Epstein not concerned with outside opinions
There's nothing quite like a 6-0 victory over another first-place team to set things right in Cubs Land.
Oh, things seemed fine in the Cubs clubhouse Friday, both before and after their convincing victory over the Texas Rangers at Wrigley Field as the unofficial second half of the season kicked off.
"I couldn't have envisioned a better start regarding the way we played; I was pretty impressed with it," said manager Joe Maddon, whose team is 54-35, having won its final game before the all-star break as well.
But it was a rough stretch for the Cubs leading into the All-Star Game, as they went 6-15 heading into the break.
Before Friday's game, first baseman Anthony Rizzo talked about some negative talk coming from outside the confines of the clubhouse.
Team president Theo Epstein chatted with the media before the game, and noted that he has heard both extremes this year.
"I don't think people in the organization attached too much meaning to when we were 25-6 and the media was asking us questions about how we balance getting our players rest with going for the all-time wins record," he said. "I attached zero meaning to that and called (bull feathers) on the questions the same way if I think people are getting too down on us when we're not playing well or falsely call us out for stuff.
"I'll call (bull feathers) on that, too. All that matters is how we respond to the adversity and how we handle success, not what's being said about us at the time."
Seems fair enough. The most important thing for everybody - ballplayers, fans and media - to understand is that teams hit good and bad stretches over the long season. Dealing with them in a rational manner is the only way to keep one's sanity.
"It's undeniable that we didn't play well for a long stretch of time," Epstein said. "Once you go through that as a club, you know it's possible. You get to the edge of the abyss and you can stare right in and realize, 'Hey, we're not just going to wrap up the wins because we're good or because we can. We have to go out and earn it.'
"That can be a good thing for a team. The focus that we had when we ended spring training and started Opening Day and how palpable that was, we know we need to tap into that again to get ultimately where we want to get. But that's not a surprise. That's life. That's baseball. That's why the season is 162 games long. The season shows a few things about yourself that you need to see. It's all about how you respond."
One way the Cubs may respond is through making a trade or two. The nonwaiver deadline is Aug. 1, and the Cubs will look to upgrade where they can, while trying not to upset the good chemistry in the clubhouse.
"I don't think it's productive to pigeonhole yourself, thinking, 'We need this one specific role, and that's going to be the key to improving this club,' because there are so many variables," Epstein said. "Things change. The way you look right now might not be the way you look in September. Just having an open mind, understanding things are going to change, we're going to have injuries the rest of the way, we're going to have guys really step up and improve, we're going to have guys who stumble.
"The more talent you have, as long as you don't detract from the chemistry of the group, is always important."
Even with all the hand-wringing of the past three weeks, the Cubs came out of the break with a 7-game lead in the National League Central.
"It's good to have a lead, but we certainly don't feel like anything's been bestowed upon us," Epstein said. "I feel like we played poorly the last three weeks or so and kind of showed our vulnerability and humanity as a team. In the long run, that might be a good thing because it means we know how hard we have to work and how hard we have to play to get where we want to go."