. He hit two more homers in regulation and added another in the bonus time, giving him 18 for the final round.

Kyle Schwarber ✔ @kschwarb12 What a show by @Bharper3407! @Nationals Park was rockin! Ran out of gas at the end but hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did! Thank you for the opportunity and see you in Chicago!

"At the end, I felt like I was swinging at everything," Schwarber said. "I was running out of gas and felt like I had to put up as many swings as I could just to put a couple out."

Harper started out slowly in the finals and had only nine home runs with 1:20 remaining on the clock, but after taking his second timeout, the former National League MVP got on a roll, belting eight straight homers at one point. He tied Schwarber on his final swing of regulation, then won the Derby with his first home run in bonus time.

"I just sat back and was enjoying the show," Schwarber said. "You just kind of accept your fate there. It didn't really matter at that point. What an experience; I felt like we, as players, had done our duty to put on a really good show throughout the whole Derby. If I won, I won. If I didn't, I didn't. I was just enjoying the moment there."

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Cubs.com 479 feet! Baez belts longest home run of Derby By Jesse Sanchez

WASHINGTON -- Cubs second baseman Javier Baez stepped into the batter's box at Nationals Park determined to put on a show.

And that's exactly what he did.

Baez hit 16 home runs in the first round of the T-Mobile Home Run Derby on Monday, including one that traveled 479 feet, the longest of the night.

But the homers, many of which traveled more than 420 feet, were not enough as Dodgers infielder Max Muncy followed with 17 home runs with 30 seconds to spare to eliminate Baez from the competition.

"I put on a pretty good show, and Muncy put a good one on, too," Baez said. "I feel great about it, and it was a great experience."

Baez went down swinging. He hit at least two home runs in a row three times, including three in a row to end the regulation round. He added two more home runs to up his total in the 30-second bonus round. His older brother, Gadiel, who throws him batting practice during the offseason back home in Puerto Rico, served as the pitcher.

"[Gadiel] did great. I liked the way he pitched to me tonight," Baez said. "He threw a normal BP. I wasn't rushing, but I was maybe trying to hit it harder than usual. He was fine, and I am good with that."

Baez's hardest-hit ball was 102 mph and traveled 402 feet. The average distance for the home runs was 422.1 feet, and the average exit velocity was 103.3 mph. The exit velocity on his 479-foot home run was 107 mph.

"I wish I would have won it," Baez said. "We will see next year if I am available to do it. I would do it."

Baez, who has 100 hits and 19 home runs in 343 at-bats this season, took a timeout at the two-minute mark. He was greeted at home plate by fellow Puerto Rican stars Francisco Lindor, Yadier Molina, Edwin Diaz and Jose Berrios, along with teammates Willson Contreras and Kyle Schwarber, and the group gathered around their good friend again when it was all over.

While watching the 2018 All-Star Game presented by Mastercard live on FOX on Tuesday, fans can submit their choices for the Ted Williams Most Valuable Player Award presented by Chevrolet with the 2018 All-Star Game MLB.com MVP Vote.

The 89th Midsummer Classic, at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., will be televised nationally by FOX Sports; in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and RDS; and worldwide by partners in more than 180 countries. FOX Deportes will provide Spanish-language coverage in the United States, while ESPN Radio and ESPN Radio Deportes will provide exclusive national radio coverage of the All-Star Game. MLB Network, MLB.com and SiriusXM also will provide comprehensive All-Star Week coverage.

For more information about MLB All-Star Week and to purchase tickets, visit AllStarGame.com and follow @MLB and @AllStarGame on social media.

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