Otto: Cubs taking advantage of time off
The Cubs clinched the National Central Division on Sept. 15 and they don't play their first playoff game until Oct. 7. Three weeks is an extremely long time to wait for the high intensity of playoff games, but it looks like Joe Maddon and the Cubs are taking full advantage of this wait.
When it comes to playoff time, a big component is momentum, along with how players manage their daily routine with so many gaps between games. For the team that wins the World Series this year, they will have played anywhere from 11 to 20 playoff games, potentially five games in the Division Series, seven in the League Championship Series and seven in the World Series. Game seven of the World Series is scheduled for Nov. 2, a full month after the end of the regular season. In the regular season, teams play an average of 27 games in a month. For players who haven't been through the playoffs before, it's a shock to their daily routine of showing up at the ballpark, getting their work in, and then playing a game virtually every day.
Regarding this "wait," most players would love to just roll into a playoff series with very little time off. Last year the Cubs won the one-game Wild Card game against the Pirates, and rolled into the five-game series against the Cardinals two days later. They were in a routine of playing big games, they played loose and aggressive against the Cardinals, and won the series in four games on Oct. 13. Meanwhile, the New York Mets went to game five with the Dodgers, and finished their series on Oct. 15. The Cubs had two more days off than the Mets following their respective NLDS series, and depending on the circumstances, that can be a rally-killer for a club. By no means is that an excuse for why the Cubs lost to the Mets last year; they simply got outplayed.
That's where Joe Maddon has taken full advantage of this September to get his club right for another October run. Maddon has used a six-man rotation with his starting pitchers, has given position players days off, and will use the final week of the regular season to get his key relievers some work in familiar situations.
In September, Jon Lester has only pitched once on the customary four days off, while Jake Arrieta and Kyle Hendricks have had as much as seven days off. It is way too long of a gap between starts for a starter to consistently find his rhythm, particularly if they have never been through it. Pitching on odd days of rest in September gives the big three of Lester, Hendricks and Arrieta a leg up on adjusting to the upcoming playoff schedule. As for concerns on too much time off for Lackey, it looks like he could wake up Christmas morning for a "big boy" game on 90 days rest, and pitch well.
If healthy, position players can't stand days off, particularly if they are playing well. But it's not such a bad thing to get a player acclimated to an occasional day off in September, because that's what the playoff schedule brings.
Relievers love getting plugged into games and situations that they have been in many times, and Maddon will have his bullpen ready by the end of next week.
That is the beauty of Maddon. It's much easier to do with talented players, but the moves he has made in September are well thought-out and geared to get this club ready for the October routine.
• Dave Otto, a standout athlete at Elk Grove High School, pitched from 1987-1994 for four MLB teams, including the Cubs. A former baseball analyst for WGN Radio, FoxSportsNet and Comcast SportsNet Chicago, Otto also is a member of the University of Missouri Hall of Fame.