Levine: Big Series With Giants For Second Wild Card Lead Awaits Cubs
By Bruce Levine--
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The nice little story about a young Chicago Cubs team overachieving this season will be tested with a four-game series against the defending world champion Giants.
Chicago has played at an extremely high level this season for a club with as many as four rookies starting on many nights. Good young talent and expertise handling of the team by manager Joe Maddon and his staff have been key elements to success.
Maddon and the veteran players on the Cubs will have their hands full keeping the focus on the one-day-at-a-time approach. The concentration on that mantra has been great all season.
The importance of these games in the wild-card race is obvious. Do the Cubs belong in the conversation as one of the best teams in the National League? They may be ready to find out as they battle the Giants for the second wild-card spot.
"We are playing a good team," veteran catcher David Ross said of the Giants. "They are an experienced team who knows how to win. I think this will be a good test for us. We will see how these guys slow things down and stay in the moment. We need to be pitch to pitch. At-bat to at-bat. We have our horses (big pitchers) going this series. We just need to play clean baseball."
Maddon has been the main reason that, to this point, players young and aging have been a loose group. His easygoing but firm style has gotten the best response from the 25-man roster. With bigger games come higher expectations from the fan base.
Maddon insisted it's always about today's game.
"You do well, you think you got it wrapped," he said. "If you do poorly, you think it's over. Neither one is true. So we just try and play today's game."
Don't tell that to the 42,000 fans showing up at Wrigley Field who have been thirsty for meaningful baseball on the North Side for seven years. Plus, Maddon is also the same guy who admits to scoreboard-watching and knowing where teams are in the standings every day.
"The concept we put out in spring training is to get your guys to play one way," Maddon said. "Whenever you are playing that same game, you should not be nervous, upset or concerned. You don't have to worry about turning it up or down. We get them used to playing that game. Then here comes October, and you're playing in a playoff game. The last thing I want them to do is try to do something different then. This message, conveyed properly, gives you the best chance to play in October in a meaningful way."
Cubs veterans like Chris Coghlan have helped Maddon get that message to his teammates from February on.
"We try to regulate things and make every series the exact same thing," said Coghlan, who is being asked to play upward of five positions going forward. "This has been built in for our sanity. I know, for me, I know who we are playing (the world champs). I know they are right there. I know they will be there at the end. So, for me, we have seven chances to move ourselves ahead of them. Hopefully we will put our best foot forward."
