Chicago Cubs' Maddon has thoughts on uniforms
Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon didn't want to step into another controversy Saturday, but he appears to be no fan of Major League Baseball's Players Weekend uniforms.
"I don't know, I get into so many tough spots when I demonstrate my feelings on certain things," he said. "I'd just like to know who said this was a good idea. That's the best way I could describe that. Just really awkward. Very awkward is the best … They're getting enough heat. I don't need to pile on."
The Cubs are wearing white uniforms with white numerals and names on the back. The white-on-white look, which has been widely panned around baseball, makes it difficult to read names and numerals.
There's more.
The Cubs wore all-white caps Saturday, except for pitcher Jose Quintana, who wore black so as not to put hitters at an unfair advantage.
On Friday, the Cubs wore blue caps, and that drew a rebuke from MLB.
"The pitcher (Jon Lester) was supposed to wear a black hat and (position players) were supposed to wear white," Maddon said. "So they got together and figured (for) uniformity, we'd all wear the same hat. A solidarity kind of a move."
Maddon added that for Players Weekend, the players should be able to design their own uniforms.
"I think you'd get a lot more interesting and better 'unigrams' if you went that route," he said.
Maddon got off one more quip.
"The worst dressers create dress codes," he said.
Contreras works out:
Catcher Willson Contreras took part in on-field drills Saturday as he continues his rehab of a right-hamstring injury. Contreras has been on the injured list since Aug. 4 with an injury that could keep him out for a total of four weeks.
The Cubs won't rush Contreras back. Nor will they overdo it when he does come off the IL because they have catchers Victor Caratini and Jonathan Lucroy on the roster.
"He's feeling great," said Joe Maddon. "Typically, Willson is eager to get back out there, but when he comes back, again knowing how eager he is, we've got to watch that. When he does return, the three-catcher setup we have right now will be enviable. It's pretty darn good.
"Yes, I will look to parcel that out and utilize them in the best possible way. But we know that Willson is a force. We know what he looked like before this all occurred. There would be no reason to push him at that point."
A rest for Javy?
Javier Baez went 2-for-4 in Saturday's 7-2 loss to the Washington Nationals. He is 4-for-17 on the homestand and has not homered since hitting a pair Aug. 5.
"I think, more than anything, the guy could definitely use a rest," said Joe Maddon. "He and I have got to make sure that we stay on top of that. I think at the plate, more than anything, he's just off a little bit. It's just not getting to the barrel as often, but it will."
All over the place:
Tony Kemp started at second base and recorded 8 assists and 5 putouts. He became the first Cubs second baseman with at least 8 assists and 5 putouts in a game since Ryne Sandberg (8 assists, 5 putouts) at Houston on July 24, 1992, at Houston.