Chicago Cubs' Maddon likes the pace

MESA, Ariz. - There was no easing into spring-training workouts Monday for the Chicago Cubs as position players took part in their first formal workouts.

Batters faced pitchers in "live" batting practice, and game situations were the order of the day.

That's because Cactus League games begin Friday, when the Cubs travel to Phoenix to play the Milwaukee Brewers. The Sloan Park opener is Saturday against the Texas Rangers.

The short lead time from the first workout to the first game doesn't seem to bother Cubs manager Joe Maddon.

"I kind of like it," he said. "All this work you do prior to the game, it kind of starts to drag a little bit normally. OK, this is the first full-squad day. How many days have they been here? Oh, my God. They've been here. They've been doing hitting. They've been fielding groundballs. They've been running.

"It's not like it had been, where guys showed up and put the old sweat belt on and killed some electrolytes and tried to lose some weight by sweating. That doesn't happen anymore. I think they're OK. The big thing is you don't want to push too hard. Absolutely."

Maddon said the Cubs would go through cutoff-and-relay plays, popup communication, first-and-third defense and rundowns because of the short lead time.

Get the vibe going:

During the week of last month's Cubs convention, Joe Maddon said he would use "energy and enthusiasm" as a working theme for this year's spring training.

"The vibe is ridiculously good," he said Monday. "I think you can feel it. There's a conservative confidence about them, meaning that there's this mild swagger. They don't to show it, but they really feel pretty good about it. I like it."

Defining success:

Team chairman Tom Ricketts wouldn't be boxed in Monday in talking about whether the season would be a failure if the Cubs don't win the World Series, as they did in 2016.

"I won't say the season's a failure if you don't win the World Series, but it is our goal," Ricketts said. "I think people forget we've won more games over the last three years than any other team, and we've won more playoff games than any other team the last three years, and we've been to the NLCS three years in a row.

"I think fans understand this is a team that, if we stay healthy and play up to our capabilities, can be in that position, can be in the World Series. We should have high expectations. We have a great team."

Zobrist slowed:

Veteran infielder-outfielder Ben Zobrist has been slowed by what Joe Maddon called "a little bit of a back."

"Nothing awful," Maddon said. "He's feeling great. Again, not pushing right now, making sure everybody's well."