Chicago Cubs turn focus to postseason
Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon called his hitters together before Monday's series opener against the Cincinnati Reds.
With almost two full weeks of baseball left before the playoffs start, Maddon wanted to make sure the players stayed focused on the tasks at hand.
"I just wanted to reiterate some of the stuff we talked about in spring training," Maddon said. "That was it. I want our guys to understand, and I know they understand, but you need sometimes to put it out there.
"We have a unique opportunity right now for the next two weeks, where the biggest thing we have left to do is clinch the best record, and that would ensure home field. We talked about yesterday, hopefully secure 100 wins at some point.
"It's unusual to be in this position like we are right now. So we have two weeks of baseball, major-league baseball, left in September. So let's work on some stuff. Let's work on some things we need to work on individually or as a group, I've said, not unlike the spring-training situation."
The Cubs celebrated - and celebrated in style - their early clinching of the National League Central crown.
Maddon said Sunday he wanted to get through the weekend before implementing a plan to get the Cubs ready for the upcoming playoffs.
The spring-training analogy is one team president Theo Epstein likes.
"I really like the way we handled the end of spring training, setting out some things we wanted to accomplish the last week to get ready for the season and openly talking about wanting to get off to a good start," Epstein said. "Same thing at the all-star break.
"I really liked the way everybody went about that in spring training. It was reflected. I'll never forget. One of my fond memories of the season was the vibe in the clubhouse after our opening-day game in Anaheim, where we played so well and so many things that we had talked about wanting to accomplish.
"We went out there, and only over the course of one game, we went out and did it. Players had this reaction to it as if they were impressed with themselves."
The Cubs will close out the regular season Sunday, Oct. 2, at Cincinnati, and then won't open the National League division series until Friday, Oct. 7.
Epstein said the Cubs will do some game-simulation activities between the end of the season and the start of the NLCS to keep players sharp.
Maddon also said he has that in mind.
"I also wanted to remind them that the 4-5 days, whatever it is, between the last game and the first playoff game, that's a long time," he said. "So we have to really get our minds right over the next couple, three weeks to be prepared properly for that first game, and I wanted it to start today.
"So it's just a reminder of a couple of items that we've talked about in the past. I compliment them. We checked most of the boxes all year regarding the goals that we have set in spring training. Give our guys a ton of credit for that.
"I wasn't upset or (it wasn't a) we-have-not-done-anything kind of a meeting. No, let's work on the stuff we want to get better at. We've done pretty well until this point. Let's see if we can improve upon it.
"That was the purpose of the meeting."