May 4, 2017
ESPNChicago.com, Aggressive and lucky is winning combination for Cubs' Willson Contreras http://www.espn.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/id/43991/aggressive-and-lucky-is-winning-combination-for- cubs-willson-contreras
ESPNChicago.com, Already a fan favorite, Javier Baez is searching for consistency http://www.espn.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/id/43975/already-fan-favorite-javier-baez-searching- consistency
CSNChicago.com, Willson Contreras Plays With His 'Hair On Fire' And Fuels Comeback Win For Cubs http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/willson-contreras-plays-his-hair-fire-and-fuels-comeback-win-cubs
CSNChicago.com, Cubs Will Ride Out Boom-And-Bust Cycles With Javier Baez Because The Upside Is So Great http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/cubs-will-ride-out-boom-and-bust-cycles-javier-baez-because- upside-so-great-joe-maddon
CSNChicago.com, Jake Arrieta Confident A Shaky Rotation (So Far) Will Help Launch Cubs Again http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/jake-arrieta-confident-shaky-rotation-so-far-will-help-launch-cubs- again
Chicago Tribune, Willson Contreras' two-run double, daring baserunning sparks Cubs http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-phillies-spt-0504-20170503-story.html
Chicago Tribune, Joe Maddon believes Javier Baez still has plenty room to grow offensively http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-javier-baez-offensive-development-cubs-spt-0504- 20170503-story.html
Chicago Tribune, Cubs bullish on new bullpen location http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-bullpen-bleachers-20170503-story.html
Chicago Tribune, Camden Yards paved a retro revolution — and influenced Wrigley Field's renovations http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/ct-camden-yards-wrigley-field-spt-0504-20170503- story.html
Chicago Sun-Times, Jon Lester scoffs at hangover talk, says rotation on brink of run http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/jon-lester-scoffs-at-hangover-talk-says-rotation-on-brink-of-run/
Chicago Sun-Times, Kick start: Cubs’ Javy Baez tweaks mechanics, goes on 6-for-7 run http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/kick-start-cubs-javy-baez-tweaks-mechanics-goes-on-6-for-7-run/
Daily Herald, Maddon confident in Chicago Cubs' starters http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20170503/chicago-cubs-starting-pitchers-have-struggled-but-maddon- isnt-concerned
Daily Herald, Cubs' Maddon likes how Baez is seeing the ball http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20170503/cubsx2019-maddon-likes-how-baez-is-seeing-the-ball
Cubs.com, Cubs awaken with 4-run 6th, hold off Phillies http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/228108632/cubs-rally-with-big-6th-to-beat-phillies/
Cubs.com, Hot wheels: Contreras fuels Cubs' comeback http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/228234310/cubs-willson-contreras-leads-rally-off-bench/
Cubs.com, Maddon understands Javy 'learning on the fly' http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/228115574/cubs-javier-baez-heating-up-at-plate/
Cubs.com, Patient Cubs aim to claim series behind Lackey http://atmlb.com/2pcgrdY
Cubs.com, Cubs hoping for better defensive play http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/228120910/chicago-cubs-hoping-for-better-defensive-play/
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ESPNChicago.com Aggressive and lucky is winning combination for Cubs' Willson Contreras By Jesse Rogers
CHICAGO – Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good. In the case of Chicago Cubs catcher Willson Contreras, he was a little bit of both Wednesday night, as he drove in two runs with a pinch-hit double, then scored what turned out to be the winning tally in the sixth inning of the Cubs' 5-4 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies.
The hit was simply a nicely pulled ball to left field, but Contreras' crossing the plate a few minutes later was anything but ordinary. With the Cubs leading 4-3, Contreras was standing on second base after bringing Wrigley Field to its feet with his double. There were two outs when Matt Szczur sent a ground ball up the middle, with the grass in center field its apparent destination. Contreras took off from second with one thing on his mind.
“I thought it was a ground ball to center, I was looking at [third-base coach Gary] Jones, and he sent me to home plate,” Contreras said after the game. “By the time I was going to home plate, I saw the catcher going for the baseball. I just kind of got around the base [home plate].”
The ball never made it to center, as shortstop Freddy Galvis gobbled it up, but instead of attempting to throw the speedy Szczur out at first to end the inning, he kept his eyes on Contreras.
“He was anticipating a throw to first base and continued to come around [third base],” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. “You could see him [Galvis] regroup.”
The ball never reached center field, and Galvis never threw it to first. He seemed to pause until the Cubs catcher committed, then he fired the ball home. Contreras looked dead to rights until the mound seemingly rose up and hit the ball, delaying its path to catcher Andrew Knapp. In fact, Galvis simply made a low throw. By the time the ball reached Knapp, it was too late.
“We got lucky that ball hit right on the back of the mound,” Maddon said. “That was one of our lucky breaks for the night.”
Contreras said Jones never wavered, sending him home as soon as he hit third. The catcher’s instincts took over as he slid around the tag.
“I was just running as hard as I could and trying to get around the base [home plate],” Contreras said. “I went back and slapped it.”
The aggressive style of play led Maddon to describe Contreras as a guy who plays “with his hair on fire.”
“Overall, we try to teach that more aggressive method of baserunning,” Maddon said.
That aggressiveness, combined with some luck, was the difference in the game. Philadelphia added a run in the eighth inning to make the score 5-4 and turn Contreras' scamper into the winning play.
“In the air, you could tell it was going to be short,” Maddon said. “We got lucky.”
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ESPNChicago.com Already a fan favorite, Javier Baez is searching for consistency By Jesse Rogers
CHICAGO -- Take a look around Wrigley Field during any Cubs game, and Javier Baez jerseys are one of the most common sights you’ll see in the stands. But the man wearing the authentic No. 9 in Chicago has been in a five- week fight just to keep his playing time.
Or at least until now.
Finally, Baez has gotten hot. His 4-for-4 performance against the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday combined with home runs in back-to-back games is a reminder of what he can do when he’s swinging at strikes.
“I was kind of upset with myself,” Baez said Wednesday of his slow start. “Was trying to slow everything down and fix everything in one at-bat.
“It always feels good to get a base hit. I was seeing the ball good (on Tuesday).”
That aforementioned Baez jersey is the most popular jersey in all of baseball that doesn’t have Bryant, Rizzo or Kershaw written on the back of it. He has a National League Championship Series co-MVP award at home and a street named after him in Chicago. But the truth remains: We still don’t know when Javier Baez is going to put it all together because he can’t shake his most glaring issue -- chasing pitches he shouldn’t be chasing.
“Making adjustments here in the big leagues is really tough,” he stated. “Pitchers know what they’re doing. If they do their homework, it’s going to pay off.”
Perhaps the Phillies don’t have the correct scouting report, as they’ve thrown him “cookies” during the series. Baez, of course, can still hit a long ball with the best of them. On Monday and Tuesday, he drove pitches thrown down the middle of the plate into the bleachers in right center and then in left. But it’s pitches far from the heart of the plate that stand between Baez and consistent production.
“It’s not like I’m not hitting the ball,” Baez said. “I’m hitting the ball. I’m (just) swinging at balls not in the zone.”
That last thought has been said often about Baez’s approach at the plate. Partly for this reason: his OBP a year ago was only .314, just eight points higher than what Jason Heyward posted during his rough first year with the Cubs. As of Tuesday, according to ESPN Stats & Information, Baez has the highest chase percentage (43 percent) of anyone in baseball with at least 60 plate appearances — that’s last out of 233 batters this season.
“I expect him to get back to where he had been offensively, with more control of the strike zone,” manager Joe Maddon said.
Baez is striking out 30 percent of the time, the same percentage he went down on K’s in 2015. Last year, that figure was down to 24 percent. His current 5:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio actually is the best of his career, though it’s still not a flattering number.
Taking his share of walks will be essential to his growth. Receiving just 15 free passes while striking out 108 times, as he did last season, is inviting the opposition to pitch outside the zone. And they’re doing it. Baez said he understands the problem, but fixing it is another story.
“I like my swing,” he said. “I’ve been with my swing my whole career. I just have to make my adjustments.”
Baez seemed ready to adjust to anything thrown his way this spring. He rolled into camp sporting a new World Series tattoo and a constant smile. And he played a starring role in the World Baseball Classic for Puerto Rico, batting .296 and posting a .345 on-base percentage. But it didn't carry over to start of the regular season.
“He had a great camp,” Maddon said. “He was locked into his zone. He might be [in] the proverbial 'trying too hard' [stage] right now. He’s taking that pitch he should be swinging at, swinging at the pitch he should not. It happens. And when it flips back, he’s going to take off and get hot again.”
Maybe the switch got flipped over the last couple of days, as Maddon has a theory on hitters who possess low batting averages.
“It’s hard to get a young player to accept his walks because they want that number (batting average) to get better,” Maddon explained. “That makes you swing at even more bad pitches. If you do get a few hits you have a greater propensity to not swing at everything because you’re not just worried about getting that number up to where you want it to be.”
So perhaps Baez will be thanking the Phillies by the time they leave town, as they may have allowed him to settle in now that he raised his average about 60 points in two days. Plus, we’re getting deeper into the season now -- always a good thing for slow starters.
“I usually start like this, not too hot,” Baez said. “Through the season I get warm.”
This week’s exploits at the plate offer hope that Baez is getting warm, but if his performance doesn’t completely heat up, he can’t take his hitting woes to the field.
Errors are a bit of a dated statistic, but Baez has committed three -- third most in the NL -- in limited playing time. It’s a warning sign for a player everyone knows can make the spectacular play -- one whose own manager wants to see make the routine plays more routinely. Baez’s nonchalant flip toward second on a double-play ball that led to a big inning for the Reds in Cincinnati is exactly what his manager wants him to avoid.
“I’ve been working on my defense every day,” Baez said. “I don’t worry about defense.”
In much the same way the routine plays -- and not the spectacular ones -- will help us evaluate Baez’s defensive performance, the swings he doesn’t take will best illustrate his improvement in the field.
“It’s cyclical,” Maddon explained. “I’m aware of that. I don’t have any solid explanation except when guys aren’t hitting well, they’re normally swinging at pitches they shouldn’t be.”
Once Baez breaks the cycle and waits for his pitch to come, there will be plenty of fans in No. 9 jerseys ready to cheer for his breakthrough.
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CSNChicago.com Willson Contreras Plays With His 'Hair On Fire' And Fuels Comeback Win For Cubs By Patrick Mooney
The Cubs needed this shot of adrenaline from Willson Contreras, an energetic player who had to learn how to channel his emotions before becoming the rookie catcher for a World Series winner.
Whether or not you believe in the hangover effect, the Cubs haven’t looked quite as sharp as the 2016 team that — beginning Opening Night — played like it was on a mission. Maybe this Contreras-fueled 5-4 comeback victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday night at Wrigley Field will become a spark.
“You plug into this guy,” manager Joe Maddon said. “He plays with his hair on fire. He does. Sometimes it can actually work against him. He gets a little bit overassertive. As he learns to play with his hair on fire — not absolutely a forest fire, maybe just slightly like the burning bush of some kind — he’s going to learn how to control all that.”
Contreras made it through last October and early November just fine and entered this one-run game as a pinch- hitter. Facing lefty reliever Joely Rodriguez, Contreras drove a go-ahead, two-run double into left field, clapping his hands and pointing to the sky from second base as the crowd of 39,335 roared.
That piece of clutch hitting showed how Contreras stays alert and mentally prepared and why the comeback Cubs (15-12) might be ready to take off again. But the essence of Contreras also came through on the very next at-bat when Matt Szczur hit a ball toward Phillies shortstop Freddy Galvis, who made a diving stop to his left and spun around.
As Contreras kept sprinting from second base, Galvis paused and threw a ball that bounced off the back of the pitcher’s mound. That allowed Contreras to slide headfirst under the tag from catcher Andrew Knapp. Feeling out of breath, Contreras got up from the dirt and slapped home plate with his right hand for a 5-3 lead and the insurance run the Cubs would need.
“I don’t know how to play (any other way),” said Contreras, who credited third base coach Gary Jones. “He sent me home the whole way. I was running as hard as I could and I was trying to get around the base. I think I missed it at first. Everything happened so fast.”
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CSNChicago.com Cubs Will Ride Out Boom-And-Bust Cycles With Javier Baez Because The Upside Is So Great By Patrick Mooney
The Cubs will live with the boom-and-bust cycles for Javier Baez, because he can still be a game-changing presence with his swim moves and freakish sense for tagging, whether or not he looks out of control at home plate.
“Not so much,” manager Joe Maddon said Wednesday when asked if Baez is at that point in his career where he has to earn his at-bats. “I’m just trying to balance everything out right now, honestly. I even told him: ‘Go and strike out as often as you need to. Go ahead, I don’t care. I really don’t care.’
“I just want to see him play with that focus and passion. That’s all I want. I totally expect him to strike out. I totally expect him to swing at balls in the dirt and over his head, absolutely.
“I do eventually believe it’s going to go away. But the only way it’s going to go away is if he keeps getting a chance to do that.”
Baez boosted his batting average 66 points (up from .203) during the first two games of this week's series with the Philadelphia Phillies at Wrigley Field, drilling his second and third home runs this season and almost hitting for the cycle on Tuesday night.
Baez oozes style, but Maddon also loves the substance to his game. When hitting at the bottom of the lineup, Baez has made first-inning flip drills with assistant hitting coach Eric Hinske part of his routine. Baez also seems to be getting the message from the coaching staff and trying to reduce his leg kick.
Baez is no longer the all-or-nothing hitter who blasted nine homers and struck out 95 times during his 52-game audition with the Cubs in 2014. But this is also a player who has drawn comparisons to Gary Sheffield, Manny Ramirez and Giancarlo Stanton.
In terms of an offensive ceiling, Maddon said, “I don’t think it’s going to be revealed to us for another couple years.
“I think it’s very high, absolutely. You’re still going to see him go through these kinds of moments, up and down. The difference with him is that even during the down moments offensively he can still help you win with his defense and his baserunning.
“So I fully anticipate seeing those offensive swings in a sense — up and down — but the reward’s going to be great. When he really figures it out, the reward is going to show up and it’s going to be outstanding to watch.”
Starting Baez at second base over World Series MVP Ben Zobrist for all 17 playoff games last season is a clear indication of what Maddon is thinking. So is sticking with Baez through a slow start (.601 April OPS) and the Cubs listing him as their second baseman on the All-Star ballot.
“I think everybody knows how good I am,” Baez said. “I don’t have to show anybody anything. I control the things that I can control.
“I’m always going to play with passion and try to do my best out there, whether it’s on defense or on offense.”
The transition from part-time player and age-24 learning curve for Baez is emblematic of a team where leadoff guy Kyle Schwarber, catcher Willson Contreras and center fielder Albert Almora Jr. all own World Series rings but still haven’t completed a full season in The Show yet.
“It just happens everywhere,” Maddon said. “These guys are young and they’re learning on the fly on the major- league level with a lot of scrutiny going on, so just wait a couple years. This guy is going to really show you how good he is.”
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CSNChicago.com Jake Arrieta Confident A Shaky Rotation (So Far) Will Help Launch Cubs Again By Patrick Mooney
The Cubs still only have first-division problems. This isn’t the San Francisco Giants scrambling after Madison Bumgarner’s dirt-bike accident or the New York Mets letting Noah Syndergaard blow off an MRI or the Texas Rangers shutting down Cole Hamels for two months with a strained oblique muscle.
The Cubs haven’t dealt with that kind of rotation crisis through 200 wins across the last two seasons, six playoff rounds, a World Series title and an uneven April. As much as the Cubs built their franchise around Bryzzo Souvenir Co. and other young hitters, the foundation to that success has been an elite pitching-and-defense unit.
This certainly didn’t look or feel like the Cubs operating at peak efficiency, but Jon Lester and Jake Arrieta have now won back-to-back games at Wrigley Field after Wednesday night’s 5-4 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies. Ultimately, that’s how a 15-12 first-place team will create some separation in the National League Central.
“Collectively, I don’t think we’re throwing the ball as well as we would like,” Arrieta said. “Sometimes, that’s just the game of baseball kind of rearing its head and letting you know that anything is possible in this game. Once you think you have it figured out, you kind of get bit in the ass.
“It’s a good sign we’re at where we are without throwing the ball as crisp as we’re capable of as a staff. But we’re all confident that things will change for the positive. Everybody’s grinding. Everybody’s working hard and trying to get their A-stuff to show up every night.”
Whether or not all those extra innings and high-stress situations catch up to the Cubs at some point, manager Joe Maddon doesn’t see the point in worrying about it now, believing in a rotation that began the day with a 4.66 ERA that ranked 26th in the majors and now has only 10 quality starts through 27 games.
“To actually keep our head above water while it’s not happening, I kind of like it, because I know it’s going to happen,” Maddon said. “Our guys are good. They’re well. They’re going to continue to pitch better.
“For us to be in the position that we’re in right now while they’re not at the top of their game, I kind of like it, actually, because they’re going to be there. They’re going to pitch very similar to what you’ve seen the last couple years. I really 100 percent believe that.”
Arrieta (4-1, 4.63 ERA) recovered after the Phillies jumped out to a 2-0 lead, continuing a trend where the Cubs have now allowed 35 runs in the first inning this season. Maybe the three runs Arrieta allowed across six innings could be written off in part by Ben Zobrist — one of the steadiest, most versatile defenders of his generation — not finishing the great plays Gold Glove winner Jason Heyward might have made in right field. Arrieta focused on the four innings where he needed 12 pitches or less to handle the Phillies (12-14).
The rotation is where the Cubs are most vulnerable as an organization, from the gaps in the farm system to Arrieta and John Lackey (38 years old) positioned to become free agents after this season to Brett Anderson’s thick medical file to all the wear and tear from back-to-back playoff runs.
“But it’s not just them,” Maddon said. “The defense has been not as sharp as it can be. (And) for the most part, our whole game, I believe, is going to continue to trend north. So I’m not really concerned right now.”
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Chicago Tribune Willson Contreras' two-run double, daring baserunning sparks Cubs By Mark Gonzales
Willson Contreras plays at only one speed — full — and his aggressive energy helped the Cubs overcome another early deficit Wednesday night.
Contreras came off the bench in the sixth inning to smack a two-run double and then scored from second on Matt Szczur's infield hit for some valuable insurance as the Cubs held on for a 5-4 victory over the Phillies at chilly Wrigley Field.
"He plays with his hair on fire," manager Joe Maddon said after Contreras' run capped a four-run rally. "Sometimes it can actually work against him. He gets a little over-assertive. As he learns to play with his hair on fire and not absolutely a forest fire, maybe slightly like a burning bush, he's going to learn to control all that."
Contreras, 24, didn't disagree with Maddon's assessment.
"I don't know how to play cold," Contreras said. "I have to get my heat going on, and I'll be a better player."
Contreras' double and subsequent hustle took attention from the fact the Cubs had to overcome a 2-0 deficit that increased their first-inning ERA to 11.00. They have been outscored 35-19 in the first inning, and only their late offensive surges have been able to overshadow the starters' early woes.
Contreras came off the bench to pinch-hit for Miguel Montero and his double pulled down the left field line score the tying and go-ahead runs.
Maddon then summed Szczur to pinch-hit for Jake Arrieta, who survived a 28-pitch first and would have started the seventh with only 85 pitches it Maddon hadn't sought more runs.
Szczur hit a grounder up the middle and third base coach Gary Jones immediately waved Contreras toward home as shortstop Freddy Galvis fielded the ball but hesitated momentarily as he saw Contreras speeding toward the plate.
Galvis' throw struck the back of the mound on its way to catcher Andrew Knapp, whose tag was too late to nail Contreras, who thought he had missed the plate and dove back to tag it again.
Contreras landed hard on his side and was out of breath so Maddon left Kyle Schwarber in left field for another inning in case Contreras needed to leave the game.
"I was out of breath," Contreras said. "That was it. Everyone got scared, but I was good."
Arrieta, who allowed five runs in the first inning of his previous start at Boston, settled down and retired his final seven batters.
"They put some good swings on some pitches in the first," Arrieta said. "But after (that) I had three innings of 12 pitches or less, which was huge."
Contreras' run loomed larger when the Phillies scored in the eighth to snap Hector Rondon's streak of eight consecutive scoreless appearances.
Wade Davis then struck out Tommy Joseph with a runner at second to end the game and extend his scoreless streak to 19 1/3 innings dating back to last season with the Royals.
"He's like controlling the baseball with a remote," Contreras said after Davis converted his seventh save opportunity in as many chances. "It's just crazy."
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Chicago Tribune Joe Maddon believes Javier Baez still has plenty room to grow offensively By Mark Gonzales
After watching the highs and lows of Javier Baez the last three seasons, still don't know the ceiling of their infield slugger's offensive talents.
Manager Joe Maddon says it may take a couple more seasons before they do, but he believes it's "very high."
"You're still going to see him go through some of those up and down moments," Maddon said.
Baez was up entering Wednesday after raising his batting average 66 points with six hits in two games.
"The difference with him is even with the down moments offensively, he's going to help you with his defense and his baserunning," Maddon said. "So I fully anticipate seeing those offensive swings in a sense, up and down. But the reward is going to be great when he figures it out, the reward is going to be outstanding to watch."
Baez, 24, started all 17 playoff games in 2016 at second base but has been reduced to spot duty in the first month so far this season. He believes he has advanced to the point where he doesn't have to earn his at-bats.
"Everyone knows how good I am and don't have to show anybody anything," Baez said. "I can control the things I can control."
Baez took a major step, in Maddon's eyes, when he collected three of his four hits Tuesday up the middle or to the right side.
Baez has been a notorious slow starter dating back to 2013 at Double-A Tennessee. This season he believes he made a key adjustment by lowering his leg kick to help his timing with two strikes.
His biggest issue, however, is learning not to swing hard on every pitch.
"I always swing hard," Baez said. "Sometimes when I'm under control, it looks simple. But I always swing hard.
Rotation intact: Maddon said the rotation will stay intact. He discussed options with team executives after Monday's game.
Cubs starters have pitched more than six innings only twice in their first 26 games, and they're scheduled to play a stretch of 16 games without a day off to end the month of May.
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Chicago Tribune Cubs bullish on new bullpen location By Mark Gonzales
The doors leading to the entrance of the bullpen under the Wrigley Field bleachers were changed recently to allow more crowd noise inside.
And that suited bullpen coach Lester Strode and his relievers just fine.
In fact, the Cubs have been pleased with their new bullpen after being relocated from the left-field foul line.
"It's not been an issue," manager Joe Maddon said of the relocation, in which television monitors have been placed in each dugout so each manager can see who is warming up.
"I’m not getting any kind of negative feedback like I did in the beginning. I think it was just a little bit, but I think it was just an adjustment period."
Maddon said they would continue to seek more alterations if needed during the course of the season.
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Chicago Tribune Camden Yards paved a retro revolution — and influenced Wrigley Field's renovations By Blair Kamin
When the White Sox open a three-game series Friday in Baltimore, they will be playing in one of the most influential works of sports architecture of our time — a baseball park that rewrote the rules of design and changed the way millions of Americans experience the game.
And even influenced the way Wrigley Field was renovated.
It is hardly a secret that Oriole Park at Camden Yards, which this year is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its 1992 opening, spawned a generation of deliberately quirky "retro" parks designed specifically for baseball that rejected the sterile uniformity of 1960s multipurpose stadiums.
Nor should anyone be shocked to hear that the White Sox were behind this curve when they opened the architecturally clunky New Comiskey Park (now Guaranteed Rate Field) the year before in 1991. Once derided as "The Mallpark," New Comiskey had to undergo the design equivalent of reconstructive surgery just 13 years later.
It's less well-known that Camden Yards, as the Orioles' home is typically called, influenced the renovations of Wrigley Field and Fenway Park, the very historic ballparks on which it was based.
Or that Camden Yards helped spark a broader trend that turned American downtowns into places of entertainment as well as commerce. Think Millennium Park and Navy Pier. All those ballparks that serve up smartphone-ready views of downtown skylines, from Pittsburgh and Detroit to St. Louis and San Diego, are part of the same trend — the city that plays.
"The legacy of Camden Yards isn't so much the steel trusses and the masonry arches that have been mimicked," said Janet Marie Smith, the architect and urban designer who advised the Orioles on the project. "The real legacy is so many teams ended up going into their urban setting and going back to being a part of the urban renaissance."
It was no accident that this revolution unfolded in Baltimore, which in its Inner Harbor successfully had pursued a different form of downtown revitalization from the "urban renewal" policies that bulldozed neighborhoods in the 1950s and 1960s.
The departure of the NFL's Colts, who infamously left for Indianapolis in the dead of night in 1984, also proved critical. If the Colts had remained, there likely would have been a fierce debate about the need for a multipurpose stadium. Because they left, there was an urgency to erect an alluring facility that would persuade the Orioles to sign a long-term lease with the Maryland Stadium Authority, the builder of Camden Yards, which they did.
"You need to build something that the fans will fall in love with," said Joe Spear, senior principal at Kansas City, Mo.-based Populous (formerly HOK Sport), Camden Yards' official architects.
Responding to then-Orioles CEO Larry Lucchino, who wanted to combine the charm of an old ballpark with the convenience of modern amenities, Smith assembled a scrapbook that codified the features of beloved old ballparks, including Wrigley and Fenway.
Their facades had a civic character, like City Halls and other important buildings. Their upper decks were set back from the street, diminishing their perceived size. Their layouts were often asymmetrical, creating unusual angles in their outfield walls. They were made of steel trusses, not monolithic concrete. They were intimate, with seating capacities in the neighborhood of 40,000, not the cavernous 60,000 or more of the multipurpose facilities.
"(Lucchino) was fond of saying, 'Don't use the S-word,'" Smith recalled, referring to "stadium."
The Baltimore ballpark embraced the city, an attitude epitomized by a gritty brick B&O warehouse visible beyond right field. It's as much a part of Camden Yards as the three-flats on Waveland and Sheffield avenues that define Wrigley. Graceful brick exterior arches, a big improvement on New Comiskey's ugly ramps, enhanced its street presence.
In the seating bowl, which originally had a capacity of nearly 49,000 (since reduced to just less than 46,000), club seats and skyboxes were restricted to a single level, not the three-leveled combination of premium seats and a press box that jacked New Comiskey's upper deck into the sky and made it frighteningly steep for some fans.
Outfield seating was notably unbalanced — low-slung in right to maintain views of the B&O warehouse, multitiered in left to cut down on the number of upper-deck seats behind home plate.
Special touches that managed to be playful without being cutesy — from Oriole logos in the fencing around the ballpark to sidewalk plaques that commemorated tape-measure home runs hit onto adjacent Eutaw Street — reintroduced a narrative, story-telling quality that had disappeared from baseball design.
"The idea," Smith said, "is that baseball is a leisurely game. There is no clock in the nine innings. ... We asked, 'What could we give people during the nine innings to talk about with each other?'"
That this formula proved influential — and largely beneficial for fans in Baltimore and beyond — is beyond argument. Consider the difference between Pittsburgh's now-demolished Three Rivers Stadium, a multipurpose monster, and that city's gem-like PNC Park, with its intimate seating and striking views of the skyline and river bridges.
Even Wrigley and Fenway have been forced to adapt to the way Camden Yards and its retro brethren raised fans' expectations with its successful marriage of modern amenities and historic charm. Wrigley's new outdoor plaza and office building, which includes a showcase Cubs store, reveal one way to increase the offerings of a historic ballpark without disrupting its architectural integrity.
The new features expand the historic ballpark beyond its original footprint, providing modern amenities fans have come to expect since Camden Yards opened while leaving intact Wrigley's historic integrity. Wrigley's restored exterior ironwork, which replaces clumsy concrete panels, also comports to the Baltimore standard of an attractive, street-friendly exterior.
The trouble is, the Camden Yards formula often has lapsed into formulaic imitation. Retro ballparks with exterior brick arches have become a cliche and commodity — more generic applique than architecture attuned to its specific locale. In some cases, their traditional exteriors are mere window dressing for facilities, such as St. Louis' Busch Stadium, that have grown gargantuan because they're jammed with stores, restaurants and skyboxes. At such places, the promised intimacy of the retro ballpark is more rhetoric than reality.
In response to these shortcomings and to the shifting winds of architectural fashion, new stadiums such as Miami's Marlins Park are unabashedly modern. In essence, they form a counterrevolt to the retro revolution.
For her part, Smith, who now works for the Dodgers and has supervised the renovation of their iconic 1960s stadium, bristles at the term "retro." Camden Yards, she argues, was designed to be timeless and to fit its urban context like a glove.
"It wasn't meant to be Ye Olde Park," she said. "It was meant to be Baltimore's park."
Twenty-five years on, it surely is.
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Chicago Sun-Times Jon Lester scoffs at hangover talk, says rotation on brink of run By Gordon Wittenmyer
Don’t try to tell Jon Lester the Cubs’ slow start this season is because of some kind of postseason hangover, unless you want an earful.
Lester and the rest of the Cubs’ starting rotation lag far behind their pace from a year ago, when they carried the team to a 25-6 start and provided the backbone for a 103-win season. But hangover?
“How does he know the hangover’s real,” said Lester, responding to a local analyst before Wednesday night’s 5-4 victory over the Phillies.
“Right now, this is the product of taking it slow in spring training. That was a front-office decision. I feel like April was kind of the back end of our spring training.”
Despite two first-inning runs, Jake Arrieta produced the Cubs' first quality start since Sunday, just their second in eight days. Lester, a three-time World Series champ who had two of his best seasons in the years after pitching in the World Series, has said for the last several days that he senses the rotation is on the verge of getting on a roll.
If so, it’s not a moment too soon.
Jake Arrieta’s six-inning start Wednesday — only the Cubs’ fourth quality start in two weeks — is an indication of what Lester was talking about.
“Everything has kind of built up to this point,” said Lester, who survived a squeezed strike zone Tuesday to get through five innings for a win. “Obviously, everybody’s comparing everything to last year, and last year we started off on a historical pace. You had guys that threw the ball at a historical pace. So you’re comparing a normal season to something historical.
“That’s where everybody’s trying to compare and say that we’re on a hangover.”
Before Wednesday, the Cubs had only nine quality starts — just one more than the lowest mark in the majors. And even after Arrieta’s start, the rotation had a 4.65 ERA. That ranked 26th in the league.
Even in victory, Arrieta (4-1) continued a troubling trend of first-inning runs, two more scoring on a pair of two-out hits.
It’s the 12th time in the last 15 games the opponent has scored in the first (29 total runs). It’s a big reason six of the Cubs’ victories have come after trailing in the sixth or later.
This time, the Cubs batted around in the sixth for four runs, including a two-run, pinch-hit double by Willson Contreras, who then scored from second on an infield hit to short.
“It’s a good sign to be where we’re at without throwing the ball as crisp as we’re capable of as a staff,” said Arrieta, who added he still doesn’t feel locked in. “But we’re all confident that things will change for the positive.”
The Cubs returned their top four pitchers from a rotation that produced a major-league-leading 2.96 ERA and 100 quality starts.
Several have experienced dips in velocity early. And the overall performances have been up and down.
“Sometimes that’s just the game of baseball kind of rearing its head and letting you know that anything is possible in this game,” Arrieta said.
“And we still have a good rotation,” Lester said. “I don’t think we’ve hit our stride yet, which is good.”
And by design, he said.
“Last year we came out so hot that we plummeted at the end of June, along with the whole team,” Lester said. “And then we had that [All-Star] break, and all of a sudden came back and we’re good.
“I think we’re doing the right thing. I think we’re going in the right direction,” he added. “This organization isn’t playing for September any more. We’re playing for October and into November. So I think you have to plan for that.”
Said Maddon: “For the most part, our whole game I really believe is going to continue to trend north. So I’m not really concerned right now.”
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Chicago Sun-Times Kick start: Cubs’ Javy Baez tweaks mechanics, goes on 6-for-7 run By Gordon Wittenmyer
Kris Bryant noticed Cubs teammate Javy Baez working on a slight adjustment to his hitting mechanics before the game Tuesday against the Phillies.
“I think he was focusing on trying to limit his leg kick a little bit, make it a little smaller,” Bryant said. “Then I saw that in the game. I was pretty impressed. He went from the cage right to the game. He looked awesome.”
Four hits later, the struggling Baez said he finally felt “really good” for the first time this season.
Just two days after talking in Boston about continuing to work daily on finding the kind of success he had late last season and into the postseason, Baez had his first career four-hit game.
“The difference was three of those hits were middle and opposite field,” manager Joe Maddon said. “That’s what I like. I still want to see him accept a couple walks. I still want him to not expand the strike zone. That’s the next level.”
Combined with a home run and single in his final three at-bats Monday, Baez was on a 6-for-7 run — with 14 total bases — entering the game Wednesday against the Phillies.
The Cubs still aren’t sure what they have in Baez, 24, the slugging middle infielder drafted ninth overall in 2011.
“I don’t think it’s going to be revealed to us for another couple of years,” Maddon said of his ceiling. “I think it’s very high, absolutely.”
But the Cubs expect the performance swings at the plate — compounded by a tendency for big swings and misses — to persist until Baez becomes more willing to compromise on the coil and length of his signature swing.
“When he really figures it out, the reward’s going to show up,” Maddon said, “and it’s going to be outstanding to watch.”
Over the weekend, Baez said he was looking for that balance but didn’t plan to abandon the swing.
Maybe the reduced leg kick is the compromise.
“It’s really working for me,” he said of his pregame and early-game work and focus. “And I’m seeing the ball really good.”
Before those last seven at-bats, Baez was 12-for-60 this season (.200) with a .333 slugging percentage and .258 on- base percentage.
The batting average jumped 69 points during the surge, and his slugging and on-base percentages rose to .507 and .315.
Then he swung big in his first at-bat Wednesday and pushed a ball off the end of his bat to first for an easy out to end the inning with a runner at second. But still finished with a hit and that walk his manager was looking for. “His at-bats continue to get better,” Maddon said.
When Baez bats low in the order (ninth the last two games), assistant hitting coach Eric Hinske works with him on the swing behind the dugout tunnel in the first inning.
“Making your adjustments here in the big leagues is really tough,” said Baez, who added he’s used to slow starts but not usually this long into a season.
“The pitchers know what they’re doing, and they’re trying to get you out. And if they do their homework, it’s going to pay off [for them].”
But, he said, “I’m finally seeing the ball real good.”
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Daily Herald Maddon confident in Chicago Cubs' starters By Bruce Miles
Every day it seems Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon has to tick off, one by one, the areas in which he believes his team will reach its levels from last year.
Some days it's the defense. Some days it's the offense.
On Wednesday, the subject was starting pitching.
Heading into the evening's 5-4 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies, Cubs starting pitchers had an ERA of 4.66. That ranked 12th in the National League and 26th in major-league baseball.
Last season Cubs starting pitchers led baseball with a sparkling 2.96 ERA. Cubs starters entered Wednesday's game with just 9 quality starts compared with 17 non-quality starts.
As he has when talking about other facets of the Cubs' game, Maddon sounded an optimistic tone.
"Actually, to keep our head above water while it's not happening, I kind of like it because I know it's going to happen," he said of the starters regaining their old form. "Our guys are good. They're well. They're going to continue to pitch better.
"For us to be in the position we're in right now while they're not at the top of their game, I kind of like it, actually, because they're going to be there. They're going to get there. They're going to pitch very similar to what you've seen the last couple years. I 100 percent believe that.
"In the meantime, let's just keep moving it further along."
Jake Arrieta gutted out 6 innings and 85 pitches for the quality start as he gave up 6 hits and 3 runs while walking one and striking out seven.
"Collectively, I don't think we're throwing the ball as well a we would like," said Arrieta, who improved to 4-1 with a 4.63 ERA. "Again, sometimes that's the game of baseball kind of rearing its head and letting you know anything is possible in this game.
"Once you think you have it figured out, you kind of get bit in the (butt). It's a good sign we're at where we are without throwing the ball as crisp as we're capable of as a staff. But we're all confident things will change."
A 4-run rally in the sixth allowed the Cubs to rally from a 3-1 deficit. Willson Contreras hit a pinch 2-run double and scored from second base on pinch hitter Matt Szczur's infield single to short. Contreras dived into home plate and knocked the wind out of himself.
"He plays with his hair on fire," Maddon said. "Sometimes it can actually work against him. He gets a little bit over- assertive. As he learns to play with his hair on fire … not absolutely a forest fire, maybe just slightly like the burning bush of some kind, I don't know. He's going to learn to control all that."
Added Contreras: "I don't know how to play cold. I have to get my heat going on, and I'll be a better player."
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Daily Herald Cubs' Maddon likes how Baez is seeing the ball By Bruce Miles
Javier Baez was back in the Chicago Cubs' lineup for the third straight night Wednesday after he sat at the start of the final two games at Boston over the weekend.
Baez went 4-for-4 with a homer, a triple and 2 singles Tuesday night in an 8-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies. He did his damage out of the No. 9 spot in the lineup. According to the Cubs, Baez became the first Cubs player with 4 hits out of the ninth spot at Wrigley Field since pitcher Don Cardwell on June 30, 1960 against the Braves.
What manager Joe Maddon liked was Baez going to right field or right-center, the opposite field, for all of the hits except the home run.
"I keep telling us that he's seeing the ball well, which I do like," Maddon said. "The difference was 3 of those hits yesterday were middle-opposite. That's what I like. Home runs are nice. He hit a hanging curveball, first pitch, gone. Absolutely, if his confidence is better, you're going to see more of that, no doubt about it. I still want to see him accept a couple walks. I still want him to not to expand his strike zone. That's the next level.
"His confidence, you could see it in his face last night, he's playing with that animation again. I liked it."
Baez almost always swings hard. He entered Wednesday with 21 strikeouts in 67 at-bats.
"It depends on the situation," he said. "I always swing hard. Sometimes when I look under control, it looks pretty simple, but I always to try to swing hard."
Baez is only 24, so where it goes from here is anyone's guess.
"I don't think it's going to be revealed to us for another couple of years," Maddon said. "I think it's very high. You're still going to see him go through these kind of moments up and down. The difference with him is even during the down moments offensively, he can still help you win with his defense and his baserunning.
"So I fully anticipate to see those offensive swings, up and down. But the reward's going to be great. When he really figures it out, the reward is going to show, and it's going to be outstanding to watch."
Reaching milestones:
Kyle Schwarber hit his 20th career homer Tuesday, and Kris Bryant hit his 70th. Since making his major-league debut on April 17, 2015, Bryant's 70 homers are third most in the National League, behind Colorado's Nolan Arenado (87) and Washington's Bryce Harper (73).
Schwarber reached 20 homers in the fewest career games (97) of any Cubs player since 1913. His 3-run homer in Tuesday's fourth inning proved to be the decisive hit in the game.
"That's cool, man," Schwarber said of reaching 20 that quickly. "I guess it's an accomplishment. But I still want to focus on this year. I still want to focus on having good at-bats. I want to focus on winning. I want to focus on getting back to where we want to be, which is being the last team standing at the end of the year."
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Cubs.com Cubs awaken with 4-run 6th, hold off Phillies By Carrie Muskat and Jeff Arnold
CHICAGO -- If the Cubs could figure out a way to avoid giving up first-inning runs, they wouldn't need late-inning drama. On Wednesday, they had to come from behind again as Jason Heyward sparked a four-run sixth with an opposite-field RBI single and pinch-hitter Willson Contreras smacked a go-ahead two-run double to lead the Cubs to a 5-4 victory over the Phillies at Wrigley Field.
"That was the theme last year -- that we never quit," Cubs starter Jake Arrieta said. "If we still have outs left, if we're looking at a deficit, we still feel confident we're not completely out of it. With our lineup and the ability to string three, four, five quality at-bats together at one time, there's a chance to score multiple runs in one inning. Us establishing that we can come from behind early in the season in April, moving into May is a big boost for us."
Philadelphia opened a 3-1 lead before Chicago's spurt in the sixth. With one out against starter Jerad Eickhoff, Anthony Rizzo singled to end an 0-for-10 skid, and Ben Zobrist singled to set up Heyward's single to left off a 3-0 fastball.
Joely Rodriguez took over, and his second pitch got away from catcher Andrew Knapp for a passed ball, allowing both Cubs baserunners to advance. Contreras greeted Rodriguez with a double to left, driving in Zobrist and Heyward, and opening a 4-3 lead. Rodriguez was replaced by Edubray Ramos, and pinch-hitter Matt Szczur welcomed him with an RBI single, driving in Contreras, who had to dive to avoid being tagged.
"We got lucky -- that ball hit right on the back of the mound," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said of the throw in on Szczur's hit. "I think [third-base coach Gary Jones] does a great job over there. We try to teach that more aggressive form of baserunning."
Arrieta drove in a run and picked up the win, scattering six hits over six innings and allowing three runs.
Eickhoff, an Evansville, Ind., native who was originally a 46th-round pick of the Cubs in the 2010 Draft but did not sign, took the loss. Eickhoff had allowed one run, retiring 10 in a row at one point, before finding trouble in the sixth. He was charged with four runs on five hits over 5 2/3 innings.
"I wasted too many pitches early on, getting deep into counts, going 3-0, getting into three-ball counts way too many times, and that can't happen," Eickhoff said of wanting to pitch out of the sixth-inning jam. "That's on me not being able to save enough pitches for that late in the game."
The Cubs now are 6-8 when trailing entering the sixth inning.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
First things first: The Cubs may want to consider having closer Wade Davis start games. Arrieta walked Daniel Nava, and one out later, he scored on Maikel Franco's single. Odubel Herrera followed with an RBI double for a 2-0 lead. The Cubs now have given up 33 earned runs in the first inning in 27 games for an 11.00 ERA. Scoring in the first isn't anything new for the Phillies, who are tied for first in the Majors with 28 first-inning runs.
"I just think it's one of those things, he's probably thinking about it, but I have no concerns," Maddon said of Arrieta's rough start, although he could be talking about any of the starters. "There's nothing you can do or say or warm up differently. I've heard guys with all these crazy analytical methods in regards to helping a pitcher having a tough beginning. [They say], 'Be out there longer, throw harder, throw more pitches, throw less.' [You should] just stay with your routine, and it will come back to him."
Glovework: Before the game, Maddon talked about how the defense has been good, but it seems the players aren't getting to as many balls as last year. A perfect example occurred in the Phillies' fourth. Franco singled to open the inning, and one out later Brock Stassi doubled off the right-field wall on a ball that Zobrist misjudged.
Franco then scored on Freddy Galvis' sacrifice fly.
QUOTABLE
"You plug into this guy. He plays with his hair on fire. It can actually work against him. He gets a little over- assertive. As he learns to play with his hair on fire -- and not absolutely a forest fire, but slightly like a burning bush -- he's going to learn how to control that." -- Maddon, on the energy Contreras provides
SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
• Cubs reliever Koji Uehara retired the Phillies in order in the seventh. It was a milestone for the right-hander, as he appeared in his 400th game. It was his 13th game with the Cubs.
• Davis picked up the save to improve to 7-for-7 this season, and he has converted his last 13 saves dating to last season. He has not given up a run in his last 19 1/3 innings.
UNDER REVIEW
Cesar Hernandez singled to lead off the Phillies' third, and Arrieta threw to first to pick him off. Hernandez was called safe, but the Cubs challenged the ruling, and after a review, the call was overturned.
Contreras walked to lead off the eighth inning. Pinch-hitter Jon Jay then grounded out to shortstop Galvis, who got the ball to second baseman Hernandez to force out Contreras before Hernandez threw to first. Umpires initially ruled that Jay beat the throw to first base. But the Phillies challenged the ruling, and following a review, the call was overturned.
WHAT'S NEXT
Phillies: Zach Eflin will take the mound in the final game of the four-game series at Wrigley Field on Thursday, starting at 2:20 p.m. ET. Eflin will make his fourth start of the season after undergoing surgery on both knees to correct chronic tendinitis he had dealt with for years. Eflin, who is 0-0 with a 1.89 ERA, has worked seven innings in two of his three outings this season when he has pitched pain-free.
Cubs: John Lackey will close the series against the Phillies. The right-hander is 0-2 with a 3.75 ERA in two starts at Wrigley Field. He's gone at least six innings in each of his five starts this season. First pitch is scheduled for 1:20 p.m. CT.
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Cubs.com Hot wheels: Contreras fuels Cubs' comeback By Carrie Muskat
CHICAGO -- If the Cubs need a spark, Willson Contreras is the player to provide it, although someday manager Joe Maddon expects it to be more comparable to embers than a five-alarm blaze.
Contreras delivered a pinch-hit two-run double in a four-run sixth inning to lift the Cubs to a 5-4 come-from-behind victory over the Phillies on Wednesday. After some adventurous baserunning, he then scored what turned out to be a much-needed insurance run on pinch-hitter Matt Szczur's single.
The Cubs trailed, 3-1, in the sixth, and Jason Heyward hit an opposite-field RBI single to chase starter Jerad Eickhoff. Joely Rodriguez took over, and his second pitch got away from catcher Andrew Knapp for a passed ball, allowing both Cubs baserunners to advance. Contreras greeted Rodriguez with a double to left, driving in two, and opening a 4-3 lead.
Rodriguez was replaced by Edubray Ramos, and Szczur smacked an RBI single to score Contreras, who had to dodge a tag at the plate by Knapp.
"Willson is savvy enough to know a ball hit up the middle like that to the shortstop's left, he was anticipating a throw to first base and he continued to come around," Maddon said. "We got lucky -- that ball hit right on the back of the mound."
Phillies shortstop Freddy Galvis made the throw home.
"You have to make sure he was going to home plate, and [once] I was sure he was going to home plate, I just threw it to home plate and bounced it right [off] the mound," Galvis said.
Was he surprised Contreras was running?
"Actually, it was a smart play for him, because it was a ground ball to the middle -- maybe he thinks I'm going to first base, because there's a speedy guy going to first base and most times with two outs, they're going to keep running," Galvis said. "I think he ran the bases kind of smart, and I anticipated for that, too. I just threw it to home plate and bounced it into the mound and he was safe."
And if the throw didn't hit the mound, did Galvis think he could've thrown out Contreras?
"Maybe," Galvis said. "Ninety-five percent, 99 percent. But it hit the mound."
Contreras took his cue from third-base coach Gary Jones.
"By the time I was going to home plate, I saw the catcher going for the baseball and I tried to get around the base, and I did," Contreras said.
Contreras was promoted from Triple-A Iowa in June last year, and eased into the role as the regular catcher. This year, it's his job, but he did not start against Eickhoff.
"You plug into this guy," Maddon said of Contreras. "He plays with his hair on fire. It can actually work against him. He gets a little over-assertive. As he learns to play with his hair on fire -- and not absolutely a forest fire, but slightly a burning bush -- he's going to learn how to control that."
Contreras has a lot of energy.
"I don't know how to play, like, calm," he said. "I have to get my heat going on and I'll be a better player."
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Cubs.com Maddon understands Javy 'learning on the fly' By Carrie Muskat
CHICAGO -- It will sound a little odd, but Cubs manager Joe Maddon told Javier Baez to strike out as much as he needs to. Maddon is hoping that doing so will get Baez back on track offensively.
Baez entered Wednesday's game against the Phillies averaging 3.52 plate appearances per strikeout; which is better than his first season in the big leagues in 2014, when that number was 2.41. Baez has not struck out in his last two starts, which is a good sign. He's also hit home runs in both of those games.
"I still want to see him accept a couple walks, I still want him to not expand his strike zone -- that's the next level," Maddon said Wednesday. "'OK, you're not hitting right now. You look up and there's a bad number.' It's hard to convince a young player to accept your walks to get that number to be better. They just want to get hits, which makes them swing at more bad pitches."
But Maddon has seen a difference in Baez, especially after he collected four hits on Tuesday in an 8-3 win over the Phillies. Baez was the co-Most Valuable Player in the National League Championship Series, and batted .273 last season. How much better can he get?
"I don't think it will be revealed to us for another couple years," Maddon said. "I think it's very high, absolutely. You're still going to see him go through the moments, up and down. The difference with him is he can still help you win with his defense and baserunning. The reward is going to be great."
Maddon said Baez is "learning on the fly at the Major League level," which comes with a lot of scrutiny. The manager preached patience.
"I even told him, 'Go and strike out as often as you need to,'" Maddon said. "I want to see him play with that focus and passion. I totally expect him to strike out, and I totally expect him to swing at balls in the dirt and over his head. I believe it will go away. The only way it's going to go away is if he keeps getting a chance to do that."
• Maddon and the front office were discussing inserting a sixth starter into the rotation, but have tabled that option for now.
"Everything's the same," Maddon said Wednesday. "Nothing has changed."
Last year, the Cubs' starters led the National League in ERA, but they were ranked 12th with a 4.66 ERA entering Wednesday's game. The only new starter this season is lefty Brett Anderson. The other four starters -- Jon Lester, Kyle Hendricks, John Lackey and Jake Arrieta -- have two quality starts each.
"Our guys are good, they're well, they're going to continue to pitch better, so for us to be in the position we're in now while they're not at the top of their game, I like that," Maddon said.
• Apparently the new bullpens under the bleachers were too quiet, so they have changed the doors to allow for more crowd noise. Bullpen coach Lester Strode made the suggestion.
"He thought it needed to be louder and have more crowd noise to get the guys acclimated," Maddon said.
• Anthony Rizzo's cereal, "Rizzos," now are packaged in a championship edition 14-ounce collector's box, featuring the first baseman on the cover.
It's the same honey-nut toasted oat cereal that Rizzo promoted last year. Proceeds from the sale of the cereal benefit the Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation.
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Cubs.com Patient Cubs aim to claim series behind Lackey By Jeff Arnold
Cubs manager Joe Maddon readily admits that his starting pitching isn't where he would like it to be. But this early in the season, Maddon isn't ready to become overly concerned.
Right-hander John Lackey, who will start Thursday's matinee finale as the Cubs look to win the four-game series against the Phillies, may be the perfect example. Lackey (2-3) has lost two of his last three starts, and while he earned the win in his last outing against the Red Sox, he gave up four runs on eight hits while striking out four in six innings.
Maddon is being patient with Lackey and the rest of his starting rotation.
"Our guys are good, they're well, they're going to continue to pitch better," Maddon said on Wednesday. " ... They're going to pitch very similar to what you've seen the last couple of years. I really 100 percent believe that. In the meantime, let's keep moving it further along."
Meanwhile, the Phillies -- who will counter with right-hander Zach Eflin (0-0, 1.89 ERA) -- have responded well at Wrigley Field after being swept by the Dodgers last weekend. They pounded out 10 runs against the defending World Series champions in the opener, and after a forgettable second game, they took a tough one-run loss after holding a lead through five innings Wednesday.
Keeping the right mentality, manager Pete Mackanin said, has been key.
"Everybody's got anxiety about where they stand in the game," Mackanin said on Wednesday. "The players who don't worry about it and play with a positive attitude are the guys who are going to compete."
Things to know about this game
• The Phillies' offense continues to get the job done early. They jumped on Cubs starter Jake Arrieta on Wednesday for a pair of first-inning runs, which brought their season total to 28 in the opening frame, tied for the Major League lead with the Brewers. Conversely, the Cubs have allowed an MLB-worst 35 runs (33 earned) in the first inning, including seven in three games this series.
• One reason behind Lackey's slow start is that he has allowed a "barrel" -- the most damaging form of contact -- on 9.9 percent of his batted balls. That's up from a rate of less than 6 percent in both 2015 and '16. Each of the seven homers Lackey has served up has been a barrel.
• The Phillies are one of six teams that have yet to register a shutout this season, joining the Braves, Tigers, Giants, Cardinals and Nationals. Through their first 25 games last season, the Phillies had already thrown five shutouts before finishing with 12 on the season.
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Cubs.com Cubs hoping for better defensive play By Phil Rogers
CHICAGO -- Joe Maddon doesn't need rankings or a chart to know that the Cubs' defense has sprung a leak after playing to historic levels last season. He was parked at the end of the dugout on Sunday night at Fenway Park, when two eighth-inning plays spoke loudly.
First, Koji Uehara was slow in covering first base on a grounder to Anthony Rizzo, allowing Boston to put the go- ahead run on base. The Red Sox took advantage to take the lead, but it got worse when sure-handed shortstop Addison Russell handcuffed Rizzo with a low throw, allowing two more runs to score.
"Russell makes that play 10 out of nine times,'' Maddon said a couple days later. "Koji not getting to first base … that's not an error, but that's a play we should have made. There might have been a couple of balls in the outfield that we should have caught, but we didn't, and it's not an error. We're just not making plays we normally make.'' What happened in Boston wasn't a one-night outlier. It continued a trend since Opening Day, as the Cubs have dropped into the middle of the pack in defensive metrics after using their athleticism, defensive positioning and precision pitching to put up a Defensive Efficiency ratio of .731.
Not only did that lead the Major Leagues, but the gap between the Cubs and the second-place Blue Jays (.705) was bigger than the one between the Jays and the 25th-place Cardinals (.680).
That's landscape-changing play in the field. But so far this season, the Cubs are 16th in Defensive Efficiency, which is among the reason that they've hung around .500.
What's changed?
"We're getting to some balls and we're just not completing the play,'' Maddon said. "The ball might just be off the end of the glove. We're getting to it and not making a good throw. We're not making the play. … I don't have a solid explanation [why]. I really don't. The work's great, nobody's hurt, arms are all really good.''
Statcast™ data points to two areas for the slippage:
One is that the rearranged outfield -- with Kyle Schwarber in left and a mix of Albert Almora Jr., Jon Jay and Jason Heyward in center -- isn't tracking balls like the Cubs did last year. Heyward won his fourth Gold Glove Award in right, Dexter Fowler made some big catches in center and Maddon got away with shuffling left fielders, thanks in part to the versatility of Kris Bryant, Ben Zobrist and Willson Contreras.
Last year, the Cubs' outfield turned 86.2 percent of opportunities into outs, second best in the Major Leagues to Kevin Kiermaier's Rays. The Cubs have an overall ratio of 77.6 percent this year, 28th in the Majors (ahead of the Blue Jays and the Brewers).
There's been no regression by Heyward. Discounting the easiest 25 percent of chances, he caught 46 percent of balls he could get to last season, in the top 20 among outfielders. He's at 50 percent so far this year, according to Statcast™, which again, is in the top 20 of outfielders.
Schwarber has been a weak spot, which won't surprise the legions of armchair general managers who see him as suited for designated hitter. Statcast™ indicates he hasn't made a catch this year that would rank in the top 25 percent, based on difficulty. Yankees left fielder Brett Gardner already has six, and the Brewers' Ryan Braun has five.
The second difference is that the Cubs' starting pitching hasn't been nearly as sharp as it was in 2016, leading to tougher plays and less effective defensive positioning. Jon Lester has been the only one of the top four starters with consistent command, and it's tough to put fielders in the right place when the pitcher doesn't hit his target.
"One of our concepts is we catch line drives by being in the right spot,'' Maddon said. "That's a pretty good connection. To this point, our starters haven't nailed it down like they did last year. Kyle Hendricks is a perfect example. The contact appears to be harder. … There might be a direct correlation. I've always said that soft contact makes defenses bigger. You're probably right on with that.''
Based on strikeouts and Statcast-measured exit velocity and launch angle, the Cubs' pitching staff delivered an Expected Batting Average of .229 last season, the third-best figure in baseball (the actual opponents' batting average was .212, which shows just how strong the defense was). The Expected Batting Average is .246, which ranks 20th in the Major Leagues.
"I feel like last year was almost perfect in everything,'' Bryant said. "We started off good, 25-6. We were almost spoiled with the whole year last year. It's going to be hard to kind of turn the page on that and stop comparing it to last year. But that's something we would love to do. It's a new year. We still feel good about where we're at. I think our defense is fine, our pitching is fine and our hitting is fine. It's just a matter of time.''
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