July 18, 2018

Chicago Tribune, Willson Contreras feels 'blessed' after making history at All-Star Game http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-spt-cubs-willson-contreras-all-star-game-home-run-20180718-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Cubs' Willson Contreras on top of game in National League's 8-6 loss to American League http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-spt-mlb-all-star-game-willson-contreras-sullivan-20180717-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Cubs at the break: What's half full, what's half empty? http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-spt-cubs-first-half-20180718-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Trade commodities such as Manny Machado and J.A. Happ stimulate All-Star rumor mill http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/ct-spt-all-star-notes-manny-machado-20180717-story.html

Chicago Sun-Times, Cubs’ Willson Contreras leaves the yard on the first pitch of his All-Star debut https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/cubs-willson-contreras-leaves-the-yard-on-the-first-pitch-of-his-all-star-debut/

Chicago Sun-Times, ‘Mago’ mania: At All-Star Game, everybody’s talking about Cubs’ Javy Baez https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/mago-mania-at-all-star-game-everybodys-talking-about-cubs-javy-baez/

Chicago Sun-Times, The Derby was a blast, but Cubs’ Kyle Schwarber wants in on All-Star Game fun https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/the-derby-was-a-blast-but-cubs-kyle-schwarber-wants-in-on-all-star-game-fun/

The Athletic, Why Joe Maddon should be smiling at the All-Star break (even if Manny Machado winds up in L.A.) https://theathletic.com/435519/2018/07/17/why-joe-maddon-should-be-smiling-at-the-all-star-break-even-if-manny-machado-winds-up-in-l-a/

The Athletic, How Willson Contreras is correcting one final flaw on his way to becoming the best catcher in baseball https://theathletic.com/435390/2018/07/17/how-willson-contreras-is-correcting-one-final-flaw-on-his-way-to-becoming-the-best-catcher-in-baseball/

Cubs.com, Contreras, Baez leave mark on All-Star Game https://www.mlb.com/cubs/news/willson-contreras-javier-baez-deliver-in-asg/c-286265448

NBC Sports Chicago, It might have been just another dinger in homer-happy All-Star Game, but Willson Contreras will remember it forever https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/cubs/it-might-have-been-just-another-dinger-homer-happy-all-star-game-willson-contreras-will

NBC Sports Chicago, Manny Machado as a Dodger creates a formidable foe out west for the Cubs https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/cubs/manny-machado-dodger-creates-formidable-foe-out-west-cubs

NBC Sports Chicago, Cubs' starting pitching a reasonable discussion topic, but Jon Lester's no fan of 'nitpicking' this first-place team https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/cubs/cubs-starting-pitching-reasonable-discussion-topic-jon-lesters-no-fan-nitpicking-first-place

NBC Sports Chicago, Grinding it out, working as a team: The story of the Cubs https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/cubs/grinding-it-out-working-team-story-cubs

-- Chicago Tribune Willson Contreras feels 'blessed' after making history at All-Star Game By Paul Sullivan Willson Contreras made history on Tuesday night with his third-inning home run off Blake Snell in the All-Star Game at Nationals Park. Contreras became the first player to homer on the first pitch of his major-league career as well as the first pitch he saw in an All-Star Game. “I’m so blessed,” he said. “It’s a big blessing from God to hit the first pitch homer in a major-league debut and the first pitch homer in an All-Star Game debut. “It was special for me and my family.” Contreras knew Snell from facing him back in Double A, and last year when the Cubs played the Rays. He was looking fastball all the way. “He threw me a fastball, 98 miles an hour,” he said. “When a guy is throwing 99, you can’t think of anything but a fastball.” The National League lost 8-6 in 10 innings in a game that will be remembered for a major-league record 10 home runs. “Today was a crazy game,” Contreras said. “I think it has to be one of the best All-Star Games in MLB history, the same with the Home Run Derby (Monday) night. It was a special moment and I enjoyed this emotional week. “Nowadays you’ve got a lot of guys hitting homers, homers, homers. It was crazy.” So just give the fans what they want?

“Of course,” he said. “Who doesn’t want to see homers? They want to see more homers than strikeouts for sure, but the pitching staffs are getting better and better every year.” -- Chicago Tribune Cubs' Willson Contreras on top of game in National League's 8-6 loss to American League By Paul Sullivan If there’s one thing we have learned about Willson Contreras in his last three seasons with the Cubs it’s that he doesn’t have an off switch. Contreras’s energy level remains the same day or night, through good times or bad, for better or worse. It’s why Contreras survived 7 1/2 years in the minor leagues before getting his opportunity with the Cubs, and why fans made a late push to vote him into the National League starting lineup at Tuesday night’s All-Star Game at Nationals Park. Contreras brought that never-ending reservoir of energy into his first All-Star Game Tuesday, homering on the first pitch he saw from the Rays’ Blake Snell in the National League’s 8-6 loss in 10 innings to the American League. The third-inning homer provided the only run for the NL until Trevor Story’s game-tying homer in the seventh. Despite a record number of home runs with 10, the game was dull in comparison to Monday’s epic Home Run Derby duel in which Bryce Harper edged Kyle Schwarber. Over all the years in the Cubs’ system, Contreras was fortunate no manager ever told him to take it down a notch. And when he finally made it to the majors in 2016, manager Joe Maddon was adamant about letting Willson be Willson. “They would never tell me to (tone) down my energy,” Contreras said. “That’s who I am. That’s the way I play. If I changed my energy, everything would change a lot. Every player has their own personality, and you have to be who you are on the field and off the field.” Contreras and Javier Baez both played five innings and acquitted themselves well in their first All-Star games. Contreras went 1-for-2 with the first-pitch home run leading off the third and a groundout in the fifth. Baez went 1-for-3, swinging at the first pitch he saw from AL starter Chris Sale, just as he said he would, and singling up the middle. White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu went 0-for-2 in his five-innings stint, striking out against starter Max Scherzer on a high, 97 mph fastball and flying to center off Mike Foltynewicz. The AL got off to a quick lead on a pair of home runs from Aaron Judge and Mike Trout, before Contreras pulled them to within a run in the third when he lined a shot into the first row of the left-field bleachers. Contreras became the fourth Cub to homer in an All-Star game, joining Andre Dawson (1991), Alfonso Soriano (2007) and Kris Bryant (2016). The Cubs catcher also showed off his arm in the fourth, attempting to pick Judge off first base with a snap throw. Fellow All-Star Jon Lester, who had the night off, said Contreras and Baez were deserving of all the recent attention.

“Javy kind of speaks for himself,” Lester said. “But I don’t really think people understand what Willson has been able to do for us, being back there and controlling a game. It’s hard to know every pitcher and what they throw, changing signs in the middle of an at-bat when a guy’s on second, and all this stuff he has to worry about. And he still has to produce something at the plate. What he has been able to doing, growing-wise, maturity-wise, has been pretty special to watch the last year and a half or so.” Signed as a 17-year-old third baseman out of Venezuela by former Cubs player personnel director Oneri Fleita, Contreras made 2,132 plate appearances over 517 games before being called up in ’16 and quickly became the primary catcher on the eventual World Series champions. Naturally, Contreras homered in his first major-league at-bat. After Contreras was voted in as the starting catcher, he got a congratulatory text from Fleita and sent a quick reply. “You believed in me when I got here,” he wrote. “And here we are.” And there he was Tuesday, on the national stage, after a long, hard trek to the majors. “It was (long),” he said. “But a lot of times as a ballplayer you have to take six, seven, eight years in the minor leagues for you to mature, and by the time you get to the big leagues, you have more experience. “You’re still learning a lot, but you know more about yourself and more about baseball.” The wait, it appears, was worth it. -- Chicago Tribune Cubs at the break: What's half full, what's half empty? By Mark Gonzales The Cubs find themselves battling the Brewers in the National League Central for the second consecutive season. Here are three seasons why their cup of optimism is half full, and three why it’s half empty: Half full: bullpen Closer Brandon Morrow and versatile Steve Cishek have been two of the most underrated free-agent signings of the season. Carl Edwards Jr. has looked strong in his return from the disabled list, and reinforcements from Triple-A Iowa haven’t disappointed. Half empty: rotation Pushing Jon Lester’s final start back by a day before the end of the first half says more about the need to protect his left arm. Tyler Chatwood’s control problems have lingered, and Mike Montgomery still has a half-season ahead of him. Half full: Javier Baez

Baez has emerged as the stabilizer during a streaky first half by the offense. Baez’s production at the plate has matched his dependable and dazzling defense. Half empty: fickle offense The Cubs could be leading the division by as many as five games if they hit well with runners in scoring position early in the season. Anthony Rizzo’s subpar first half has lingered too long. Half full: young improvements Albert Almora Jr. has broken through as a solid, dependable hitter. Kyle Schwarber is beating shifts with his bunts as well as his power, and Ian Happ is finding a way to get on base despite a miserable start. Half empty: shallow farm system There’s no Gleyber Torres, Eloy Jimenez or Dylan Cease available to barter for an impact pitcher. With Yu Darvish likely not ready until at least mid-August, could this force President Theo Epstein to trade a young position player for help? -- Chicago Tribune Trade commodities such as Manny Machado and J.A. Happ stimulate All-Star rumor mill By Paul Sullivan A media horde surrounded Manny Machado’s locker a few hours before Tuesday night’s All-Star Game, waiting for the Orioles shortstop’s reaction to rumors he will be traded to the Dodgers. “I’m not worried about it,” Machado said, basically repeating the mantra he has maintained since the start of the Machado sweepstakes at the beginning of spring training. Meanwhile, on the other side of the American League clubhouse, Blue Jays left-hander J.A. Happ, who hails from downstate Peru and attended Northwestern, had a more intimate group asking him about the possibility of a deal to the Cubs. “I’ve had some messages for sure, hoping I’d know something one way or another regarding a lot of different things,” Happ said. “I don’t. You never know what has legs behind it and what’s speculation. If I heard something, I just keep going for it.” Happ, 35, is 10-6 with a 4.29 ERA for the Blue Jays, and is 40-21 with a 3.57 ERA over the last three seasons for them, including 20-4 in 2016. With Yu Darvish still a ways from returning from the disabled list and Tyler Chatwood struggling, the Cubs could be looking at a back-of-the-rotation starter for the second half. Is the idea of being a Cub appealing? “Sure it would be,” Happ replied. “I think winning is appealing. That’s kind of the No. 1 thing.” On tap: After Machado’s deal is done, the next big chip to fall could be Mets starter Jacob deGrom, who wants to stay in New York under a long-term deal.

“If that’s not their interest, then Jacob understands this is an environment where they may be better off moving him to accomplish their long-term plan,” deGrom’s agent, Brodie Van Wagenen, told reporters Monday. DeGrom also was surrounded by reporters Tuesday and asked about his future. He reiterated he wanted to remain with the Mets and understood he would be asked about it nonstop before the All-Star Game. “I figured I’d be answering questions anyway about stuff, so it’s all part of it,” he said. DeGrom was under consideration to start Tuesday’s game, but National League manager Dave Roberts said he went with the Nationals’ Max Scherzer because it’s his home ballpark. Shifting gears: Defensive shifts were the topic du jour at this year’s All-Star Game. “I think offense is down just because of the shifts,” Angels slugger Mike Trout said. “I’ve seen guys hit balls hard right up the middle that are usually hits that are outs now. “I don’t try to change my swing. I don’t try to hit the ball the other way if they’re playing me to pull; if you do that, you’re playing into their strategy. The shifts the Astros were doing on (Rangers slugger) Joey Gallo were pretty incredible. They had five outfielders? It was pretty crazy.” Nationals reliever Sean Doolittle pointed out there are plenty of good hitters who don’t have the shift put on for them. “Anthony Rendon doesn’t get shifted because he sprays balls all over the park,” Doolittle said. “Are you going to see guys with a more balanced approach? I don’t know. You also have guys who try to beat the shift and hurt themselves. “It’s one of those things that looks easy — just bunt to third base and you’ll get a hit — but if you don’t practice it. … It would be like me trying to throw a curveball. I don’t have a curveball. … Maybe it’s something that needs to be practiced in spring training.” Irrelevant factoids: The hottest trend among young players in the game is playing the video game “Fortnight.” “It has just taken over,” Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge said. “I used to dabble in a bunch of different games, but right now Fortnight is the hot commodity. “People are playing it in the clubhouse and at home. People are calling and texting each other, (asking), ‘You getting on tonight?’ It’s pretty crazy how it has transformed the gaming world right now.” Who is the best-dressed Angels player? Luis Valbuena, according to Trout. And the worst? Shohei Ohtani. “Why? Because sometimes he wears the same shirts a couple of days in a row on the road,” Trout said. “I don’t want to put him on blast, but …” --

Chicago Sun-Times Cubs’ Willson Contreras leaves the yard on the first pitch of his All-Star debut By Steve Greenberg WASHINGTON — Willson Contreras sure knows how to make an entrance. Back in 2016, the Cubs catcher homered on the first pitch of his first at-bat as a major leaguer. On the All-Star stage for the first time Tuesday, he ripped a home run to left off Blue Jays lefty Blake Snell on the first pitch of his first at-bat. It got the National League on the board in a wild 8-6 victory for the American League that featured a game-record 10 long balls. Former A’s catcher Terry Steinbach was the only other player to homer in his first career at-bat and his first All-Star at-bat, according to state guru Chris Kamka. “I think I’m really blessed in these kind of situations. These moments are going to be history and they’re going to be in my mind and my heart. Contreras didn’t spoil a chance to enjoy a trip around the bases. He slowed down rounding third, put it in low gear and pointed with both hands to the sky, giving thanks to God and honoring his grandfather, Ernesto Contreras, who died in 2015. All the while, teammate Javy Baez, the next batter, was waiting for him at home plate. “I wanted to enjoy the moment,” he said. “You don’t hit homers every day, especially in these kinds of All-Star Games.” There was nearly another vintage Contreras moment in the fourth. Contreras fired a snap throw to first in an attempt to pick off Yankees star Aaron Judge. But the mountainous Judge dove in just ahead of Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman’s tag. “District of Contreras,” the Cubs tweeted from their official team account after his homer. What was Contreras thinking as he rounded the bases? “I just said, ‘I did it. I did it.’ You know? I did it. I knew it was something special.” -- Chicago Sun-Times ‘Mago’ mania: At All-Star Game, everybody’s talking about Cubs’ Javy Baez By Steve Greenberg WASHINGTON — What was he going to do, lose his cool? Lose his confidence? Check his swagger at the door? That wouldn’t have been Javy Baez. And so when Baez heard rumor after rumor that the Cubs were looking to trade him, he shrugged his shoulders and kept playing. This was during the latter stages of the Cubs’ rebuild under team president Theo Epstein and his team of whizzes. Baez — like fellow 2018 All-Star Willson Contreras — had been a Jim Hendry draft pick, taken ninth overall in 2011. At some point, perhaps when he failed to make the big-league squad out of spring training in 2015, he figured he was a goner.

“I did at one [time],” the 25-year-old infielder said. “It’s like, ‘OK, the rumor is out there and everybody is talking about it.’ And at the same time, I was like, ‘I’m here right now, and I can’t control if I get traded.’ “But everything happens for a reason. I don’t think any team will trade a player if it’s not to help, if it’s not to make a team better. That’s the way I look at it. We don’t control that. If you play with it [on your mind], then you will struggle more than you already do.” A trade of Baez now would turn Chicago upside-down. His “it” factor was off the charts from the moment he set foot in Nationals Park. There was more talk about the Orioles’ Manny Machado, the hottest trade prospect of the season. There was the expected fawning over Nationals stars Bryce Harper and Max Scherzer. But no one moved the needle with fellow All-Stars more than Baez. An example of this came when Harper, after winning the Home Run Derby, turned a question about the Braves’ Freddie Freeman into an answer about Baez. “Baez, he’s one of my favorite players in all of baseball,” Harper said. “Just the way he plays, his swag and the way he plays the game, the way he uncoils and the way he thinks.” Harper was still laughing at a question Baez asked him before the Derby: “If I get tired on the right side, can I hit on the left side?” “That would be epic,” Harper told him. It would’ve been pure magic. Perhaps a tad ridiculous, too, but Baez probably would’ve looked as cool trying as he does routinely pulling off special defensive plays. “To see the Javy Baez show pretty much the whole year, it’s been special,” teammate Kyle Schwarber said. Pitcher Jon Lester has been singing Baez’s praises lately, telling a group of reporters from Chicago and Boston, his old stomping grounds, that Baez is the best infielder he’s ever played with. “And that speaks highly,” Lester said. “I’ve played with some good ones. [Dustin] Pedroia, [Mike] Lowell, [Adrian] Beltre at third. These guys are pretty special defenders and players, [but] Javy’s athleticism just kind of makes him above and beyond those guys.” Lester described being up to bat in the 2016 NLCS and watching Baez steal home. “I don’t think people really understand how he can control his body and just stop and go in a different direction,” he said. “For me, that was probably the most impressive play I’ve ever seen live and in person.” Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford, one of the game’s elite defenders, called Baez one of the most fun players out there. “He brings energy and a lot of athleticism to baseball,” Crawford said. “I think a lot of people enjoy watching that. And then his power, his speed on the bases — he can change a game at any time.” Brewers right fielder Christian Yelich has played against Baez since their days in the minors.

“He’s one of the best fielders — I can’t call him second base or shortstop because he plays all over the place — but just one of the best fielders I’ve seen,” Yelich said. “Wherever he’s at, it’s probably the most exciting place on the field.” Cubs manager Joe Maddon has likened Baez to Roberto Alomar, Manny Ramirez, even Willie Mays. How’s that for a compliment? “I don’t think it’s a good match to compare me with Robbie Alomar because he’s one of the greatest second basemen, for me,” Baez said. “He’s my favorite. “But at the same time, there’s [Robinson] Cano out there, [Jose] Altuve’s out there, Dee Gordon’s out there. They’re right here now. They’re playing when I’m playing. I would love to be compared with them. I’m not saying I’m better than them.” Maybe he is and maybe he isn’t. But there’s no one out-Baezing Baez these days. “I love the way he plays,” Brewers first baseman Jesus Aguilar said. “He puts out 100 percent on the field, and everybody can see it. He loves the game, and he should. “I’ve just got to say it: He’s ‘El Mago.’ ” -- Chicago Sun-Times The Derby was a blast, but Cubs’ Kyle Schwarber wants in on All-Star Game fun By Steve Greenberg WASHINGTON — Kyle Schwarber was tired, sore, spent. No regular old baseball game has ever left him feeling like he did Monday after sending 55 blasts — the second most in Home Run Derby history — deep into the Washington night. The Cubs slugger was as giddy as he was gassed. Of all the big moments Schwarber has been a part of since debuting in the big leagues in 2015, his 21-homer semifinal against the Phillies’ Rhys Hoskins and his showdown with Nationals superstar Bryce Harper in the final rank way up there in terms of pure fun. Still, the cold tub beckoned. He might have some second thoughts before accepting his next Derby invitation. “That might be one of the last times in a while,” he said. “That was challenging.” As Schwarber peeled off his sweaty Cubs uniform, several All-Stars were wearing their red National League jerseys in the home clubhouse at Nationals Park. Schwarber, here to participate in the Derby only, hardly felt like an interloper. But it was impossible for him not to think about what it would be like to rub elbows with All-Stars as a teammate. “I definitely want to be here,” he said. “I want to be here multiple times. Just to kind of get a taste of it makes you want to be here even more. It’s definitely something to work for every year.” Making an All-Star team — in 2019, perhaps? — would be a fitting next chapter for a 25-year-old player who already has experienced a career’s worth of highs and lows. Schwarber thundered onto the scene in 2015 and battered the rival Cardinals in the playoffs. He lost essentially the entire 2016 regular season

to a major knee injury, then made a stirring World Series comeback that positioned him as a rising star. Then came the crash of 2017, when Schwarber was so lost at the plate that the Cubs demoted him to Class  AAA Iowa to try to figure things out. His bounce-back from that has arguably been the most impressive of all. Several Cubs are on the ascent in 2018, most notably All-Star and MVP candidate Javy Baez. But no Cub has improved more than Schwarber — from his physical appearance to the intricacies of his hitting approach. He’s seeing more pitches and walking far more often. He has become more difficult to strike out. The signature power is still there, but Schwarber’s efficiency as a hitter was among the most important developments of the Cubs’ first half. Did we mention his play in left field? Let’s just say it’s no longer the butt of daily jokes. Schwarber can look around the Cubs clubhouse and find enough guys with All-Star experience to fill a lineup card. It’s a group he’d like to join, the sooner the better. Becoming a more complete hitter has put him on that track. For one night, though, he forgot about all that and mashed. “It was fun to be able to come out here and actually just let some stuff rip and get after it, but that’s definitely not how I’m going to approach my at-bats at all,” he said. “My at-bats are to try to stay short and compact and put the barrel on the ball.” It almost sounds boring. In a good way. -- The Athletic Why Joe Maddon should be smiling at the All-Star break (even if Manny Machado winds up in L.A.) By Patrick Mooney We can already predict Joe Maddon’s reaction to the Los Angeles Dodgers potentially getting Manny Machado: Some version of doesn’t matter/good for them, a reminder that legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden preached the importance of focusing on your own effort and concentration levels instead of worrying about what the opponent might do. The polarizing aspects of Maddon’s big personality — calm, confident, creative, unconventional, self-promoting — surfaced in The Athletic’s recent anonymous survey of more than 240 major-league players. Maddon became the most-frequent response (27.1 percent of the vote) to this question: Which manager, aside from your own, would you most want to play for? Maddon almost won this anti-superlative, too, with 20 percent of the vote: Which manager, aside from your own, would you not want to play for? If the St. Louis Cardinals hadn’t waited until the Saturday night before the All-Star break to fire Mike Matheny (10 percent), Maddon might have leaped ahead of Buck Showalter (23.3 percent), who’s in the final year of his contract managing a 28-69 Baltimore Orioles team getting ready to trade Machado. You wouldn’t know it scanning Twitter when the Cubs release a lineup without Albert Almora Jr. playing center field — or a logical bullpen decision goes wrong — but Maddon has guided this team to the National League’s best record (55-38) and a 2 1/2-game lead over the Milwaukee Brewers in a Machado-free division.

It also doesn’t feel like the Cubs are operating at peak efficiency yet. This is why Maddon should be smiling while kicking back during the All-Star break that ends Thursday with the beginning of a five-games-in-four-days stretch against the Cardinals at Wrigley Field. • After watching Yu Darvish struggle to pitch effectively (4.95 ERA) and stay healthy (eight starts) in the first season of a $126 million contract, Cubs executives Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer will give Maddon a shiny new toy before the July 31 trade deadline. “For a lot of teams this time of the year,” Maddon said, “you always have some guys that are being held back injury-wise and then you get this great acquisition at the trade deadline. Especially a guy like Darvish, in particular, because he really has not had a chance to blossom here yet. And what he’s capable of doing is so high-end that it’s hard to find any of those just out there right now anywhere. If we get Yu back clicking like he’s capable of, that truly is a wonderful deadline kind of acquisition.” But Darvish has been too unreliable — spending two months and counting on the disabled list with the flu, triceps tendinitis and elbow impingement/inflammation — to think the Cubs won’t make a significant move to reinforce their pitching staff. Epstein’s baseball operations group doesn’t think only in terms of best-case scenarios. The Cubs have saved up enough money and collected enough second-tier prospects to get a late-inning reliever and some rotation insurance in a buyer’s market. “Here comes August and then stuff happens again,” Maddon said. “But you’ve created or built this depth that permits you to [keep going] because you know something else is going to happen. So in a perverse way, sometimes it plays good. But I don’t think that’s going to preclude Theo or Jed from making a deal if they think, in fact, it’s going to make us better.” • Maddon obviously doesn’t get all the credit for overseeing the development of the group of young players who’ve gone to the NLCS three years in a row. He’s admitted most of the heavy lifting around a last-place team had already been done by October 2014, when he signed a five-year deal now worth in the neighborhood of $28 million. The clubhouse is filled with low-maintenance, self-motivated players. “We know we’re a good team,” first baseman Anthony Rizzo said. “We’re always relaxed. We’re not really a team to get outside of our comfort zone.” But as Lou Piniella might say: this is not some push-button operation. Contrast Maddon’s upbeat attitude with the perception of St. Louis as an uptight organization and how much The Cardinal Way eroded on Matheny’s watch. Maddon didn’t try to reprogram Javier Báez and Willson Contreras into baseball robots, building up their confidence, allowing them to play with passion and emotion and watching them blossom into first-time All-Stars. • Why doesn’t Maddon just stick with the same lineup? Uh, because he likes his job and wants to keep it. Um, because he has to keep the bosses and his players happy. It worked well enough for the 2016 World Series team that used 130 different batting orders (excluding pitchers). This is not exactly a Cubs Way innovation, either, when the entire industry is awash in Big Data and trying to maximize matchups and rethink rest and recovery across a 162-game schedule.

Everyone else is doing it usually doesn’t work as an explanation, so just look at how the center-field controversy fizzled out as Almora emerged as a Gold Glove-caliber defender with a .319 batting average and Ian Happ rewarded Maddon’s faith by cutting down his strikeouts and putting up an .832 OPS. • Since Maddon pushed Aroldis Chapman to his breaking point in the 2016 World Series, the Cubs have acquired two closers with great stuff, injury concerns and unemotional game faces on the mound. Combined, Wade Davis and Brandon Morrow have gone 54-for-57 in save chances for the Cubs while putting up a 2.01 ERA in 94 appearances. Did you see Anthony Bass, Cory Mazzoni, Justin Hancock, Randy Rosario and Luke Farrell making significant contributions out of the bullpen? Steve Cishek’s durability is a legitimate second-half concern, but otherwise the Cubs don’t have another reliever within the NL’s top 35 in terms of innings pitched or total batters faced. “Joe knows,” Morrow said. “He’s gone through it a few times. It’s the nature of baseball. Guys get hot, teams get hot, guys get cold, teams go cold. It’s just kind of how the game is.” • This lineup appears to be finding a next level after Maddon spent so much capital on the offense, signing off on sweeping changes to his coaching staff, talking up Chili Davis as a hitting guru and sarcastically dismissing the focus on launch angle and exit velocity. The Cubs have dipped to 10th in the NL in homers — and 11th in strikeouts — while ranking first in runs (476), hits (869), batting average (.265), on-base percentage (.345) and OPS (.771). “I don’t think you can see the home-run swing every single pitch,” said Rizzo, who hasn’t played up to his own All-Star standards (.246 batting average, 12 homers, 61 RBIs, .748 OPS). “Guys are very disciplined and it’s really fun when you get down and start battling with two strikes. It’s just about putting the ball in play.” • Check out how the Cubs have performed after the All-Star break in each of the past three seasons: 50-25, 50-23, 49-25. That’s a .671 winning percentage for a group that’s appeared to have gained experience and perspective while losing the World Series sense of entitlement that crept into the clubhouse last year. “I never want anybody to rely on that just happening over and over again,” Maddon said. “Of course, you can never assume anything is just going to be there because it’s been there before. And I never want our guys to do that. I don’t think that’s the case.” • Whether or not he found motivation and a new sense of urgency after hearing about the Machado trade rumors, Addison Russell is again playing like the two-way shortstop the Cubs envisioned. Jason Heyward’s renewed confidence and feel for his hands changed the dynamics of the lineup and showed why the Cubs made a $184 million investment. After everything he went through — from the knee injury to the World Series comeback to the demotion to Triple-A Iowa — Kyle Schwarber earned that chance to compete against Bryce Harper in Monday night’s Home Run Derby final at Nationals Park in Washington. What could possibly go wrong? Well, everything. It’s baseball, as Rizzo likes to say. But this is the pre-All-Star-break snapshot Maddon took and it will never be framed by what the Dodgers and Brewers do at the trade deadline or how the Cardinals respond to a new manager.

“The dugout’s alive the whole time,” Maddon said. “When we get a little bit behind, the guys are still very much alive. The dynamic is good. When you talk about ’16, we were limping into the break. For the most part, we’re getting guys back. The guys that are playing right now are playing with a lot of energy. I don’t see any fatigue necessarily right now. They’ve been in and out, guys have rested and the bullpen’s kind of fresh. What I’m seeing right now is more energy going into the break than I’ve seen over the last couple years.” -- The Athletic How Willson Contreras is correcting one final flaw on his way to becoming the best catcher in baseball By Sahadev Sharma Willson Contreras had just caught nine innings of baseball in a game that lasted nearly four hours. With temperatures in the mid-90s and the heat index in triple digits, even those merely watching in the stands or on the bench were exhausted after a tiring day. But there was Contreras after the game, running around playing soccer with his teammates’ children in the Wrigley outfield during a family day at the park. It’s that kind of energy that helped make Contreras a first-time All-Star, and one of the many reasons his manager Joe Maddon calls him the best catcher in the game. “I think he’s the top guy,” said Maddon, a former scout. “If you took every catcher in both leagues and graded them out, and be honest, hitting, power, arm strength, defense, ability to block the baseball, speed, all the different attributes that a player has. Tenacity, aggressiveness, the passion, everything he does out there, I grade him No. 1 right now, today. And there’s a lot of good guys out there.” According to FanGraphs, Contreras is second among catchers this season with a 2.5 WAR and enters the break with a strong 122 wRC+. His defense is stout as he leads baseball with five pickoffs, and while his 29 percent caught stealing rate is merely a tick above average, he’s also working with a staff that doesn’t hold runners on as effectively as some, so his 13 caught stealing is still strong. But there’s one area where Contreras is lagging behind other catchers. According to Baseball Prospectus’ advanced framing statistic, Adjusted Framing Runs Above Average, Contreras is dead last in baseball (98th) with a -10.2 FRAA_ADJ. Essentially, when it comes to getting close calls on balls and strikes, the way a catcher receives the ball can impact what the umpire calls. “There’s so many factors that go into how that is judged,” catching coach Mike Borzello said. “Whether it be strictly the technique, relationship with umpires or pitchers he’s catching. When you incorporate all those things. You have to sit down and kind of tackle each different point with him and get him to understand certain things.” Borzello is one of the most respected catching coaches in the game and when it comes to catcher defense, he is the authority. He previously spent time with the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers and has helped many catchers improve their skillsets. Borzello said Contreras is getting more familiar with his pitchers after the team added numerous new arms in the offseason, so that isn’t as much of an issue as it was early in the year. But the other two aspects, his receiving technique and relationship with umpires, are what he and Contreras focus on now.

“We’re trying to get him to do things that help him grade out better in this day and age of catching,” Borzello said. “We’re just looking at other catchers that grade out at the top and seeing how much he can incorporate those techniques into his game.” Borzello named a few catchers, like Tyler Flowers, who once struggled with framing, but with work eventually became elite. But he also said there’s no one way to do it. “Every catcher is different, every catcher has different body types so there are different setups,” Borzello said. “It’s like watching a hitter, you can’t say, ‘That’s how you swing so now I’m gonna hit .330 and hit 40 homers.’ It doesn’t work that way. Same with catching. So we’re watching a lot of video and taking what I think from other catchers that he can apply to himself.” The changes are sometimes so small that they’re hard to see with the naked eye. Other times, they’re more obvious. At the start of the season, Contreras did a lot of one-knee receiving. The thought was that getting his left knee out of the way would allow his left hand (his catching hand) to work more freely. Ultimately, Borzello didn’t see enough of a difference to continue with that method, so they went back to what was more comfortable. “When you receive the baseball, you should be absorbing the baseball rather than going out and getting it,” Borzello said. “This is the first year I’ve asked him to completely change his style. So the receiving aspect, you’ll see him more bring the ball back to his body, but there’s a timing mechanism there. As the ball is about to hit the leather is when you absorb the baseball. So you have to learn to do that, it’s not just someone telling you to do it and you do.” Borzello said too much lateral movement will make what you’re trying to do obvious. It can’t be a catch and jerk motion, it has to be fluid and happen in one stroke. “It’s a touch and feel thing,” Borzello said. “You can’t do it too late. Once the ball hits the glove and then you do it, it’s obvious. That’s a two-part move, a catch and a pull. As opposed to as the ball’s arriving, you’re absorbing the ball. There’s a big difference there.” He pointed out that sometimes you can extend the mitt a little further to catch a ball and then absorb it in so it looks like it’s closer to the zone rather than allowing it to travel further through the zone and catch it at a point where it breaks more like a ball. If you do the latter and then move the glove closer to the zone, it’s so obvious that it won’t help. It has to be one move, something that Borzello has preached for years. Either go out slightly and get the ball or let it come to you. But never have a straight, stiff elbow and make sure to have soft hands. Contreras admits they’ve been focusing on this aspect of his game this year, but he’s less concerned with the mechanical aspect than other parts. “Personally, for me, what’s a strike is a strike and what’s a ball is a ball,” Contreras said. “There’s a lot of umpires that have a lot of experience that don’t believe in framing. First, you have to create the relationship with them. I think that’s the most important thing before framing. I think framing right now has become a little bit overrated.” Contreras’ intense energy and passion got him where he is today, but it can sometimes work against him, getting him noticed in ways he might not want to be. Earlier in the season, he was called out by Pittsburgh Pirates manager Clint Hurdle for being too demonstrative while arguing a called strike. Getting under the skin of an opposing manager shouldn’t

matter, but there have been times when umpires haven’t been pleased with the way Contreras goes about his business. During one at-bat in a recent game in Cincinnati, an umpire seemed to take issue with Contreras. Knowing he had to keep his cool to stay in the game, he motioned over to the dugout to get some help. Maddon came out to have a chat and after the game, Contreras said the umpire tried to engage him because he never thanked him after giving him a timeout. Contreras explained his side to media members after the game. Maddon shared that Contreras thanked the umpire for calling a good game afterward, and Contreras was sure to point out the tremendous respect he has for umpires. “I’m from Venezuela and I have morals and I have values,” Contreras said. “I thanked him for calling a good game and that’s what I’m hoping he learns about me after this game.” Perhaps this is all part of the process that Contreras is going through right now. It’s something he admits is key in getting more strikes called, and both his manager and coaches agree. “Once the game starts, you get to know the umpires,” Contreras said. “And we start talking. If he likes to talk I ask him, ‘Hey, you like to talk between innings? You like to talk between pitches?’ If he says no, I would probably never ask about the strike zone. I’ll ask some of them, but I know the umpires that [I] get to ask about their strike zone. But I think everything starts there.” Borzello said he continuously talks to Contreras about it and believes that slowly but surely it will sink in. “It just comes with maturity over time with age,” Borzello said. “He’s an emotional player, you don’t want to take the emotion away from him. It’s what drives him and makes him as good as he is. But also you want him to temper it to the point where it’s not detrimental, not only to him but to the team. He knows that. But at times he’s competing, and you can’t take that away from him. You just want him to pick his spots.” Like Borzello, Maddon trusts that Contreras will continue to work on controlling his emotions. But also understands it’s a balance. “He’s working on it,” Maddon said. “And it is important. But it’s one of those situations, be careful what you’re wishing for. He listens. You can talk to Willson and he will look you right in the eyeballs. He accepts constructive criticism as well as any player I’ve ever had.” But Maddon also knows there are things that he can’t fully understand. “Understand one thing: this guy comes from a difficult part of Caracas,” Maddon said. “None of us grew up there. None of us knew what it was like to live there as he grew up there. I respect that. How he had to deal with the day is not how I had to deal with the day in Hazelton, Pennsylvania when I was 12. Not even close. There’s things he’s working through. “I know sometimes he may rub people the wrong way because he can be over-animated sometimes. That’ll eventually subside in him. It’s like a young puppy, man. There’s a lot of energy there that will subside at some point. But I hope it doesn’t subside for at least another 10 years. I love the verve with which he plays.” During last summer’s All-Star Game, Borzello spoke with St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina, the modern standard for all catchers. Contreras came up and Borzello was honest, as always.

“I said, ‘You know, he’s like a wild stallion, you never know where he’s going to go when it comes to his temperament,’” Borzello said. “He said, ‘I was the same way when I was young. It’ll happen.’ I said, ‘I know.’ Patience is part of the process. We’re talking about the physical side, the mental side, all of it. He’s done a helluva job with the game planning, learning how to call a game. That’s at the top of my list always of what I need from a catcher. Everything else is important and necessary, but that is first and foremost.” Maddon echoed the sentiment of patience with Contreras. “Let him gain a greater understanding of how this all works and let him morph into that at his own pace,” Maddon said. “And he will. Sometimes we want things to happen at our pace. It’s gotta happen at his pace. As long as he’s willing to listen and attempt to grow, I’m good. If he was obstinate about that and refusing, that would be different. But he’s not at all. He knows what he needs to do. So give him time. He’s working on it daily. He’s got a lot of really good coaches that care about him that are working on it too. It’s gonna happen. It is happening.” But patience isn’t always a luxury the Cubs have had with Contreras. When he was called up on June 17, 2016, he almost immediately became the everyday catcher for a team filled with veteran starters and in the midst of gunning for the most elusive championship in sports history. And he handled it all with aplomb. “When we first got here, as far as the scouting reports go, I didn’t expect a lot because he’d never seen it,” Borzello said. “He didn’t have the luxury of breaking in on a team that was on its way to becoming good. We were already good and he had to mix right in. It’s almost asking someone to do too much. But he pulled it off. You never master it, but you become pretty good at it. And he’s become pretty good at it.” Borzello pointed out that it’s almost unheard of for a rookie catcher to take over starting duties in the middle of a season for a team with World Series aspirations. At least not as late into the season as Contreras did. Buster Posey came up for a cup of coffee at the end of 2009 then joined the Giants in late May 2010 to help them win their first World Series in 56 years. What Posey did was rare, and it helped put him on a career trajectory with the Hall of Fame in his sights. Borzello will criticize small parts of Contreras game, but he also recognizes how far Contreras has come since he came up from the minors. A former infielder who converted to catching in his fourth season as a professional, Contreras had a bit of a late start. However, he took to the role quickly and while he’s still working to improve certain areas, the speed with which he picked up on other aspects impressed those around him. “To have a guy come up here and expect him to know how to call a baseball game is impossible,” Borzello said. “They never had to do it. And then you come up here and you’re expected to do it from day one. It’s the one part of this game that makes it really hard for a young catcher. That’s why a lot of managers or pitching coaches don’t want young catchers. Because they have to teach this guy from square one on how to handle the most important part of the game. Pitch calling and pitch selection can be the biggest difference in a game on a nightly basis. You’re giving him that responsibility right when he shows up. I think he’s done a heck of a job with it.” There are so many aspects of catching that Contreras has mastered over the last couple years, many of them intangibles that we don’t often discuss, like the ability to stay locked in at all times behind the plate and avoid distractions.

Now there’s one final step for Contreras to really become as elite as the Cubs believe he can be. He may never become a great framer, but his work ethic and drive won’t be what keeps him from getting there. Even average framing abilities would boost Contreras’ value quite a bit. Contreras only started working on the skill in earnest this season, and while the numbers may not grade out, Borzello is seeing improvement. And while they work on technique, they continue to try and strike a balance with Contreras’ emotions. The Cubs want that kid who is full of energy, the one who can catch nine innings in oppressive heat and then go kick a soccer ball around with some kids. “We all look at the things that need improving, but there are a lot of things that have already improved,” Borzello said. “What he’s done in a short period of time is pretty incredible. He’s going to the All-Star Game now and I couldn’t be prouder of that. This guy in such a short time was catching Game 7 and becoming a World Series champion and now he’s going to the All-Star Game. That’s pretty cool.” -- Cubs.com Contreras, Baez leave mark on All-Star Game By Matthew Martell Willson Contreras cried when he found out he was starting Tuesday night's All-Star Game presented by Mastercard in Washington, D.C. Javier Baez had the opposite reaction when he got the good news -- he laughed. Different reactions aside, it was a night of firsts as the two Cubs made their Midsummer Classic debuts. The emotions of Contreras' first All-Star Game didn't overwhelm him too much. Leading off the third inning, the Cubs' catcher hammered a solo home run 108.8 mph over the left-field fence at Nationals Park for the National League's first run in its 8-6 loss to the American League. "Hitting that ball was something special for me and my family -- they're here -- and for the fans," Contreras said. "I'd do anything for the fans, and this was for the fans in Chicago." The 97.8-mph, middle-cut fastball from Rays lefty Blake Snell was the hardest pitch Contreras, 26, has hit for a homer in his career, according to Statcast™. Contreras became the 19th player in history to go yard in his first All-Star Game at-bat. George Altman is the only other Cubs player to do so, in 1961, and Eric Hosmer did it most recently, in 2016. No other Cubs catcher has homered in the Midsummer Classic. "I'm really blessed [to be] in these types of situations," Contreras said. "It's going to be in history and in my mind and my heart." Before Contreras provided the NL's first run, it was Baez who recorded the team's first hit. Of course, both players did their damage on the first pitch they saw. Stepping into the batter's box to lead off the bottom of the first, Baez leaned forward, lifted his hand to his helmet and saluted American League starter Chris Sale. "He throws hard," Baez, 25, said of Sale in an on-field interview on the FOX broadcast just moments before his at-bat. "Just got to hit the fastball. Let's see what I got on his fastball."

Simple enough, right? Not so much, though Baez couldn't have made it look much easier. The Cubs' second baseman followed up his gesture like only "El Mago" can: He swung at Sale's first pitch, a 99.4-mph fastball off the plate inside, and roped it into center field. Contreras batted ninth for the NL and was behind the plate for all of Max Scherzer's grunt-inducing heaters and nasty breaking balls. He caught the first five innings and went 1-for-2. Baez also was replaced after the fifth inning, going 1-for-3 in the contest. The Cubs' third All-Star, veteran starter Jon Lester, was unavailable for the game after pitching against the Padres on Sunday. "The big thing for me is watching these two knuckleheads over here have fun," Lester, 34, said on Monday. "You see the flair they play the game with and the ease that they play the game with, and that kind of oozes energy." Contreras and Baez displayed that same youthful exuberance on Tuesday that has defined them early in their careers. Recognizing the significance of starting an All-Star Game, though, gave them additional perspectives that they won't soon forget. "I wanted to enjoy my moment," Contreras said. "You don't hit homers every day, especially in this kind of All-Star Game. When I realized I was by third base, I was like 'Slow down,' I looked at the dugout. That's why I started slowing down. I started to enjoy it." As he jogged toward the plate, Contreras clapped and looked to the sky, a gesture that he said was a nod to his late grandfather, who passed away in 2015. "I feel like every time I go out there and step out of the box, he's at my back," Contreras said. "It feels amazing when you hit a homer or do something special, you look at the sky and you know he's there." -- NBC Sports Chicago It might have been just another dinger in homer-happy All-Star Game, but Willson Contreras will remember it forever By Vinnie Duber WASHINGTON, D.C. — Willson Contreras’ third-inning home run might not have ended up standing out too much in an All-Star Game featuring a jaw-dropping and record-shattering 10 dingers. But, obviously, it will always stand out to the guy who hit it. “I enjoyed every single second that I spent out there.” Remarkably, Contreras repeated his feat from two seasons ago, when he hit his first big league homer on the first big league pitch he ever saw. Ditto on Tuesday night at Nationals Park, when he launched the first pitch he saw as an All Star out over the wall in left field. “When I hit the ball and thought it was gone, I went back to 2016, playing in Chicago. It was the same thing, first pitch for a homer,” Contreras, all smiles, said following the American League’s 8-6 victory.

“I’m really blessed with these kinds of situations. Those moments, they’re going to be history and they’re going to be in my mind and my heart.” Contreras’ long ball was the highlight of the evening for fans watching back home in Chicago. Javy Baez got a hit in his first All-Star at-bat but was outdone by his teammate. White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu was hitless in his two trips to the plate. And while it will be a highlight on this night for Cubs fans, it will be a highlight forever for Contreras, who enjoyed the heck out of his first All-Star experience. “‘I did it, I did it,’” he said when asked what was going through his head. “I knew it was something special. And I wasn’t trying to do too much because these guys are nasty, throwing 98 in the first inning. I just tried to get the hit out.” The nasty guy he went deep against was Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Blake Snell, whose 2.27 ERA on the season made him a very worthy inclusion on the AL roster. But Contreras was more impressed with the guy who started the game for the National League, raving about Washington Nationals ace Max Scherzer after the game. “He was great, man. Great stuff, he gets so into the game,” Contreras said. “I would like to have him one day on my team or play with him for a few years. That guy is amazing.” That’s not the current Nationals star Cubs fans are dreaming about, Willy, but point taken. But it wasn’t Snell or Scherzer or even Baez or Jon Lester, also in the NL dugout, who Contreras was thinking about the most during his home run trot. Instead, Contreras was thinking about his grandfather, Ernesto, who passed away a few years ago. “My grandpa, he died in 2015,” Contreras said. “I grew up with him. “He didn’t play ball. But I feel like every time I go out there and step into the box, he’s at my back. It just feels amazing when you hit a homer or do something special, look at the sky and you know that he’s there smiling somewhere.” It all made for a pretty incredible night for Contreras, who has officially and loudly taken his place among baseball’s best on the game’s biggest stage. The only thing that was missing? The ball. Yeah, Contreras didn’t get the ball, not that he really expected to. But if you’ve got it, he wants it. “I don’t think they’re giving it back,” he said with a grin. We’ll see. Social media’s a powerful tool. So reach out. -- NBC Sports Chicago Manny Machado as a Dodger creates a formidable foe out west for the Cubs By Sean Sears

Well, it's finally happening, or at least it's going to happen. The Athletics' Ken Rosenthal reported during the MLB All-Star game that the Baltimore Orioles had agreed to officially move their franchise player Manny Machado. Neither team has confirmed anything at this time, but the deal has reportedly been as close to a done deal for the last day or so, and it would seem Machado is destined for finish his 2018 campaign in Hollywood. Ken Rosenthal

✔ @Ken_Rosenthal Can report with more certainty: Machado to #Dodgers happening. Among remaining questions, in addition to specifics of return beyond OF Yusniel Diaz: How much money, if any, #Orioles will send #Dodgers to secure a better package and help ease LAD’s luxury-tax concerns. Of course, with this addition, the reigning National League champions look primed for another deep postseason run. Though, the club is clinging to a half-game lead in the NL West, with Machado in tow the Dodgers are right with the Cubs and Brewers as the elite squads in the National League. It could be argued the Dodgers didn't necessarily 'need' Machado, with an offense that was already in the top 10 in runs scored, but Machado might be the perfect addition for the Dodgers. After losing their young star shortstop Corey Seager for the season with an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery, the Dodgers were in need of a more permanent solution at shortstop. And despite Machado's defensive metrics showing a steep decline in his glove at shortstop, the Dodgers will welcome his robust slash line of .315/.387/.575 while ignoring any shortcomings on defense. But what this means for the Cubs, who are only two games off the 2016 World Series club pace, is the path to another championship will likely require another run-in with the Dodgers. The club's biggest threat has been at this point the Brewers, but it's not hard to envision the Dodgers distancing themselves as the clear favorites in the National League with Machado in the heart of the order. The good news for the Chicago is at least Machado didn't end up in Milwaukee, but that also could mean the Brewers make a more concerted effort to acquire pitching before the July 30th deadline. The Cubs will also see the return of Yu Darvish, who despite only managing to win one game this season in a Cubs uniform, will be a massive upgrade over the scuffling Tyler Chatwood. If the Cubs pitching can start producing like many expected them to before the start of 2018, and guys like Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant start to hit alongside All-Stars Javier Baez and Willson Contreras, it's not hard to imagine the Cubs separating themselves from the pack in the 2nd half of season. The Dodgers are no strangers to blockbuster deadline deals, acquiring Yu Darvish in a similar three-month rental situation, but the Cubs getting a bat like Rizzo right and an arm like Darvish healthy would be better than any deal Theo Epstein could make to improve this team. And if it's not enough, the Cubs have a solid track record of grabbing former Dodger rentals in the off-season. The push for the playoffs starts Thursday for the north-siders. -- NBC Sports Chicago Cubs' starting pitching a reasonable discussion topic, but Jon Lester's no fan of 'nitpicking' this first-place team By Vinnie Duber

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Cubs are in first place, they own the best record in the National League at the All-Star break and remain as much a World Series contender as any team out there. But things are never 100 percent rainbows and lollipops for a team with this high a profile. No, instead of a simple thumbs up from fans and observers, a pat on the back and a “job well done,” there’s been quite a bit of focus on what’s not going well for the North Siders. Mostly, that’s meant starting pitching, as four of the team’s five Opening Day starters owns an ERA north of 3.90. If all you’ve heard this season is “What’s wrong with Yu Darvish? What’s wrong with Jose Quintana? What’s wrong with Kyle Hendricks? What’s wrong with Tyler Chatwood?” you might think the Cubs are woefully underachieving. Instead, they’re 55-38, a first-half record not far off from what they owned at the break back in 2016, a season that ended in a curse-smashing World Series championship. The lone Cubs starting pitcher at the All-Star Game, Jon Lester, isn’t happy with what he calls the “nitpicking” that’s come with the Cubs’ otherwise excellent start to the season. “We’re kind of pulling at hairs,” he said before the Midsummer Classic on Tuesday night. “We’re splitting hairs right now as far as things that we’re looking for negatively on our team. And that can kind of rub wrong in the clubhouse as far as guys looking around going, ‘Wait a second, we’re doing pretty good and we’re getting nitpicked right now.’ “I don’t like nitpicking. So I feel like we’ve been doing really well and just stay with the positives of everything that we’ve been playing really good baseball.” Lester’s got a point, though at the same time it’s an understandable discussion topic: If the Cubs aren’t getting consistent results from four of their five starting pitchers, what kind of effect will that have in a playoff series? There’s a long way to go before things get to that point, but Cubs players made their own expectations known back in spring training: It’s World Series or bust for these North Siders. Lester has been phenomenal, unquestionably worthy of his fifth All-Star selection. He posted a 2.98 ERA in 19 first-half starts. But the rest of the rotation wasn’t nearly as pretty. Hendricks finished his first half with a 3.92 ERA, Quintana with a 3.96 ERA, Chatwood with a 5.04 ERA and Darvish, who made only eight starts before going on a seemingly never-ending DL stint, with a 4.95 ERA. Mike Montgomery, who’s made nine starts, has a 3.91 ERA overall and a 3.20 ERA as a starter. None of that’s exactly end-of-the-world bad, and there are plenty of pitching staffs across baseball that would probably make a trade for those numbers in a heartbeat. But is it the elite, best-rotation-in-baseball type stuff that so many projected for this team before the season started? Of course not. And Lester knows it. He, like team president Theo Epstein, just looks at that fact a little differently than the fans and observers who are so quick to push the panic button. “Can we pitch better? Absolutely. As a collective unit, yeah we can. And that’s a positive,” Lester said. “I think guys are ready for runs. You kind of saw Kyle put together a couple starts there where he’s back to being Kyle. Q’s been throwing the ball pretty well for us. “I think this break will do Chatwood a lot of good. This is a guy, he’s pounding his head against the wall, beginning of the season he wasn’t giving up any runs but everybody’s talking about walks. I look at the runs, I don’t care about the walks.

“We get these guys back to relaxing and being themselves, we’ll be fine. Our bullpen’s been great, our defense has been great. Offense is going to come and go, as we’ve seen in the game. As starters, we’ve got to keep our guys in the game the best we can, at the end of the day our bullpen and our defense is going to pick us up.” The fretting will likely never end unless the Cubs have five starters throwing at an All-Star level, that's just the way things go. Something’s got to fill all that time on sports radio, after all, and for a team with postseason expectations, it’s perfectly reasonable to talk about how they might fare in the postseason, where those starting-pitching inconsistencies will most definitely come into play. But Tuesday night, Cubs fans will see three players representing their club. Lester will be a happy observer with one of the best seats in the house, and Javy Baez and Willson Contreras will deservedly start among the best in the game. And they’ll have bragging rights over all their NL teammates because nitpicking or not, they’ve got the best record in the league. -- NBC Sports Chicago Grinding it out, working as a team: The story of the Cubs By Luke Stuckmeyer Five times in franchise history. That’s how often the Chicago Cubs have owned the best record in the National League heading into the All-Star game. This is the first time since 2008. Here’s what makes it even more surprising. They’ve been doing it without Kris Bryant for long periods of time. He’s missed roughly one quarter of the Cubs’ games. Bryant’s injuries have forced him to sit out 23 games and the 2016 National League MVP has just 10 home runs. How many teams could lose a player of that caliber and still be elite? Not many. They’ve also found a way to the top with the other half of the Bryzzo Souvenir Co. going through multiple slumps during the first 93 games of the season. According to the advanced metric of “Weighted Runs Created Plus," Anthony Rizzo has been human at the plate. Rizzo’s wRC+ rating of 100 is exactly the league average. Last year at this time his wRC+ was 31 percent better than the league average. His current WAR is just 0.2. Don’t get me wrong, Rizzo and Bryant have still made an impact and both have shown signs that their stocks for the second half should by on “buy now” list. So, the Cubs’ 1-2 punch has been off their game and it’s not their biggest struggle in the so-called first half. That dubious honor belongs to the starting rotation. Their two offseason additions have been disasters. Yu Darvish hasn’t pitched and Tyler Chatwood hasn’t thrown strikes. By this point, you’re wondering how the Cubs aren’t in 4th place? Well, for those three issues there have been just as many answers from different places. Maybe more. In the outfield, Albert Almora’s .319 batting average ranks third in the NL and he simply seems to catch everything. Jason Heyward. Who saw this coming? He’s delivering at the plate on a regular basis. In 2016, Heyward’s wRC+ was 29 percent worse than the league average. This year, he’s climbed to a 109 rating or nine percent above average. He also catches everything. Combine those two with Kyle

Schwarber’s 17 bombs and his massive defensive improvements and you have an impactful outfield. Ian Happ and Ben Zobrist have done their parts too. Speaking of Happ, the Cubs have eight players with at least a .340 on-base percentage. Happ needs just eight more plate appearances to be the ninth Cubs’ batter on that list. All major factors, but the biggest reason the Cubs are atop the NL despite all this adversity is “The Javy Baez Show”. El Mago has done it with his glove, his baserunning, his defense, his energy and his bat. Baez is the first player in MLB history with 18 doubles, six triples, 18 home runs and 18 stolen bases before the All-Star break. So, how have the Cubs reached this place for the just the fifth time in franchise history? They’ve done it by grinding it out. They’ve done it as a team. Two traits that should serve them well the rest of the way. #EverybodyIn. --