October 3, 2017 Chicago Sun-Times, How Cubs went from near sellers to buying their chances for a repeat https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/how-cubs-went-from-near-sellers-to-buying-their-chances-for-a-repeat/ Chicago Sun-Times, Jose Quintana on missing the White Sox — and loving life with the Cubs https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/jose-quintana-on-missing-the-white-sox-and-loving-life-with-the-cubs/ Daily Herald, Why loose feeling might help Chicago Cubs in postseason http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20171002/why-loose-feeling-might-help-chicago-cubs-in-postseason Cubs.com, Park at Wrigley site of Cubs' party Tuesday http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/257206312/cubs-ring-in-postseason-with-party-at-wrigley/ Cubs.com, Windy gritty: Cubs love passionate Lackey http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/257178080/john-lackey-has-earned-love-of-cubs-teammates/ NBC Sports Chicago, Why Theo Epstein almost reached the breaking point and sold pieces off this Cubs team http://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/chicago-cubs/why-theo-epstein-almost-reached-breaking-point-and-sold- pieces-cubs-team NBC Sports Chicago, How Jon Jay brought Cubs clubhouse together for big finish http://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/chicago-cubs/how-jon-jay-brought-cubs-clubhouse-together-big-finish NBC Sports Chicago, After roller coaster season, Kyle Schwarber wants to add to his budding 'Mr. October' legacy http://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/chicago-cubs/after-roller-coaster-season-kyle-schwarber-wants-add-his- budding-mr-october-legacy-world-series Chicago Tribune, Joe Maddon's pre-playoff message to Cubs: Just play your game http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-joe-maddon-team-meeting-cubs-notes-spt-1003- 20171002-story.html Chicago Tribune, Cubs tenure ended 11 years ago, but it's still 'personal' for Dusty Baker http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-dusty-baker-still-personal-cubs-nationals-spt-1003- 20171002-story.html Chicago Tribune, Max Scherzer's uncertain status gives Cubs even more lineup options for NLDS http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-nlds-lineup-options-spt-1003-20171002- story.html Chicago Tribune, Dream On: Looking at potential World Series matchups for the Cubs http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/columnists/ct-ranking-cubs-world-series-matchups-sullivan-spt-1003- 20171002-column.html Chicago Tribune, Cubs get top TBS crew for 1st round games http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-spt-1003-cubs-tbs-announcers-20171002-story.html -- Chicago Sun-Times How Cubs went from near sellers to buying their chances for a repeat By Gordon Wittenmyer By the time spring-training visions of dynasties had given way to the real possibility of the Cubs becoming sellers at the trade deadline, Kyle Hendricks and John Lackey were on the disabled list and the Brewers had opened a 5½- game lead in the National League Central. ‘‘We’re not looking back at the Cubs,’’ Brewers closer Corey Knebel said at the time. Twelve weeks and 49 Cubs victories later, Knebel doesn’t have to look back to find them. The Cubs are headed to the playoffs for a third consecutive season for the first time since the dead-ball era. Here’s how it happened and why the Cubs think another World Series might be in play as they open the postseason Friday against the Nationals: Q and Answers to the starting pitching Team president Theo Epstein said the front office was a bad road trip and homestand away from selling short-term veterans at the non-waiver trade deadline July 31. He also pounced on the chance to acquire short- and long-term asset Jose Quintana from the White Sox during the All-Star break, a move many in the clubhouse called an emotional boost. ‘‘Our ownership and front office, they mean what they say when they talk about an opportunity to win a World Series every year,’’ right fielder Jason Heyward said. ‘‘When that trade happened, that’s what they showed.’’ Quintana went 7-3 with a 3.74 ERA for the Cubs, pitching their two best starts of the season (8-0 in Baltimore in his first start and 5-0 in Milwaukee in his second-to-last one). Lackey returned from a sore foot and was a different pitcher, including a 5-0 run with a 3.06 ERA in his first six starts back. Hendricks returned July 24 and had a 2.19 ERA the rest of the way. Jake Arrieta got hot until a hamstring injury slowed him in the final few weeks. And the rotation went from 29-33 with a 4.66 ERA in the first half to 35-14 with a 3.36 ERA in the second. The Cubs’ rotation was second in the majors to that of the Indians in victories and ERA after the break. No star power The Cubs got exactly one All-Star this season after landing seven in 2016, including the entire NL starting infield. That was closer Wade Davis, who didn’t endure the lengthy 2016 postseason and who had only 16 save chances (30 innings) in the first half. ‘‘I really think those few days at the break, with some of our guys not making an All-Star team, was probably one of the best things for this team,’’ veteran Ben Zobrist said. ‘‘Everybody came back refreshed and excited to change the whole point of the season and the way it was going. That definitely was the turning point.’’ The schedule eased Fifty-three of the Cubs’ 74 games after the break were against teams that went into the break with losing records. The Cubs went 39-14 against those teams (and 10-11 against the others). They went 14-3 in their first 17 games out of the break and won 15 of their last 19. They were 63-63 in the rest of the season. Rest and patience Between false starts and false hope throughout the first half, manager Joe Maddon preached patience and continued a liberal schedule of rest for his every-day players and rotation, acknowledging the toll of two seasons of deep playoff runs and the anticipation of another October. ‘‘As human beings, coming off of winning a World Series in Chicago — after a century — there’s a lot attached to that that’s really hard to evaluate,’’ Maddon said. ‘‘So you’ve got to try to be patient.’’ Said left-handed reliever Brian Duensing, who is in his first season with the Cubs: ‘‘Coming here for the first time, the way we started the second half really showed me maybe how tired mentally and physically the team was from how long the season was last year. You could tell it was just completely a different energy on and off the field the second half.’’ -- Chicago Sun-Times Jose Quintana on missing the White Sox — and loving life with the Cubs By Steve Greenberg Last week’s Cubs clincher in St. Louis wasn’t the first time pitcher Jose Quintana got to climb over a dugout rail, run onto the field and celebrate a division championship with teammates. He also did it as a member of the Yankees organization. What, you don’t remember? It was 2009 and the Colombian left-hander, then 20, was an up-and-comer in the Dominican Summer League. “That was a lot of fun,” he said. “But this is better. This is a bigger deal.” Maybe just a skosh. Would the Cubs even be in the playoffs if not for the contributions of Quintana? Since switching sides of town in a mid-July trade with the White Sox for four prospects — including top hitter Eloy Jimenez and pitcher Dylan Cease — Quintana has gone 7-3 with a 3.74 ERA. The Cubs are 10-4 in games he has started and head into the divisional round against the Nationals on a six-game winning streak when he starts. Maybe they’d have staggered to the finish line in first without him, but they’d have about as much of a chance to win another World Series as Bears quarterback Mike Glennon has of going to the Pro Bowl. “I feel like I’m pitching really good,” Quintana said, “and it’s funny, but I feel like I’ve been here for more than one year. I know it’s just a half-season, but the coaches and all my teammates make it easy for me to be here. We have a really good group of teammates, and we stay together.” If that reads in any way like a backhanded assessment of his time with the Sox, stop right here and understand: Quintana prizes his five-plus seasons on the South Side. He remembers like yesterday his September victory over the Tigers in 2012, his rookie season. It put the Sox in first place by three games. Alas, two weeks later — after having spent 126 days at the top of the division — the Sox watched the Tigers go by. There’d be no catching up down the home stretch. “But that year was special,” he said. “I enjoyed that time. I spent good times there. I just wish we made the playoffs one time.” Because he never pitched in the postseason with the Sox, it’s almost certain his time with the Cubs — who have him at least through 2020 — will overshadow everything that came before it. But Quintana will remember it all. He’ll remember taking an older, much bigger Jose Abreu under his wing for all of 2014, the Cuban slugger’s rookie season.