March 15, 2017

Chicago Tribune, Joe Maddon wants Cubs relievers ready for any situation
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-bullpen-roles-hector-rondon-spt-031520170314-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Cubs' Hector Rondon excited to pitch for Venezuela in World Baseball Classic
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-hector-rondon-venezuela-20170314-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Javier Baez's glovework sparks Puerto Rico to World Baseball Classic stunner
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-javier-baez-tag-world-baseball-classic-20170314story.html

Chicago Tribune, Miguel Montero 'looking good,' could be more than a once-a-week catcher
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-miguel-montero-backup-role-spt-0315-20170314story.html

Chicago Tribune, Cubs' Brett Anderson not grounded by hits
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-brett-anderson-hits-20170314-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Tuesday's recap: Cubs 7, Brewers 7
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-ben-zobrist-leadoff-20170314-story.html

Chicago Sun-Times, Cubs’ Miguel Montero ‘looking as good as he has here maybe ever’
http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/cubs-miguel-montero-looking-as-good-as-he-has-here-maybe-ever/

Chicago Sun-Times, Big hitting, spectacular error give Cubs 7-7 tie against Brewers
http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/big-hitting-spectacular-error-give-cubs-7-7-tie-against-brewers/

Chicago Sun-Times, Hector Rondon leaves for WBC, compares emotions to World Series
http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/hector-rondon-leaves-for-wbc-compares-emotions-to-world-series/

Daily Herald, Chicago Cubs counting on Jay and Almora to fill gap in center
http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20170314/sports/170319421/

Cubs.com, Rewriting history only a part of Epstein's story
http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/219356840/rewriting-history-just-part-of-epsteins-story/

Cubs.com, Bryant: Covering strike zone, repeat title top of mind
http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/219323554/kris-bryant-on-improvements-for-17-repeating/

Cubs.com, Venezuela's win has Rondon pumped to join team
http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/219303200/cubs-hector-rondon-will-join-team-venezuela/

Cubs.com, Maddon: Anderson's pitching style fits in with Cubs
http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/219323558/joe-maddon-on-brett-anderson-joining-cubs/

Cubs.com, Russell, Contreras pace Cubs with 2-RBI days
http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/219323206/addison-russell-willson-contreras-have-2-rbis/

Cubs.com, Cubs' roster rounding into form halfway through spring
http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/219323556/cubs-roster-taking-shape-in-spring-training/

CSNChicago.com, How Gold Glove Defense Could Help Brett Anderson Fulfill His Potential With Cubs
http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/how-gold-glove-defense-could-help-brett-anderson-fulfill-hispotential-cubs

CSNChicago.com, Cubs Q&A With Ted Lilly: Winning It All, Next Steps, Kyle Hendricks
http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/cubs-qa-ted-lilly-winning-it-all-next-steps-kyle-hendricks

CSNChicago.com, Cubs Hope World Baseball Classic Will Be A Boost For Hector Rondon
http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/cubs-hope-world-baseball-classic-will-be-boost-hector-rondon
-Chicago Tribune
Joe Maddon wants Cubs relievers ready for any situation
By Mark Gonzales
Hector Rondon stepped aside last July when the Cubs brought in closer Aroldis Chapman, and the addition of
veteran Koji Uehara is another sign that roles in the bullpen will be as fluid as they've ever been under manager
Joe Maddon.
"We've got a lot of talent and are deep and will be ready for any situation that arises during the season," Maddon
said. "It's a good thing."
Understanding that Rondon might have taken the acquisition of Chapman personally, Maddon called Rondon
shortly before the Cubs traded for Wade Davis on Dec. 7.
"(Rondon) was magnanimous, he was fine," Maddon said. "But I'm sure there might be a part of him that might
have been injured by that a little bit. However, I anticipate he'll fit in within his new role well."
Before leaving Tuesday for San Diego to join Team Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic, Rondon didn't seem
worried about his role with the additions of Davis and Uehara.
"We have more experience, and that will be good for us," Rondon said. "We don't care what inning (we pitch). We
only prepare to do our job and be healthy all year."
Rondon will be used in numerous situations, from perhaps sharing eighth-inning duties with Uehara based on
matchups to even closing games when Davis has worked on consecutive days.
"I've got an open mind to all this," Maddon said.
Maddon already is looking at the possibilities for the first week of the season, when the Cubs will have two days off
in the first five days.
"I don't have answers yet, but the only thing I feel strong about is we should spread the work and keep everyone
frisky," Maddon said.
Uehara averaged 12.06 strikeouts per nine innings with the Red Sox last season. But he will turn 42 on April 3 and
was twice placed on the 15-day disabled list last summer with right arm injuries.
Rondon struggled in non-save situations in September after returning from a strained right triceps, but he allowed
only one of nine inherited baserunners to score in 2016.
Pedro Strop, 31, could emerge as the Cubs' most versatile reliever if he can duplicate last season's performance,
when he ranked second among National League relievers with an 0.89 WHIP, fourth in opponents' batting average
at .163 and limited left-handed batters to a .143 batting average.
With the help of catching/strategy coach Mike Borzello, Justin Grimm hopes to rekindle the success he had in
2015, when he posted a 1.99 ERA in 62 appearances and limited left-handed batters to a .140 batting average.
"We've got some thoughts that are going to make me dominant against both sides," said Grimm, who allowed 16
earned runs in 21 innings in May and June last year before putting together a 14-inning scoreless streak. "I know I
have very good stuff.
"It's finding that consistency and staying at that level. Every year I have two or three months where I'm as
dominant as anybody, and you have that one month where it's off and it's been my kryptonite. So it's just
minimizing that and how to get through that."
-Chicago Tribune
Cubs' Hector Rondon excited to pitch for Venezuela in World Baseball Classic
By Mark Gonzales
Pitching in the playoffs the past seasons might serve Chicago Cubs reliever Hector Rondon well as he departs to
join his Venezuelan teammates in the World Baseball Classic.
“I feel it’s going to be intense and exciting,” Rondon said Tuesday morning before leaving for San Diego for the
second round. “I never pitched for my country, and I feel almost like the adrenaline will be the same as in the
playoffs and World Series, but hopefully everything is coming good for me.”
Rondon said his right arm is fine after an offseason lifting program and pitching in three spring games.
“The playoffs and World Series are way different,” Rondon said. “But the WBC will be special for me. I feel like I’m
ready to go there.”
Since December, Rondon has received the support from Venezuelan manager and former Gold Glove shortstop
Omar Vizquel.
“I know him from a couple years ago,” said Rondon, recalling that they played on the same winter ball team. “He
told me to come in and pitch like normal. That’s good for me and the team.”
-Chicago Tribune
Javier Baez's glovework sparks Puerto Rico to World Baseball Classic stunner
By Mark Gonzales
Javier Baez is known for his dramatic style, and the Chicago Cubs' infielder gained plenty of notoriety Tuesday night
for his daring tag.
Baez pointed toward home plate before he caught a throw from catcher Yadier Molina and applied a quick tag on
Nelson Cruz on a steal attempt to end the eighth inning of Puerto Rico's 3-1 victory over the Dominican Republic in
Pool F play of the World Baseball Classic at San Diego's Petco Bark.
Baez's hustle also enabled Puerto Rico to score a run in the fourth. Baez reached safely on a throwing error by
third baseman Adrian Beltre and eventually scored on a double by Eddie Rosario that enabled Puerto Rico to take a
2-1 lead.
The loss was the D.R.'s first in WBC play since 1911. Puerto Rico will play the United States on Thursday at Petco
Park.
-Chicago Tribune
Miguel Montero 'looking good,' could be more than a once-a-week catcher
By Mark Gonzales
Based on his spring performance, backup catcher Miguel Montero could be more than a liaison between his
teammates and the coaching staff this season.
"You have to rest Miggy now and he's accepted this role, but he's looking as good to me here as he has ever been,"
manager Joe Maddon said Tuesday. "So let's keep moving this thing forward. If you have Miggy in good shape and
rested combined with (Willson) Contreras, it's pretty darn good. I'll catch (Montero) with anybody except Jon
Lester."
Maddon was impressed with the way Montero, 33, handled Jake Arrieta on Sunday. Montero has looked sharp in
all facets and could be more than a once-a-week catcher.
"There are no qualms about doing that," Maddon said of starting Montero in favorable situations. Montero could
start against tough right-handed pitchers with Arrieta on the mound, Maddon added.
But "Willson is the guy, and Miggy knows that," Maddon said.
Montero was Arrieta's primary catcher in 2015, when Arrieta won 22 games and the National League Cy Young
Award.
Win-win situation: Hector Rondon left camp Tuesday to join his Venezuelan teammates for the second round of
the World Baseball Classic in San Diego.
"It's good for him," Maddon said. "He's excited about representing his country, which is very cool. Watching him
throw, he's ready to go and in good shape to do that.
"Getting him into that competition is going to be a good thing for him. It's one of those win-win situations."
Rondon pitched in three games this spring. The Cubs already had placed him on a deliberate schedule because of
his workload last season.
Extra innings: Left-hander Brian Duensing, who hasn't pitched since Thursday because of back stiffness, will throw
a bullpen session Wednesday. ... NASCAR driver Kurt Busch worked out with the Cubs before Tuesday's spring
game and posed for photos with players with the Earl Trophy, commemorating his Daytona 500 victory last month.
-Chicago Tribune
Cubs' Brett Anderson not grounded by hits
By Mark Gonzales
Left-hander Brett Anderson has reached the stage of spring training where he seeks to “break through that wall”
and feel more like a starting pitcher.
Anderson allowed six hits in three innings Tuesday in his fourth spring outing but wasn’t discouraged by the
number of soft hits he allowed to the Milwaukee Brewers as he hopes to earn the fifth spot in the Chicago Cubs’
rotation.
“You’re usually fine for the first two innings, and the third and fourth innings are kind of grindy,” Anderson said.
Anderson said he usually gives up weak ground ball hits “when I’m going right. Not every ground ball can go at
somebody or be close enough to be fielded.”
Perhaps the biggest development was the sharpness of Anderson’s slider that produced two strikeouts.
“Early on in my career, that was my put-away strikeout pitch,” said Anderson, who said he has earned 90 percent
of his strikeouts on sliders.
“I hung a couple, but they were where I wanted to. I’m not a big strikeout guy.”
-Chicago Tribune
Tuesday's recap: Cubs 7, Brewers 7
By Mark Gonzales
Kris Bryant and Willson Contreras each clubbed home runs Tuesday, but the Cubs needed a solo home run from
Chris Dominguez in the bottom of the ninth inning to force a 7-7 tie with the Brewers before a sellout crowd of
15,479 at Sloan Park.
At the plate
Jason Heyward snapped an 0-for-8 rut by hitting a single up the middle in the second, then ripped a double to leftcenter to score Addison Russell during the Cubs' four-run third.
On the mound
Brett Anderson showcased a slider that resulted in strikeouts of Lewis Brinson and Domingo Santana in the first.
But the Brewers collected three consecutive hits off him during a two-run second.
In the field
The Cubs defense has been spotty, and Bryant committed a fielding error that led to two runs in the fourth off lefthander Mike Montgomery. Left fielder Eloy Jimenez committed a horrendous throwing error that allowed the
Brewers to score the go-ahead run in the ninth.
On the basepaths
Russell and Heyward were thrown out on steal attempts in the first and second, respectively, and Jon Jay was
nailed trying to advance from first on an errant pitch in the fourth.
Key number
16 — Cubs errors this spring.
Up next
Vs. Diamondbacks, 9:05 p.m. Wednesday at Sloan Park. RH Kyle Hendricks vs. LH Patrick Corbin.
-Chicago Sun-Times
Cubs’ Miguel Montero ‘looking as good as he has here maybe ever’
By Gordon Wittenmyer
MESA, Ariz. – Cubs manager Joe Maddon sounded as impressed with catcher Miguel Montero as anyone in camp
this spring.
But when it comes to the two-time All-Star’s role in 2017, don’t mistake the praise for a chance to return to a
starting job.
“You’ve got a rested Miggy right now, and he’s accepted this role,” Maddon said Tuesday, “but right now he’s
looking as good to me as he has here maybe ever.”
Maddon said he likes how Montero, 33, is moving this spring and even likes his improved throwing.
But that’s not going to increase the one or two games a week the Cubs expect him to start.
“Willson [Contreras] is the guy, and Miggy knows that,” Maddon said of the second-year catcher. I don’t want to
just alter plans. Maybe part of the reason why Miggy’s showing so well is because of the schedule he’s on. So you
don’t want to alter that right now.”
Montero, a career starter, was acquired from the Diamondbacks in a trade before the 2015 season and quickly
became the primary part of a three-catcher rotation. He slumped out of the starting picture last season.
“Let’s just keep moving this thing forward, and if you’ve got Miggy being in good shape and rested, combined with
Contreras, that’s pretty darn good,” Maddon said. “And I’ll catch him with anybody, except Jon Lester.
“Miggy’s been fabulous,” he added. “It’s fitting together nicely, those pieces in the puzzle are fitting together really
nicely right now.
Ground game
One of the biggest reasons the Cubs considered left-hander Brett Anderson a fit when they pursued him in free
agency was the same thing Anderson saw in choosing the Cubs: the best group of fielders in baseball, especially
when Javy Baez joins the infield.
“He puts the ball on the ground; we can catch the ball on the ground,” Maddon said. “It’s a very exciting matchup.
He plays right into our team in a way.”
Tuesday’s start didn’t exemplify the point, with third baseman Kris Bryant committing an error, second baseman
Ben Zobrist having a single carom off his glove and Anderson giving up another single on a ball that caromed off his
backside.
But Anderson induces close to 60 percent of his contact allowed on the ground, and Tuesday notwithstanding, he
likes his chances to put up numbers at the back of the Cubs’ rotation.
“If it’s hit at somebody, more times than not it’s going to be an out,” he said. “And even if it’s not, the range on the
infield is tremendous across the board.”
Just one more reason for Maddon’s “D-peat” T-shirts this spring.
“The most obvious thing this whole camp is us playing defense the same being our key to success getting back,”
Maddon said. “That’s the separator right now.”
Need for speed?
A visit by Daytona 500 winner Kurt Busch and the Daytona trophy Tuesday didn’t translate to any more speed on
the bases — Addison Russell and Jason Heyward were thrown out on steal attempts.
They settled for comparing notes with the stock-car champ.
“When you talk to him [about racing 200 mph], it’s like us driving down [highway] 202. It’s no more stressful than
that,” Maddon said. “And then he talks about getting in the batter’s box and having to avoid a fastball. I guess it’s
all relative.”
-Chicago Sun-Times
Big hitting, spectacular error give Cubs 7-7 tie against Brewers
By Gordon Wittenmyer
MESA, Ariz. — The Cubs led 6-2 early on the strength of big hitting by Kris Bryant, Addison Russell and Willson
Contreras. But the division-rival Brewers came back to stick the Cubs with their fourth tie of the spring, 7-7 on
Tuesday at Sloan Park in Mesa.
The Brewers scored a go-ahead run after a pair of two-out walks in the ninth, on the error of the year in the
Cactus League – left-fielder Eloy Jimenez launching a throw allegedly intended for home plate that instead sailed
on a high arc well up the seating section behind the third-base dugout.
The Cubs tied it on Chris Dominguez’ leadoff homer in the bottom of the inning.
The Cubs scored four in the third on consecutive two-out hits by Russell (two-run double), Jason Heyward (double)
and Contreras (single).
Taking the fifth
Fifth-starter tandem Brett Anderson and Mike Montgomery each pitched three innings, each allowing two earned
runs and combining for five strikeouts and two walks.
“Today was the best my stuff has felt all together,” said Anderson, who ran into trouble with one out in the
second, including a shot by No. 9 hitter Isan Diaz off Anderson’s butt for a run-scoring infield hit.
“There were some crappy ground-ball hits, which is what I usually give up when I’m going right,” he said. “As long
as the ball’s on the ground and not too hard contract, which was the case today, and I can get my left ass cheek
out of the way, I’ll be all right.”
Power point
Reigning National League MVP Kris Bryant homered to straightaway center field in the first inning, his second
homer in three spring at-bats and third overall this spring (tied for team lead).
He walked in his next trip to the plate, then had a streak of four straight PAs reaching base snapped when he
grounded to short in the fourth inning.
Catching fire
Second-year catcher Willson Contreras continues to stay a few degrees ahead of the Arizona heat this spring, going
2-for-3 with an opposite-field homer in the second and a two-out, run-scoring single to left in the Cubs’ four-run
third.
He’s 9-for-25 (.360) this spring with three homers and two doubles.
Ground ball with eyes
Jason Heyward and his renovated swing snapped a 0-for-10 skid with a seeing-eye single up the middle leading off
the third, then added an impressive line-drive double to the opposite gap in left in the third inning for an RBI.
It was only the second game (in 12 starts) Heyward has had a hit.
He’s 4-for-29 (.138) this spring with three of his four hits going for extra bases. He also has walked three times and
been hit by a pitch.
On deck
Diamondbacks at Cubs, Mesa, Ariz., 9:05 p.m. (CT), CSN, cubs.com audio, Patrick Corbin vs. Kyle Hendricks.
-Chicago Sun-Times
Hector Rondon leaves for WBC, compares emotions to World Series
By Gordon Wittenmyer
MESA, Ariz. — Team Venezuela’s dramatic victory over Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic on Monday night
meant another shot at World Series emotions for Cubs setup man Hector Rondon.
Rondon left the Cubs on Tuesday to join his countrymen in San Diego for the second round of the WBC, his first
experience with the tournament, which he compared to the postseason run last fall.
The big difference for him this time around is the chance to have a significant late-inning impact for a Venezuelan
team that might have its best shot at reaching the championship.
“I feel it’s going to be intense for me, and exciting, too, because I’ve never pitched for my country,” Rondon said. “I
feel like the adrenaline is going to be maybe the same as the playoffs or World Series. But hopefully everything will
be going good for me.”
Rondon, 29, didn’t always feel like that was the case during the Cubs’ historic run. After being supplanted as the
closer by newcomer Aroldis Chapman, Rondon suffered a triceps injury late in the season and wasn’t used the way
he expected during the World Series.
Manager Joe Maddon said that was because of the way Rondon looked after returning from the injury. Rondon
said he was 100 percent healthy and normal by then.
Either way, both seem to like what pitching for a contending Venezuelan team might mean for Rondon.
“Talking to him, he’s really excited about representing his country, which I think is cool,” Maddon said. “He’s ready
to go. He’s in good shape to do that.
“I actually think him getting into that competition right now is going to be a good thing for him also. It’s one of
those win-win situations.”
Because Rondon spent time on the disabled list last year, the Cubs had the right to keep him out of the WBC.
Rondon and the team agreed if he was healthy and strong through the early part of camp, he could choose to join
Venezuela after the first round.
“I’ve been feeling really good,” Rondon said. “In the offseason, I did a lifting program, and now I see it worked for
me.
“The WBC is going to be special for me. I’m ready for it.”
The fourth WBC seems more special for the Venezuelans, who ramped up manager Omar Vizquel’s roster and
talked openly about a stronger effort after perceived underachieving in previous tournaments.
“Everybody’s taking it serious [this time],” Rondon said of a Venezuelan team that was bounced in the first round
of the last WBC in 2013. “The last two times they went, they were playing around. Now they want to win. It’s going
to be special.”
Rondon was left smarting by the addition of Chapman at the trade deadline last year, which bumped the righthander into a setup role. Then he had only a month during the offseason to believe he might have the closer’s job
back before the Cubs traded for All-Star closer Wade Davis.
Rondon called the sequence “kind of weird,” but — as he did during the summer — he took the team-first high
road when talking about what it meant to him.
“Conversationally, he’s wonderful,” Maddon said. “But I’m sure there might be just a part of him that might have
been injured by that a little bit. However, I anticipate he’s going to be fine, and he’ll fit in with his new role well.”
Whether the WBC experience contributes to Rondon’s mindset and readiness for the Cubs’ repeat efforts, he
acknowledged the bullpen might be the deepest of any he has been a part of. Chapman and Travis Wood are gone,
but Koji Uehara also was added.
“Right now we have the Japanese guy and Davis, so it’s almost the same group but with more experience,” Rondon
said. “It’s going to be huge for us.
“I don’t care, we don’t care what inning [we pitch]. We just prepare for doing our job and being healthy all year.”
-Daily Herald
Chicago Cubs counting on Jay and Almora to fill gap in center
By Bruce Miles
Center field was an island of stability in an otherwise changing sea for the Chicago Cubs the past two years, both
with their batting order and defense.
Dexter Fowler put the "go" into the offense from the leadoff spot and was the primary center fielder. Manager Joe
Maddon would tell Fowler, "You go, we go," before his at-bats.
Fowler has gone, to the St. Louis Cardinals. Kyle Schwarber likely will take over leadoff duties, and the tandem of
Jon Jay and Albert Almora Jr. will share time in center field.
Jay, who celebrates his 32nd birthday Wednesday, is expected to pave the way for the soon-to-be 23-year-old
Almora, who got a taste of the big leagues last year in the regular season and postseason. The Cubs signed Jay to a
one-year contract this off-season after he spent six seasons with the Cardinals and last year with the San Diego
Padres.
A broken right forearm limited Jay to 90 games last year, but he has World Series-winning experience with St.
Louis.
"I'm just another voice here that has some experience," he said early in spring training. "It's all about fighting for
that ring and getting into October. Last year was the first year I missed that. It was kind of hard watching it on TV.
It's nice to be back in that atmosphere."
The Cubs like Jay's leadership ability and his friendship with Almora. The two are workout buddies in Miami.
Jay has a lifetime on-base percentage of .352. His .996 fielding percentage in center field is the highest among
active players with at least 500 games at the position.
"I've been in a lot of different situations when I was in St. Louis, where I started off the year not playing much or
was projected this or projected that. But I'm not worried about that. That's been the same message I told Albert.
We don't know what's going to happen. We've just got to go out there and be ready to play every day, and
everything will work itself out."
The Cubs may or may not go with a straight platoon with the left-handed hitting Jay and the right-handed Almora
to start the season, but with Almora being the Cubs' first-round draft pick in 2012, the assumption is he will take
over the center-field job at some point. Jay seems OK with sharing time.
"That's the role I started off on," he said. "You never know when it's going to be your turn. You've got to be
mentally prepared, physically prepared and just ready to roll."
Both can play all three outfield positions, so both could be in the lineup on some days.
Almora, who plays the outfield with an authority belying his youth, got into 47 regular-season games in 2016,
compiling a line of .277/.308/.455 with 9 doubles, a triple, 3 home runs and 14 RBI. He got into nine postseason
games, scoring the eventual game-winning run in Game 7 of the World Series after tagging up and going from first
to second on a flyout to center.
"I just took all the experience," Almora said. "I feel like what I got the most is that now I know what it takes to be a
winning ballclub. And it's everybody in the clubhouse coming together. When I got called up, usually you think as a
rookie you can't speak and you've got to be quiet and so forth. But when I got here, it was like I had been a part of
the team for 10 years. They let me be myself, and I feel like that's a big thing.
"It's a big thing just playing baseball freely, having a lot of fun and playing the game hard. That's what I take out of
it."
The Cubs would like Almora to improve his on-base percentage, but they won't rush it.
"Everybody always talks about plate discipline," Maddon said. "But you've got to be careful. Some guys just come
with that chip. Some guys do not. And the guys that do not, you have to be careful that while you're instructing it
that you don't take away this kind of aggressiveness because it's hard to teach."
-Cubs.com
Rewriting history only a part of Epstein's story
By Joe Posnanski
MESA, Ariz. -- I think a lot about how children connect to baseball. It's a natural thing for a writer to think about.
My theory, built up over many years, by the way, is that 8 years old is the perfect age to fall in love with baseball.
I say this for many reasons, not least because when I was 8 the Cincinnati Reds beat the Boston Red Sox in the
glorious 1975 World Series, a life-altering moment for me. After that happened -- after Luis Tiant gyrated and
twisted and befuddled the Reds, after Pete Rose slid headfirst, after Carlton Fisk danced up the first-base line, after
Tony Perez belted a blooper pitch into the night -- I had no choice but to become an obsessive and lifelong baseball
fan. Thirty-five or so years later, I went back and wrote a book about those '75 Reds. That Series came along at
exactly the right moment in my life.
This comes up because the Chicago Cubs won the World Series last season. You probably heard something about
that. And if you were paying close attention, you saw Theo Epstein, president of baseball operations and chief
architect of the Cubs, watching Game 7 with his son, Jack.
And it just so happens that Jack was 8 years old at the time.
"That's perfect," I say to Epstein. "Eight is the perfect age to fall in love with baseball."
I don't expect Epstein to have much to say about it, this is just an observation, stuff that baseball writers think
about a lot but baseball men might not. I get ready to move on, to ask him some sort of baseball question, like how
he revamped the Cubs' bullpen, when he suddenly responds.
"It's the age of complete wonderment with the game," Epstein says. He then turns his eyes to the field where the
Cubs play an exhibition game against Italy.
"Interestingly though," Epstein says, "I think 12 is the age when you fully connect with your team. That's the age
when, in this weird way, you really get what baseball is, you begin to understand team dynamics, you follow the
game closely and that shapes your adulthood a little bit. I think that happens at 12."
"But 8," he continues, "is the age when you understand enough, but there's still the full wonder of the ballpark and
the colors and the smells and everything else."
Whew. Epstein has thought an awful lot about this. I half expect him to pull out a chart of how a child's age
matches up with their baseball fanhood.
But this isn't about charts or data or anything else.
The thing people often miss about Epstein, I think, is the poetry.
***
Theo Epstein has thrived in the age of Moneyball. Michael Lewis defined this age with his classic book. People are
generally and absurdly split up into traditionalists (old-school baseball people who believe in heart and grit and
that pitchers win games) and Moneyball people (math wizards who put more value in advanced stats with weird
abbreviations like FIP and PECOTA and WPA).
Epstein is categorized by almost everyone as a Moneyball leader. Well, of course he is. Epstein is Ivy League
educated (Yale in his case). He is well-rounded (Epstein has a law degree). He does not have much of a playing
background (he played ball in high school). He's a young nonconformist (even now, after leading the Cubs and Red
Sox to earth-shaking World Series, he's still younger than Bartolo Colon).
And, yes, Epstein is driven by logic rather than tradition, head over heart, data trumping the gut. It has been a few
years since he had a glorious exchange with Boston radio hosts about outfielder J.D. Drew, but it's still instructive.
The hosts were ripping Drew largely because he did not knock in many runs.
"You guys can care about RBIs if you want," Epstein said. "We ignore them in the front office ... [Drew] does the
most important thing you can do in baseball as an offensive player. And that's NOT MAKE OUTS."
In these ways, Epstein seems the essential Moneyball man. But to do that misses something important: He comes
from a family of artists. His grandfather and great uncle, Philip and Julius Epstein, wrote the movie "Casablanca".
His father, Leslie, is a novelist who has for more than two decades run the creative writing program at Boston
University. His sister, Anya, is a television screenwriter who has worked on "Homicide" among other shows.
And though Epstein will say that he doesn't write, he thinks like a poet. It's in his blood. Look at the story he has
written for himself. First, he was the young hero. Epstein fell in love with the Boston Red Sox when he was 12 (of
course) and this forced him to embrace their long history of heartbreak. As he grew older, he fell in love with the
idea of working in baseball, of helping to create baseball history.
At 30, Epstein was general manager when those Red Sox won their first World Series in more than 80 years. Three
years later, they won it again.
Epstein then became the tarnished hero, fresh off a couple of humbling seasons in Boston. His free-agent signings
bombed. His team collapsed down the stretch. He left for the North Side of Chicago, where he was hired to help
the most helpless of franchises, baseball's punch line, the Chicago Cubs, break the longest curse in American
sports.
Five years later, Theo and his 8-year-old son Jack watched the Cubs win their first World Series in 108 years.
"I mean, he's kind of talking me through what he thinks our chances are," Epstein says of his son. "He's talking me
through every hitter. It's hard not to just relish every single second of that."
That's not Moneyball. That's poetry.
***
Ernest Hemingway famously wrote that what good books give you is the good and the bad, the ecstasy, the
remorse and sorrow, the people and the places and how the weather was.
"If you can get so that you give that to people," he wrote, "then you are a writer."
Well, isn't that exactly what Theo Epstein has given to people?
"Total strangers come up to you," Epstein says, "and they say, 'Thank you.' And they immediately open up and
share intimate details of their family and what the World Series meant to them and all the connections, all those
relatives who have been going to Cubs games since World War II, before World War II.
"It was the best part of the experience in Boston too, the most meaningful, the part that resonates the most.
We're not working in healthcare. We're not working in education. We're not saving lives here. To get to play a
small part in something that is actually transformative for people, really does impact their lives, that's such a
privilege. It's really cool to have that back in my life again."
So you listen to Epstein describe the Cubs Convention this year, the fan celebration held at the Sheraton Grand in
downtown Chicago:
"It reminded me of a high school reunion," he says. "You've just gotten a promotion. You've just lost 10 pounds.
You buy a new suit, you show up with your chest puffed out. That's how our fans seemed at Cubs Convention after
all those years of losing."
Or listen to Epstein talk about how he has enjoyed this ride more than the one in Boston:
"I think the Boston experience, I only really enjoyed and appreciated fully in hindsight, when I was looking back on
it," he says. "I was too young and dumb, and it happened too quickly, and it just seemed outrageous. It's like we
were just going along for a night out that never ends."
Then you look at the words.
Boston was a night out that never ends. The Cubs' celebration was a high school reunion just after you got a
promotion.
Eight years old is the age of complete wonderment.
Hemingway was right. The guy is a writer.
***
Five years ago, when Epstein took over in Chicago, he was already a Boston legend. But people who knew Epstein
suspected there was something missing for him. You ask: What could possibly be missing for a guy who helped his
childhood team finally win it all, silencing all those ghosts?
But Epstein wanted something else, wanted the chance to join friends in the game like Cubs general manager Jed
Hoyer and create something new, their own piece of art. They both went to the Cubs. The team was terrible then,
the organization was almost entirely devoid of talent. The team lost 197 total games their first two seasons.
Behind the scenes, Epstein got everyone in the organization together to write a manual they would call "The Cubs
Way." What was in "The Cubs Way"?
Everything.
No, really, everything -- there was nothing too small, too insignificant to be included. They determined which foot
players should use to touch first when rounding the bag. They agreed on the sort of language every coach and
manager would use in the organization. They settled on the Cubs' philosophy about bunting, intentional walks,
how to position cutoff men and everything else that you could possibly imagine.
"I think we were just trying to be very conscious of every decision instead of just letting things happen," Epstein
says. "I don't know that it even matters if you're right or wrong on most of that stuff, I think there's just some
merit to just being intentional about it. It helps create this identity. People feel a connection to it. They identified
themselves as Cubs -- this is who we are. This is how we play."
"Those," Epstein continues, "are the little things that make people think big."
Then came the building. Epstein and company were good at building. They were also extraordinarily fortunate.
They wanted to load up on great young hitters and made a series of great moves (drafting Kris Bryant and Javier
Baez, trading for Addison Russell, etc.).
Then, they made a series of good moves that turned out better than even they expected (trading for Anthony Rizzo
and Kyle Hendricks when their stock was low, etc.).
And, absolutely, they got lucky a lot, too. They didn't know Jake Arrieta would even be a usable pitcher, much less
a dominant force. They didn't know that Joe Maddon would leave Tampa Bay at exactly the right moment, just as
their team was coming into focus.
"We caught a bunch of lucky breaks along the way, no question about it," Epstein says. "Look, it didn't go perfectly.
There were some low points, and there were some times when it felt like we were at the bottom of the well
looking up, like, 'How are we going to get the six, seven, eight impact players that we need?' There's always that
one moment when it's darkest.
"And then it's gone. All of a sudden, Arrieta and Hendricks break through, and Rizzo takes a step forward, and you
draft [Kyle] Schwarber, and Bryant does what he did in college, and you trade for Addison Russell. And bam, all of
sudden, you have this great talent. We needed those things to go well. That's one of the beauties of baseball. We
feel good about our process. But we still needed all those things to go well."
One of the questions everybody asks Epstein is: What's next? He led the Boston Red Sox and the Chicago Cubs to
World Series victories. How do you follow those acts? Turn around the Cleveland Browns? Take on healthcare?
Make a Superman movie worthy of the character? What next?
It's not a question that interests Epstein. What's next is, of course, getting the most out of this extraordinary Cubs
team, a team that most people believe should be the best or one of the best teams in baseball for the next five
years. The team is favored again in 2017, and Epstein has focused everything on recapturing the magic.
The Cubs made a few moves in the offseason like picking up Kansas City relieving cyborg Wade Davis along with
the seemingly ageless Koji Uehara to shore up the bullpen.
More, the Cubs will have to face things that defending champions have to overcome -- complacency,
overconfidence, bad breaks, everyone gunning for you, forgetting how you got there in the first place.
"I think our approach, partly motivated by some of the takeaways from the Boston experience, is not to avoid
those issues [of complacency] and not to take anything for granted," Epstein says. "We love our players. We think
they have tremendous maturity, tremendous character, tremendous priorities. They totally buy into the team
concept.
"But just because we believe that doesn't mean we should avoid talking about the important things that went on
last year that allowed us to be part of something greater than ourselves. We just dealt with that head on: 'Hey, you
guys are the best. Look at the culture you created here. Now, we all have to make a a constant decision to go back
to that place. We have a chance to do it again.'"
***
As a writer, I sometimes think the Chicago Cubs' story will never be as romantic again. How can it be? For
generation after generation, they were the lousy Cubs, rarely even good enough to break your heart (and when
they were good enough, whoa, they broke hearts with gusto). When they finally won last year, it was the
crescendo of the story. The movie would end at the final out. But the story goes on.
I ask Epstein about that. This time, he doesn't sound anything like a writer. He sounds like the baseball man.
"Yeah, I think the angst people have over that -- 'Will the experience be the same if you win? Will it be ruined once
the Cubs are champions?' -- that's the biggest waste of time ever," Epstein says. "Are you kidding? When you win,
everything just gets better."
-Cubs.com
Bryant: Covering strike zone, repeat title top of mind
By Carrie Muskat
MESA, Ariz. -- Kris Bryant is so trendy, some of the sons of his Cubs teammates are asking to get their hair cut like
the reigning National League Most Valuable Player Award winner. Bryant just laughs at the young copycats.
"Jake's wife sent my wife the picture last night [of Arrieta's son, Cooper], and I said, 'That's so cool,'" Bryant said
Tuesday. "It's pretty cool -- 'A Kris Bryant, please.'"
Bryant's focus has been on finding the swing he had in 2014 when he won Minor League Player of the Year. He's
also a little nervous about whether he'll be able to wrestle his World Series ring from his dad, Mike.
On Sunday, Bryant smacked his second spring homer, lining a ball to right field. In 2014, Bryant estimates he hit 28
of his 43 home runs to right.
"It was a pitch away, and instead of just getting singles on those or whatever, I want to be able to hit those over
the fence," Bryant said of the homer. "It felt really good. ... It's what I've done in the past and it's coming back to
me.
"If I can do that, I'll feel really good heading into the year," he said. "Hopefully, I get a couple more pitches out
there and hit them."
If Bryant can do that, manager Joe Maddon says, it'll be tougher to pitch to him.
"You really want to go up there and be the toughest out you can possibly be," Bryant said. "If there was a spot
heading into 2015, pitches up in the zone, I'd foul off, and last year, I did really well covering that hole up. If I can
continue to improve and cover all areas of the strike zone, it gives me a whole lot of confidence heading up to the
plate. That one [Sunday] felt really good."
It hasn't sunk in that Bryant won the MVP honors. He's been more excited about the Cubs' first World Series
championship since 1908.
"It's kind of nice that a World Series trophy overshadows that," he said of the MVP award. "That was more of my
focus this whole offseason -- I was thinking about how much fun we had.
"It never really has hit me that I won the award," he said. "Not many people get to do that, so I should feel very
proud of myself for that. I was more concerned about what we did as a team and waiting for my World Series ring
and how exciting that's going to be."
The Cubs will get their rings on April 12 in a ceremony at Wrigley Field. His father will be likely be there.
"My dad is fighting with me, saying he wants to wear it for a whole year straight," Bryant said of his ring. "I said,
'Dad, you can't do that. Hopefully, I can find you a replica.'"
Of course, the Cubs could always win another World Series.
"I want to be able to add many World Series rings to my collection and hopefully I play a long time and get a
chance to do it again," Bryant said. "We have to take advantage of it right now. We have so many young guys and a
good group of talent and we see something special that can go on for many years here. That's our attitude, we
want to take full advantage of it and head out this year with the same attitude we had last year.
"One [championship] in 108 [years] sounds cool, but two in 109 sounds pretty cool, too, so hopefully we can do
that."
-Cubs.com
Venezuela's win has Rondon pumped to join team
By Carrie Muskat
MESA, Ariz. -- Cubs reliever Hector Rondon said Tuesday he will join Team Venezuela for the second round of the
World Baseball Classic. Venezuela beat Italy, 4-3, on Monday night to advance, and it will face Team USA on
Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET in San Diego.
Rondon, 29, who watched Venezuela's win over Italy on Monday, said he was excited to pitch for his country.
"I want to go there so bad, and hopefully everything is good there when I pitch for my teammates and I can
support my country," Rondon said.
He does know Venezuela manager Omar Vizquel from playing together in winter ball a couple years ago.
"The only thing he told me was to come and pitch like normal, and that's good [advice] for the team and for me
especially," Rondon said.
Rondon began last season as the Cubs' closer, then moved to a setup role when the team acquired Aroldis
Chapman. Rondon was on the disabled list last August with a strained right tricep, but he feels 100 percent healthy
this spring.
Pitching in the playoffs last year also could help prepare Rondon for the World Baseball Classic.
"It's good for him," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "He's really excited about representing his country. Watching
him throw, he's in good shape and ready to go. I think getting into that competition now is good for him. It's a winwin situation."
"I feel it's going to be intense for me and exciting, too," Rondon said. "I've never pitched for my country. I feel
maybe it'll be the same adrenaline as in the playoffs and World Series. Hopefully, everything goes good for me."
-Cubs.com
Maddon: Anderson's pitching style fits in with Cubs
By Carrie Muskat
MESA, Ariz. -- Brett Anderson appears to be a good fit for the Cubs because of their defense.
"He puts the ball on the ground, and we catch the ball on the ground," manager Joe Maddon said of the lefty. "It's
a very exciting matchup. He plays right into our team, in a way."
Anderson, who made his second spring start on Tuesday, pitching three innings against the Brewers, likes the idea
of having the Cubs' infielders backing him up.
"I think it will be beneficial going forward," Anderson said.
Maddon has stressed defense this spring, saying it will be the key to the Cubs reaching the postseason again.
"I'm watching a lot of other good teams," Maddon said. "Parity is going to become a part of this. Milwaukee is
ascending now. I know Cincinnati is going through a moment, but Pittsburgh -- [they play] defense. The thing that's
the separator right now is going to be defense.
"If we understand and believe that, that will get us where we want to be this year," he said. "I think the pitching
will benefit and I think we'll hit, based on experience, guys getting naturally better. Catching the ball, being in the
right spots, it's even more obvious to me right now."
• Hector Rondon lost the closer's job last season when the Cubs acquired Aroldis Chapman, and he has been
bumped again this year following the addition of Wade Davis. Maddon called Rondon before the Cubs acquired
Davis to give him a heads up.
"He was magnanimous, he was fine, he was great," Maddon said. "Conversationally, he's wonderful. There might
be a part of him injured by [losing the job] a little bit. I anticipate he's going to be fine and he'll fit in with his new
role well."
Rondon, who will join Team Venezuela for the second round of the World Baseball Classic, has looked good this
spring, although Maddon said the right-hander was still looking for a consistent break on his slider.
• The next outings for both Jon Lester and Jake Arrieta will be in the Minor Leagues. The Cubs want the two
starters to get their work in down in Minor League camp, so Lester will pitch Thursday and Arrieta on Friday. In
Cactus League play, Eddie Butler will start Thursday against the Dodgers, and Duane Underwood will start Friday
against the White Sox. Both of those games are in Glendale, Ariz.
• Anderson has been impressed by the young players in Cubs camp.
"There's talent acros the board," Anderson said. "You see a guy like Ian Happ and there's no spot for him and he's
hitting a million in Spring Training. It's a testament to the front office, to the depth and talent. It's fun to be a part
of it. Hopefully, I can go out and do my part and watch the rest of the guys play."
For the record, Happ is batting .452, not one million.
--
Cubs.com
Russell, Contreras pace Cubs with 2-RBI days
By Carrie Muskat
MESA, Ariz. -- The Brewers' Zach Davies tried to get his work in against the Cubs on Tuesday, but a pair of potential
matchups in April loom, too. Kris Bryant and Willson Contreras each hit solo homers off the right-hander in a 7-7
tie between the two Central Division teams in front of a sellout crowd of 15,478 at Sloan Park.
The Brewers trailed, 6-5, in the ninth, and with two on and two outs against Jose Rosario, Dustin Houle lined a
single to left to drive in one run. Left fielder Eloy Jimenez's throw home sailed toward the Cubs' dugout and
another run scored on the error. Chris Dominguez then tied the game at 7 with a leadoff homer in the Chicago half.
In the third, Contreras added an RBI single, and Addison Russell smacked a two-run double and scored on Jason
Heyward's RBI double in a four-run frame.
The Brewers' Eric Thames had two hits, including his first spring homer -- leading off the fifth against Mike
Montgomery. Thames was 4-for-24 with one extra-base hit prior to Tuesday's game.
Minus one rough outing last August, Davies has had success against the Cubs in the regular season. In five career
starts he has a 4.18 ERA, including six shutout innings on Sept. 23, 2015, when he gave up two hits. On Tuesday, he
was charged with six runs on six hits and three walks over three innings.
"It was just rough," Davies said. "I was not getting ahead of guys and [was] having to throw over the middle of the
plate. That's an All-Star lineup -- not a team you want to do that to."
Cubs manager Joe Maddon stacked his lineup with almost all of the team's regulars. The only players missing were
Javier Baez, who is away at the World Baseball Classic, and Kyle Schwarber. Davies, who is lined up to face the
Cubs during the Brewers' opening homestand and could see them again at Wrigley Field from April 17-19, had to
be selective with his sequencing.
"You're still trying to work on things that you want to bring into your season," Davies said. "At the same time, it's
tough when you don't want to show a team in your division everything you have."
Bryant belted his third homer this spring with a shot to straightaway center in the first. The Brewers tied the game
in the second when Rene Garcia doubled, moved up on Lucas Erceg's infield single and scored on Isan Diaz's single
off the mound. Contreras then tied the game with an opposite-field shot in the second.
Brett Anderson, competing for the fifth-starter spot, made his second spring start for the Cubs and gave up two
runs on six hits over three innings. Montgomery, who is the other option for the fifth spot, also gave up six hits
over three innings.
Brewers Up Next: Red-hot center fielder Keon Broxton is expected back atop the Brewers' lineup Wednesday when
the team travels to Scottsdale to play the Rockies at 3:10 p.m. CT. Broxton has three Cactus League home runs,
including one in Monday's rout of the Mariners in which Broxton had three hits, three runs scored and three RBIs.
Chase Anderson starts for Milwaukee.
Cubs Up Next: The Cubs will play under the lights vs. the D-backs on Wednesday with a rare night game at Sloan
Park. Kyle Hendricks will make his third spring start. He has given up two hits over five innings in his two previous
starts, striking out five. Hendricks hasn't walked a batter yet. First pitch was scheduled for 5:05 p.m. CT on MLB.TV.
-Cubs.com
Cubs' roster rounding into form halfway through spring
By Carrie Muskat
Editor's note: Before Spring Training began, MLB.com predicted teams' 25-man rosters. The Cubs have reached the
halfway point in Cactus League play, so where does the roster stand now? Let's take a look.
MESA, Ariz. -- When the defending World Series champion Cubs reported for Spring Training, there weren't any
major roster decisions for manager Joe Maddon to make other than who will lead off and which relievers will
comprise the bullpen. Who will make the final 25-man roster? Here's an update:
Catchers: Willson Contreras, Miguel Montero
If Contreras isn't catching in a game, he's usually sitting next to coach Mike Borzello learning about pitch selection.
He will be paired with Jon Lester and get the majority of starts. Montero, 33, is throwing well, and the plan is to
have him start at least one, if not two, games a week. Said Maddon: "You've got Miggy being in good shape and
rested combined with Contreras, that's pretty good [for a catching combination]."
First base: Anthony Rizzo
The only setback for Rizzo was when he missed four games because of tightness in his lower back. This spring, the
Cubs have had a chance to look at who might back up Rizzo if he was injured. Jeimer Candelario has played well,
although he's even better at third base.
Second base: Javier Baez, Ben Zobrist
Baez has been busy with Team Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic, and his absence has provided an
opportunity for Ian Happ, the Cubs' No. 1 Draft pick in 2015, to get lots of at-bats. Happ is taking advantage of it.
He was batting over .400 and leading the Cubs in home runs and RBIs. Zobrist also will get plenty of playing time at
second.
Third base: Kris Bryant
Bryant has been working on hitting the ball more to right, and on Sunday, crushed a home run to the opposite field
during a game against the Athletics. If he can do that, Bryant will be even more difficult to pitch to.
Shortstop: Addison Russell
The only change here is where Russell may bat in the order. He was clutch with runners on base last year, and
could hit fifth this season.
Utility: Matt Szczur, Tommy La Stella
The Cubs know Szczur and La Stella, but also are keeping an eye on outfielder John Andreoli, who batted .316 with
three home runs and seven RBIs for Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic. Again, the final spot will come down
to whether the Cubs want to carry an extra infielder like La Stella or an outfielder.
Outfield: Kyle Schwarber, Albert Almora Jr., Jon Jay, Jason Heyward
Schwarber has had no problems with the brace on his left knee, hitting two triples this spring. Almora has caught
everything hit his way. Heyward ended an 0-for-15 start to Spring Training with two hits on March 6, and hasn't
gotten a hit since. Maddon says he's not concerned about Heyward as he continues to adjust his swing.
Starting pitching: Jon Lester, Jake Arrieta, Kyle Hendricks, John Lackey, Brett Anderson
No changes here, although Anderson appears to be emerging as the leader for the fifth spot. He may be a perfect
fit because he's a ground-ball pitcher and can rely on the solid defense.
Bullpen: Wade Davis, Hector Rondon, Pedro Strop, Carl Edwards Jr., Justin Grimm, Koji Uehara, Caleb Smith, Mike
Montgomery
Smith had a rough inning, then was able to right himself in his next inning. A Rule 5 Draft pick, the Cubs have to
decide if he's ready to make the jump to the big leagues. Rondon is going to pitch for Team Venezuela in the
second round of the World Baseball Classic, which is a good sign that he's healthy. He battled a strained right
triceps at the end of last season.
-CSNChicago.com
How Gold Glove Defense Could Help Brett Anderson Fulfill His Potential With Cubs
By Patrick Mooney
MESA, Ariz. – Brett Anderson saw and heard enough at Wrigley Field in October to send Cubs fans a "Stay classy f----- idiots" message on Twitter – and eventually realize that this is exactly the type of team he wanted to join.
It says something when Javier Baez – a defensive wizard and the co-MVP from that National League Championship
Series – essentially reported to spring training as a super-utility guy without a guaranteed everyday role in the
lineup.
"There's talent across the board," Anderson said. "You see a guy like Ian Happ and there's no spot for him and he's
hitting a million in spring training. It's just a testament to the front office, to the depth and the talent that's here, 1
through however many people are left in camp.
"Hopefully, I can go out there and do my part and have fun watching the rest of the guys play."
That Anderson didn't make the playoff roster in either round – and only threw 11-plus innings for the Los Angeles
Dodgers last season – speaks to the injuries that stunted his career and framed a one-year, $3.5 million incentiveladen deal.
But if Anderson stays healthy – this is someone who's been on the disabled list nine times since 2010 – he appears
to have the inside track for the fifth-starter job and a chance to fulfill his vast potential at a place where the
manager hawks D-PEAT T-shirts.
"He plays right into our team," Joe Maddon said. "He puts the ball on the ground. We catch the ball on the ground.
It's a very exciting matchup."
As someone who led the majors with a 66.7 groundball percentage in 2015, Anderson can point to the Gold Glove
first baseman (Anthony Rizzo), a World Series MVP (Ben Zobrist), an All-Star shortstop (Addison Russell) and an NL
MVP known for his defensive versatility (Kris Bryant) and say: "You couldn't ask for better people behind you."
"That was another factor," Anderson said of his free-agent decision. "Who can make the plays behind me? The
defense last year was at historic levels. For what I do when I'm going right, it's groundballs, and you couldn't have a
better tandem up the middle."
The clips from Tuesday afternoon's 7-7 tie with the Milwaukee Brewers at Sloan Park won't be in next year's Cubs
Convention highlight film. Anderson admittedly gave up "some crappy groundball hits" (six overall plus two runs in
three innings), the Cubs committed two errors and this is supposed to be the most optimistic time of the year.
But Anderson says he's feeling good – knock on wood – and the Cubs can assemble the best defensive unit in The
Show.
"The most obvious thing this whole camp is us playing defense the same being our key to success and getting
back," Maddon said. "That's the separator right now."
--
CSNChicago.com
Cubs Q&A With Ted Lilly: Winning It All, Next Steps, Kyle Hendricks
By Patrick Mooney
MESA, Ariz. – Nothing summed up the win-one-for-the-Tribune Tower frenzy – and the passion felt by generations
of Cubs fans – quite like this story: Former general manager Jim Hendry finalizing Ted Lilly's four-year, $40 million
deal while hooked up to an EKG machine in a Florida hospital room during the winter meetings.
That spending spree coming off a last-place finish in 2006 would lead to back-to-back division titles in 2007 and
2008, so much entertainment with larger-than-life personalities like Lou Piniella and Alfonso Soriano, two crushing
playoff sweeps, years of ownership instability and ultimately a reckoning that would reshape the entire franchise.
Theodore Roosevelt Lilly III rejoined the Cubs as a special assistant to the president and general manager three
years ago during spring training, reporting to Arizona to offer his insight as someone who experienced Chicago's
sky-high expectations and bitter disappointments.
Q: Looking back on 2016, what separated that group from the other 100-something teams that came before?
A: "This thing has been growing here for the last few years, this new culture of winning. The team that did this is
special – talented, young, a lot of maturity for a young team, just impressive all the way around. There's some
talent, but there's also some really good baseball players. Watching these games, these guys do a number of things
that don't show up necessarily on individual statistics that help the team win games.
"These guys have also (been) put into a really good environment to succeed. I think our player development did a
good job. And at the big-league level as well, you've seen them get better."
Q: What did it mean for you to be part of the organization when the Cubs finally won it all?
A: "I understood the feeling of how special accomplishing that dream was. When I was here as a player, it was
something that we talked about quite often, trying to make that a reality and all the different ways to try and get
that done.
"Having the opportunity to come over here and be a part of this, obviously I feel extremely fortunate to be
involved in the organization in any capacity. I wasn't able to get a ring as a player and wanted to be connected with
this organization. Early on, there were a lot of things going on here where you could envision this potential, this
possibility of the Cubs finally getting it done."
Q: How would you describe Theo Epstein's management style?
A: "No stone left unturned. (Not that I'm around much, but) I've also witnessed a lot of trust that he has in the
team (and everyone who's) involved in it. That was something that I just wasn't aware of – that it's on a level like
that where there are these open arguments of opinions. Even if they're adamant, there's still this open-minded
respect for the other guy's opinion (during these) high-level evaluations. (The draft room) is a great example."
Lilly has three young children and earned roughly $80 million during his playing career, according to the salary
database at Baseball-Reference.com, absolutely maximizing his talent as a 23rd-round pick who earned two AllStar selections and lasted 15 years in the big leagues. Those would appear to be the opposing forces – comfortable
stay-at-home dad vs. potential pitching specialist – in his second baseball act.
Q: Do you have a sense of what you'd like to do next after getting your feet wet in the front office – something
more or something different?
A: "It's hard for me to pin it down exactly as we sit here right now. I really like what I'm doing, just getting the
opportunity to be around and learn from many different people, keeping my ears open and paying attention.
"Whether it would continue to be here, which would be ideal, or go somewhere else, (I don't know). But from the
people I'm around, there's just a lot to learn, like Joe (Maddon) and his ability to communicate."
There's obviously a left-handed/right-handed difference, but in the same way that Lilly used his smarts, guts and
competitive nature, Kyle Hendricks showed that a frontline starter doesn't necessarily need to have a 6-foot-5-inch
frame and 100-mph heat.
Q: Could you explain what Hendricks did last year in going from a pretty good fifth starter to an ERA leader?
A: "If someone asked me: ‘Do you think Kyle Hendricks' stuff is pretty good?' I do. That term gets thrown out often.
I also think of movement as stuff. That's a part of stuff. On both his sinker and his changeup, there's quite a bit of
movement – and it's late and it's in the right direction.
"So it may not have the numbers on the radar gun that we typically equate to stuff. But as far as depth in the zone
– you watch how he can throw a breaking ball at whatever the velocity is – there's still some bite to it, which I
consider to be pretty good stuff. If you can get a ball to move late, it's hard to hit.
"Kyle and I are different styles, not so much the left- and right-handed thing, but also the movement. I didn't have
the ability to make a pitch sink the way that he does. It's pretty special. And an X-factor that is a separator for him,
without question, is the command."
The Cubs never would have added Hendricks to their minor-league inventory in the summer of 2012 if the Randall
Delgado trade with the Atlanta Braves hadn't collapsed, and Ryan Dempster hadn't backed off his strong
preference to go to the Los Angeles Dodgers and play with Lilly again.
In a buzzer-beater before the July 31 deadline – on a day where Dempster played Golden Tee in the employee
lounge, kicked up his feet up on a staffer's desk and watched the MLB Network coverage inside the team's Clark
Street headquarters – the Cubs finally reached an agreement to waive his no-trade rights and acquire two Class-A
prospects from the Texas Rangers.
Q: Were you in the loop on that Dempster deal?
A: "Just a little bit, because there were some questions that were asked from our front office at the time about
acquiring him. But I was a player, not front-office personnel. My involvement was very minimal. Ned (Colletti) had
asked me questions about what we were getting, and I certainly made it clear that I believed he would help us.
"We're all glad that he went to Texas."
-CSNChicago.com
Cubs Hope World Baseball Classic Will Be A Boost For Hector Rondon
By Patrick Mooney
MESA, Ariz. – After being frozen out of the biggest moments in the World Series, maybe Hector Rondon will
rediscover something during the World Baseball Classic.
The Cubs gave Rondon the green light to leave camp after Tuesday's workout and join Team Venezuela in San
Diego for the second round of the international showcase, another sign that the right-handed reliever has
recovered from the triceps injury that left him at less than full strength last October.
"It's going to be intense," Rondon said. "I'm excited, because I've never pitched for my country, and I feel like it's
almost going to be the same adrenaline as the playoffs or the World Series."
Rondon never quite got back into rhythm after that second-half injury, which put him outside manager Joe
Maddon's circle of trust and contributed to Aroldis Chapman throwing 97 pitches combined in Games 5, 6 and 7
against the Cleveland Indians.
If Rondon can become the elite setup guy the Cubs envisioned when they made that blockbuster Chapman trade
with the New York Yankees – and Pedro Strop, Koji Uehara and new closer Wade Davis stay healthy – then this
could become a lights-out bullpen.
"It's good for him," Maddon said. "Talking to him, he's really excited about representing his country, which I think
is cool. Watching him throw, he's ready to go. He's in good shape.
"I actually think him getting into that competition right now is going to be a good thing for him. It's one of those
win-win situations."
Rondon – who saved 77 games across the last three seasons as the Cubs blossomed from a last-place team into
World Series champions – again said "I don't care" when asked about his role once he returns from the World
Baseball Classic.
"When Aroldis walked in the door last year, all of a sudden he was pushed into a different situation," Maddon said.
"He was wonderful about it, a great team guy about it. But internally you got to feel something, and I thought he
dealt with it really well.
"Now you got Wade Davis walking in the door. Before we actually culminated that deal, I got a chance to talk with
Ronnie on the phone. And, again, he was magnanimous.
"Everything was great. I'm sure there might be just a part of him that might have been injured by that a little bit.
However, I anticipate he's going to be fine."
--