Cubs' Joe Maddon On Second-Guessing Of Decisions In World Series: 'Only Reality I Know Is That We Won'

(CBS) Just more than a month after winning a World Series, Cubs manager Joe Maddon doesn't seem too worked up about the second-guessing surrounding several in-game decisions he made in the final two games of the series that didn't work out in practice.

Asked Tuesday at the Winter Meetings how he's dealt with the criticism, Maddon pointed to the scoreboard and stood strong in his conviction.

"I've done a couple interviews, and it's kind of fascinating to me, regarding the second-guessing, because again, the only reality I know is that we won," Maddon said. "That's the one reality that I do know. And we've often times in the past talked about outcome bias, with people anticipating if you'd done something differently it would've turned out better. But better than winning? I don't know what that is."

A series of decisions by Maddon were criticized late in the World Series as the Cubs rallied from a 3-1 deficit. In Game 6, he used closer Aroldis Chapman for 1 1/3 innings in a game Chicago would win 9-3 at Cleveland. Many thought he needlessly tired Chapman's arm out.

In Game 7, it was then Chapman -- in his sixth inning of work in a four-day stretch -- who allowed the game-tying homer in the eighth inning to Rajai Davis before the Cubs won in extra innings.

Also in Game 7, Maddon gave Cy Young finalist Kyle Hendricks the early hook after 4 1/3 innings, despite him allowing just one earned run on four hits. And it was ace starter Jon Lester whom Maddon then brought in with a runner on base, in a situation Maddon had previously said he wanted to avoid because of Lester's problems with throwing to bases.

The Indians ended up breaking through in that fifth inning when Lester unleashed a wild pitch that plated two runs.

"The way that we worked that last game was prepared before the game began," Maddon said. "When it comes down to Jon Lester, Jon Lester did a great job, not just a good job. He did a great job in his time in the game, and Aroldis gives up a homer that wasn't based on velocity. So I mean, you can't control the narrative when the game is in progress. And that's why I do love, I've talked about the bar-room banter. I definitely know I was able to fill out, based on my decision-making, the bar-room banter throughout the Chicago area, nationally, internationally.

"The point is when you work a game like that, there's not an eighth game. There's only a seventh game. Everything you saw us do that night, I'd planned out before the game and felt really strongly about and still do. Just take away one hit by Davis, and it worked out pretty darn well.

"The second-guessing component, whatever you want to call it, is part of the game. I do embrace it. I kind of enjoy it, but in a situation like that, the outcome a was a good one."