Chicago Cubs don't want call-ups to affect clubhouse chemistry
September call-ups will be coming pretty soon, and Cubs manager Joe Maddon has some things he likes to see in general.
Earlier this week, general manager Jed Hoyer said he wouldn't want to crowd the clubhouse or disrupt the winning chemistry the Cubs have.
Maddon agrees.
"You don't want to bring too many guys up, normally," Maddon said Friday. "When you get into the position we're getting into right now, a couple things have to be factored in. Speed has to be factored in. Bullpen has to be factored in. Catching has to be factored in to make sure that you're covered in all these areas. You may get a little bit heavy sometimes based on the fact that you want to be covered.
"The other point that I'm very much about is that if it's a bad game, get your regular people off their feet. You have to be covered. Even in a good game, a blowout is a good way to get your regular guys off their feet, get somebody else out there to give them that break."
There are times, however, when the September situation can cause problems. For example, if a team has its bullpen loaded with pitchers, it can begin matching up in the mid-innings.
There has been talk off and on of allowing teams to bring up as many players as they wish but limiting active rosters for any one game to, say, 28.
"It's really annoying when you're in it (the playoff race) and you're playing someone who's not and they can do that to you," Maddon said. "I think that (limiting active rosters) can be a consideration. You could have 40 guys in the clubhouse but can designate so many guys active to that particular day because now you're playing through probably the most important time of the year and just keeping track mentally in the course of the game of all the permutations possible from the other side to you could be difficult.
"I think that has been considered or discussed to some extent to this point. I'm OK with that if that were to happen, something like that, some kind of limitation because it gets kind of crazy, and it could work to your disadvantage, or your advantage."
Racking up the wins:
Relief pitcher Jason Motte was credited with the win in Friday's 5-3 victory over the Braves. That makes Motte 8-1 for the season.
"Is he really?" asked manager Joe Maddon. "Got to get him out there more often, man."
Starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks said Motte was certainly aware of his gaudy win-loss record. "He was yelling about it," Hendricks said. "He's been unreal all year. He's come in after me several times and kept the score right there. He definitely deserves it." The 8 wins are the most by a Cubs reliever since Jeff Samardzija had 8 in 2011. The last Cubs reliever with more than 8 was Lee Smith, with 9 in 1986.
This and that:
Chris Coghlan hit his 15th homer of the season in the first inning, an opposite-field drive to left on an 0-2 pitch. Coghlan is 8-for-18 with 4 homers, 8 runs and 10 RBI in his last six games … Dexter Fowler has drawn 30 walks in 32 games since the all-star break. He had 35 walks in 85 games before the break.