Joe Maddon on Brewers' lineup complaints: 'I really don't give a s---.' |
PITTSBURGH — With nothing left to play for but posterity over the course of their final four games, the Chicago Cubs, who have been eliminated from playoff contention, will rest a slew of key players to close out the 2019 campaign. As fate would have it, the Cubs will finish off the season with a 3-game series at Busch Stadium against the St. Louis Cardinals that will be teeming with playoff implications.
The Cardinals are currently in a heated race for the National League Central crown against the Milwaukee Brewers, and, evidently, Cubs manager Joe Maddon has already heard rumblings from those around the Brewers organization regarding the Cubs' plan to play "B lineups" for the final series. The Brewers currently stand at one game behind the Cardinals in the standings are scheduled to compete against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field for their final three contests. Regarding any complaints that the Brewers might have about the Cubs not planning to use top-notch lineups in the three games versus the Cardinals, Maddon, in a more profane way, essentially said that he does not care when asked about prior to the Cubs' matchup with the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on Thursday. The Cubs have dealt with a slew of injuries over the course of the past month, and several of those injured players, including Javier Baez, Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo, are not expected to play again this season. Maddon on his lineup this weekend v Cards: "We're going to put a good team out there but of course they're going to bitch. Of course they are. I get it. But quite frankly, there are certain things I don't give a sh-- about. And that would be one of them." The Cubs are also not expected to play Ben Zobrist, who made a late-season comeback following a lengthy leave of absence, in any of their four remaining games. As far as pitching is concerned, the Cubs will skip the final starts for Yu Darvish and Kyle Hendricks, as Alec Mills and an unnamed pitcher will start on Friday and Sunday, respectively. Regarding closer Craig Kimbrel, who has dealt with elbow soreness as of late, he might not pitch again, either. Cole Hamels, on the other hand, will return from a brief injury layoff to make what could be his final start in a Cubs uniform on Saturday. Alec Mills will start Friday, Cole Hamels on Saturday. TBA on Sunday. Darvish and Hendricks are done, along with Lester and Q after tonight. Cole Hamels media session today was like a sales pitch for 30 teams. Says he's confident he's the guy from the first half. Stressed how well he pitches at Wrigley, that's for the Cubs or for any NL central team that's listening.... Hamels on the Cubs: “When you make a lot of errors in the field, when you make a lot of errors in the baserunning, that’s momentum. That’s an area that could get corrected. There’s still a lot of players in here that are still learning.” More Hamels: “Especially in this city, with the expectations on this franchise, you have to stay a little bit more on it (the little things). Giving away games, early in the year, understanding they will come back and bite you. " Cole Hamels on his post IL performance: “Trying to correct things while I built up the arm strength was a recipe for disaster.” Update: Maddon clarified his comments prior to the Cubs' series opener against the Cardinals on Friday, referring to the matchup as "a glorified spring-training game" for the Cubs. With that being said, Maddon stated that the only notable players who were not being played were injured position players and starting pitchers who had exceeded their inning limits. Joe Maddon on his approach to the final series of the season: "These guys are hurt. I'm not going to play hurt people, I'm not going to pitch guys that are over limits based on what's best for the Cubs... So if you want to cry and complain, then go ahead and do that." pic.twitter.com/A9GgE5he1I
