Rozner: Festival of Maddon working for Cubs

The genius of Ozzie Guillen was his very nature, which was by definition a distraction.

At least when the White Sox were competing for something, Guillen kept the media thinking mostly about him and chasing whatever nonsense he was firing at the wall that day.

Of course, when it all went bad and the Sox were dropping like a rock, Guillen's troubles forced players to answer for the manager. That's the downside of the circus.

But it bears remembering that when they were good, Guillen had the focus on the manager's antics, relieving the pressure from the players, forcing all eyes on Guillen at all times.

It was effective and crucial, and though Guillen would never admit there was a method to the everlasting madness, he was at his best when the players could go about their day unburdened by the weight of expectations and attention.

Joe Maddon is slightly more transparent.

He requires his players embrace expectations, to understand the goal is to get better every day, every month, every season, which in this case means improving on a 97-win season.

The players should understand this, Maddon believes, but not dwell on it.

Thus, the circus known as the Chicago Cubs.

Nearly every day has brought something to keep the players' minds off the drudgery of spring training, and soon the drudgery of an interminable championship season. Whether it's clowns or bears or aging rock stars, the absurdity of it is entirely the point. Of course it's absurd. It's supposed to be.

The players laugh, the fans applaud and the media has no choice but to focus the cameras on the distraction of the day. With the national media watching every step the Cubs take, they concentrate on animals and jugglers, thinking more about the entertainment and less about Jake Arrieta's blister.

It's cute, if you like cute. Not everyone does.

"If everybody's (not) entertained, so be it," Maddon told reporters in Arizona. "That's just our way to start the day. We did that last year without nearly as much attention.

"It's just the way our venue sets up and the fact that we permit so much access. Everybody's able to see it."

Opposition teams are mumbling under their breath in other camps, already tired of the cuddly Cubs, everyone's choice to win the World Series, end the drought and include a manager's menagerie in the parade.

That's fine with Maddon, too.

"If people misinterpret it, honestly, that's their fault," Maddon said. "It's really just about the esprit de corps of the day. It has nothing to do with your work, except that I think your work can be better because you get off to a good start."

Let the rest of the National League worry about what the Cubs are doing, while they go about the business of slowly getting ready for the marathon that begins in a week.

But this is no slam dunk.

The Cardinals and Pirates will be right there again in the Central Division. The Mets have dominant pitching. The Nationals are quietly trying to get back in the conversation. The Diamondbacks had a huge off-season. The Dodgers believe they'll be in it again. And the Giants in an even-numbered year are looking for their fourth title in seven seasons.

San Francisco still remembers the way the Cubs took them apart in August last year and some of this may have been in a play a few days ago when the hot-running Madison Bumgarner had words with Jason Heyward.

Yeah, in a spring training game. Seriously.

Bumgarner reacted after Heyward apparently said something to Dexter Fowler standing on second base. Heyward said he was asking his teammate if the umpire got the call right. Bumgarner first thought the batter was talking to him, and then accused the Cubs of flashing signals from the bases.

In spring training?

If they were working on tipping pitches from second base, it's a good time to practice. And, by the way, it's not against the law. Whatever. It's an exhibition game.

"It was a misunderstanding," Heyward said. "No tipping of signs. I understand people would say, 'They wouldn't tell us anyway.' But believe it or not, that wasn't going on, especially not in a spring-training game.

"I wouldn't show up my teammate if they ever gave me the wrong sign."

For the love of Rick Wrona and all that's holy, this is spring training we're talking about here, but it gives you an idea of the intensity surrounding the Cubs and just one more reason the team has embraced the Festival of Maddon.

So while the hype swirls everywhere around the Cubs, they go about their business and seem to chuckle more than worry.

There are worse ways to start a long season.

brozner@dailyherald.com

• Listen to Barry Rozner from 9 a.m. to noon Sundays on the Score's "Hit and Run" show at WSCR 670-AM.