May 15, 2017

ESPNChicago.com, Cubs know off-the-field fun has to wait when baseball is your career http://www.espn.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/id/44147/cubs-fun-has-to-wait-when-baseball-is-your-career

ESPNChicago.com, Has the bar been lowered for Cubs' Jake Arrieta? http://www.espn.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/id/44158/has-the-bar-been-lowered-for-cubs-jake-arrieta

ESPNChicago.com, Sarcastic Joe Maddon has 'ideas' for safety rules http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/19382689/sarcastic-chicago-cubs-manager-joe-maddon-ideas-safety-rules

CSNChicago.com, Cubs Spin After Cardinals Beat Jake Arrieta: ‘I Don’t Think There’s Any Reason To Panic’ http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/cubs-spin-after-cardinals-beat-jake-arrieta-i-dont-think-theres-any-reason-panic

CSNChicago.com, How Ian Happ Could Force The Issue And Stick With Cubs http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/how-ian-happ-could-force-issue-and-stick-cubs

CSNChicago.com, Cubs Manager Joe Maddon Trolls Mlb Safety Rules, Proposes Cup Checks, Face Masks And Banning Headfirst Slides http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/cubs-manager-joe-maddon-trolls-mlb-safety-rules-proposes-cup-checks-face-masks-and

Chicago Tribune, Cubs limp home after 5-0 loss to Cardinals drops them below .500 http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-cardinals-spt-0515-20170514-story.html

Chicago Tribune, No head-first slides? Cage in on-deck circle? Joe Maddon sarcastically proposes safety rules http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-joe-maddon-safety-rules-20170514-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Jake Arrieta, Kyle Schwarber can't break out of their funks http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-jake-arrieta-kyle-schwarber-notes-spt-0515-20170514-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Cubs' Jake Arrieta watches dominance over former TCU teammate Matt Carpenter end http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-jake-arrieta-tcu-matt-carpenter-20170514-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Once part of Cubs' future, Matt Szczur thankful to get a chance elsewhere http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/columnists/ct-matt-szczur-padres-opportunity-sullivan-spt-0515-20170514-column.html

Chicago Tribune, Eddie Butler, who won't pitch again until Friday, doesn't mind extra time between starts http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-eddie-butler-20170514-story.html

Chicago Sun-Times, Struggling Kyle Schwarber (.179) still leading off, still ‘confident’ http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/struggling-kyle-schwarber-179-still-leading-off-still-confident/

Chicago Sun-Times, Cubs prospect Ian Happ making himself look at home in the big leagues http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/cubs-prospect-ian-happ-making-himself-look-at-home-in-the-big-leagues/

Chicago Sun-Times, Cubs drop series to Cardinals, head home with losing record, questions http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/cubs-drop-series-to-cardinals-head-home-with-losing-record-questions/

Chicago Sun-Times, Cubs’ David Ross admits dancing is more frustrating than baseball http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/cubs-david-ross-admits-dancing-is-more-frustrating-than-baseball/

Chicago Sun-Times, I’m no Ronnie ‘Woo Woo’ fan, but Cubs’ treatment of fixture is dumb PR http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/im-no-ronnie-woo-woo-fan-but-cubs-treatment-of-fixture-is-bad-pr/

Chicago Sun-Times, Cup-check time: Joe Maddon is full of ideas to increase player safety http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/cup-check-time-joe-maddon-is-full-of-ideas-to-increase-player-safety/

Daily Herald, Chicago Cubs shuffle rotation a bit http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20170514/chicago-cubs-shuffle-rotation-a-bit

Daily Herald, Arrieta's ERA rises as Cubs lose to Cardinals http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20170514/arrietax2019s-era-rises-as-cubs-lose-to-cardinals

Daily Herald, Maddon 'proposes' new baseball safety rules http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20170514/maddon-x2018proposesx2019-new-baseball-safety-rules

Daily Herald, Imrem: No surprise this year isn't last year for Chicago Cubs http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20170514/imrem-no-surprise-this-year-isnx2019t-last-year-for-chicago-cubs

Cubs.com, Homers aside, Arrieta's start draws praise http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/230273624/cubs-jake-arrieta-allows-homers-draws-praise/

Cubs.com, Cubs shut out on 4 hits, drop set, below .500 http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/230228872/adam-wainwright-cardinals-shut-out-cubs/

Cubs.com, Maddon offers 'protectionism' suggestions http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/230194524/cubs-joe-maddon-still-unhappy-with-slide-rule/

Cubs.com, Lackey, Cubs hope to thrive back at home http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/230188214/seasoned-vets-arroyo-lackey-duel-at-wrigley/?tcid=tw_share

-- ESPNChicago.com Cubs know off-the-field fun has to wait when baseball is your career By Jesse Rogers CHICAGO -- While the Chicago Cubs get a much-needed day off to clear their heads with no game on the schedule Monday, they also know that there is a limit to the fun they can have during their time away from the field. The struggling team can’t afford any new injuries right now, as they’ve gone through a spell of nagging issues lately. None, of course, is as bad as what befell San Francisco Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner in a dirt-bike accident last month in Colorado that will keep him out for several months. That one is a reminder that while off days are times when players can unwind, not all hobbies are good if your career is in baseball.

“When I was a kid, I was really big into skateboarding and skimboarding,” Cubs shortstop Addison Russell said. “Never was a surfer, but I’d try that after I’m done playing. “I stay away from that stuff now. I have investments I have to protect.” A player’s body is an investment in and of itself, which means there are lots of offseason and off-day activities that athletes have to avoid until their careers are over. “Snow skiing,” closer Wade Davis said. “I love to snow ski. I used to ski a lot, but I haven’t been in a while.” Outfielder Jon Jay added: “The first thing I'll do when I’m done playing is go skiing. I told my wife to get that ready. When I’m done, we’re going straight to the mountains for a month.” Skiing is overwhelmingly the activity Cubs players would love to participate in but just can’t. Or at least won’t. There is nothing in a player’s standard contract that says he can’t ski -- or play pickup basketball, for example -- but if a player gets injured, the team has recourse. A contract can be voided. “That’s the tradeoff,” Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer said. “They want to do those things, and they can -- they just can’t [get] hurt.” As you might imagine, considering his personality, pitcher Jake Arrieta has the longest “bucket list” of recreational activities he’ll dive into after his playing days are over. “There’s a lot,” Arrieta said. “Snow ski. Water ski. Skydive. Bungee jump. All those extreme things, really. My friends growing up did that; my brother-in-law skydives all the time. He’s asked me to do some jumps, but I can’t do it. I want to.” In fact, Arrieta and pitcher Brett Anderson had the same offseason story: Both watched while others enjoyed. “We went to Breckenridge [in Colorado] and a bunch of my friends went skiing, and I’m just sitting there,” Arrieta said. Same for Anderson, also in Breckenridge, but not everyone is an adrenaline junkie. “I’m not that guy,” outfielder Albert Almora Jr. said. “I go on the boat and do my fishing, but I don’t go on Jet Skis and stuff. I get anxiety. I don’t suffer from it, but I think what can happen and stuff like that. Even when fishing. I always have shoes on the boat and am real careful with what’s going on with hooks and stuff. I’m just cautious.” As the weather finally changes in Chicago, players will have more temptations, but most have a routine of saying no to their friends. It didn’t hurt that last week’s day off came in St. Louis instead of Colorado, where there are lots of outdoor extreme activities to participate in. The less that's available to the players, the better. “Riding ATVs,” pitcher Carl Edwards Jr. said. “I would do stuff like that. I don’t ski. It doesn’t get that cold in South Carolina. ... Not even when I retire. I fall and I’m done. Broken hip.” Kyle Schwarber agrees. “Forget skiing,” the outfielder said. “I’ve never tried it. ... I would not skydive. I’d go to some theme parks and stuff. I stick to the things I know.” Schwarber went fishing on the off day in St. Louis; there was no speedboat racing going on. Davis was scared straight early in his career when “he didn’t know better.”

“Riding four-wheelers,” he recalled. “Shooting up the side of sand dunes, and some friends had a spill and a couple broken bones, and I thought, maybe this isn’t the best thing.” Surprisingly, players have to stay away from golf for various reasons. “I’m physically limited in a lot of things, but golfing because of my back is something I’ll put off until I’m done,” Anderson said. Davis added: “Golf, for sure. And I’d like to lift more. Upper-body stuff. Can’t do it.” The Bumgarner injury was a good reminder that the “risk isn’t worth the reward,” as Russell pointed out. So players will wait to have that kind of fun -- and they’re fine with it. Even Arrieta. “Sitting on an inner tube is about all I’ll do now,” Arrieta said. “We’re fragile as humans. It’s easy to get hurt. That’s why skiing and all that stuff will be waiting when I’m done. “Hopefully, I’m still able to do that stuff. I just don’t want to throw out both ACLs first time I’m off the mound.” -- ESPNChicago.com Has the bar been lowered for Cubs' Jake Arrieta? By Jesse Rogers ST. LOUIS -- Either Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon saw something the rest of us didn’t, or pitcher Jake Arrieta has struggled so much this year, that on a day in which he gave up "only" two home runs in six innings of work, it was actually seen as a step in the right direction. Or perhaps Maddon is simply trying to back his guy during a rough start to 2017. Arrieta's latest defeat dropped the Cubs to a game under .500 (18-19). “I thought Jake was outstanding,” Maddon said after the Cubs' 5-0 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday. “I thought he had his best stuff all year. “The swings and misses, the pitches in the zone, the takes on their part. I thought he was outstanding, actually.” Maddon was half-right. According to ESPN Stats & Information, Arrieta had a season-low six swings-and-misses coinciding with a season-low 14.3 percent miss percentage. But his called strikes were up, as he threw a strike on 18 of 43 taken pitches. That was good for a season-high 42 percent called strike percentage. Does any of it really matter when his already high 5.35 ERA rose to 5.44? One long ball served was to Yadier Molina, who had one home run on the season coming into the game. The other home run was hit by Matt Carpenter, who was 0-for-28 off Arrieta in his career. Arrieta did have his good innings, as he only needed 85 pitches to get through six innings, so perhaps it’s something to build off of, but those home runs do count. “Probably some of the best stuff I featured this year,” Arrieta said. “Pretty good command, just a couple mistakes that I made were capitalized on by those guys.” Arrieta walked only one batter, but his seven hits given up continue a disturbing trend, as the opposition is currently hitting 100 points higher off him this year than last season. That used to be his bread and butter. Few bats squared him up, even if he was walking some hitters. And let’s not even compare Arrieta to 2015, when he was all-world on the way to winning the Cy Young Award. “Some bad luck, [some] mistakes they are taking advantage of,” Arrieta said. “Right now, it seems like the mistakes I’m making, they are not fouling them off or taking or swinging-and-missing. They’re making pretty solid contact.

I’m going to continue to be aggressive. I’d like to not make any mistakes. The ones I’m making right now are being taken advantage of.” That seems like a little bit of a disconnect, as mistakes are supposed to be taken advantage of at the major league level. Of course, there are times when a pitcher can get away with a few, but when you consider Arrieta has given up eight home runs this year but didn’t give up his eighth until July 25 last season, where exactly is the bad luck there? They’re getting good wood on the ball. Simple as that. It’s not hard to find the difference in the righty. His velocity continues to hover around 92 mph, just as it did again on Sunday, though Maddon saw it differently. “I thought I saw more 93s,” he said. “I really did. I thought it was an uptick.” Again, maybe that’s the issue. If Maddon is pointing out 93 mph as kind of a good thing for Arrieta, then the bar has come way down. At his best, he was a crisp 95 or 96 mph in the zone. It’s been a while since we’ve seen that kind of stuff, as the 31-year-old hasn’t thrown a pitch at 95 mph or higher this season. Either way, the manager is sticking by his guy -- as he should -- but if this was as good as it gets for Arrieta, then that bar should stay way down by our knees from now on. “By far, for me, with my eyeballs, the best performance of the year for him,” Maddon said. -- ESPNChicago.com Sarcastic Joe Maddon has 'ideas' for safety rules By Jesse Rogers ST. LOUIS -- Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon isn't done criticizing the slide rule at second base that cost his team a run in Saturday's 5-3 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. He followed up a postgame rant with a more sarcastic tone on Sunday morning. "I have some other additions to it," Maddon said. "We should eliminate the headfirst slide. That is a dangerous slide. Your hand could [get hurt], your eye could get poked out. All these different things can occur on a headfirst slide. "I think face masks should be mandatory for all hitters. And pitchers have been hit in the head by line drives several times, so pitchers should be forced to wear helmets." Maddon wasn't finished, as he thinks Major League Baseball has gone too far in the name of protecting players due to isolated incidents over the years. On Saturday, Cubs rookie Ian Happ slid into second base to break up a double play but slid a little past the bag, causing the umpires to declare the batter out as well. The inning-ending double play negated a run, as Kyle Schwarber was crossing the plate as Anthony Rizzo was crossing first. Rizzo was subsequently called out. "I have no idea why these rules are part of our game," Maddon said right after the loss. "There was an out created there. That was just one out they did not have to earn. I totally, absolutely disagree with that. It has nothing to do with safety and protecting the middle infielder." Maddon took the night to think of other ways the league can keep players safe. Face masks and no headfirst slides were just a couple of his "ideas." "I thought of other ways for protectionism," Maddon continued. "I think there should be a cage in the on-deck circle so on-deck guys can stand behind the screen and not get hurt. "I think there needs to be cup checks as players are running on the field in order to prevent the loss of future families."

Maddon indicated he has not heard from the league office about his critiques but wouldn't be surprised if it called him. -- CSNChicago.com Cubs Spin After Cardinals Beat Jake Arrieta: ‘I Don’t Think There’s Any Reason To Panic’ By Patrick Mooney ST. LOUIS – Jake Arrieta has lost the air of invincibility that surrounded him during his Cy Young Award season in 2015. Even Joe Maddon – a relentlessly optimistic manager by nature – doesn’t pretend the Cubs expect to ever see that again. Arrieta went through stretches last year where he looked unsure and out of sync with his mechanics. He still finished with 18 wins and a 3.10 ERA and beat the Cleveland Indians twice in the World Series. The story of how a last-place team transformed into a championship organization cannot be written without Arrieta, who infused the Cubs with so much attitude and confidence, his Bob Gibson impression helping fuel 97 wins and a spending spree that approached $290 million after the 2015 season. At the moment, Arrieta symbolizes the 18-19 team that quietly packed up after Sunday afternoon’s 5-0 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. “We would obviously like to be playing better than we are right now,” Arrieta said. “I don’t think there’s any reason to panic. I think that the talent we have here will correct itself and start to turn itself around. “Yeah, we’d like to win a few more games than we are and tighten things up a little bit. But guys are showing up ready to play and going about themselves the right way. We’re just not necessarily getting the results we would like.” Roughly 25 percent into a contract year, Arrieta now has a 5.44 ERA and one quality start since the first weekend of the season. If the velocity doesn’t keep ticking up – and this signals the start of a steeper decline – then the Cubs are in trouble. The Cardinals (21-15) already have a 3.5-game lead over the fourth-place Cubs after winning this weekend series. Fireworks erupted in the second inning after Yadier Molina drilled Arrieta’s first-pitch fastball 410 feet into the left-field seats for a two-run homer and flipped his bat away with one hand. Matt Carpenter crushed another Arrieta fastball 414 feet over the right-center field wall for a two-run homer in the third inning, breaking the 0-for-28 against his old teammate from Texas Christian University. Maddon, of course, put his spin on the situation and called it Arrieta’s “best stuff” all year. But even Miguel Montero, the blunt-spoken, veteran catcher, felt the same way. Nothing to see here? “Honestly,” Montero said, “I think that was the only two bad pitches he made. I said to him after the game: ‘Hey, man, you know what, this could be the turning point for you, because I really liked what I’ve seen. Everything was sharp. That was the best I’ve seen you so far the whole year.’ “The ball was coming out of his hand differently. He has some life to it. I’m happy to see him back pitching that way, because, of course, we’re going to need him.” The Cardinals did all their damage against Arrieta with those two swings and the Cubs are a team playing without much margin for error right now. Adam Wainwright, who lugged a 6.37 ERA into the game, shut down the Cubs for seven innings. The defense that was supposed to be a constant is no longer playing like the ’85 Bears.

“It’s some bad luck,” Arrieta said. “Right now, it seems like the mistakes I’m making, they’re not fouling them off or taking or swinging and missing. They’re making pretty solid contact. I’m going to continue to be aggressive. “Obviously, I’d like to not make any mistakes, but the ones I’m making right now are getting taken advantage of.” There are peripheral numbers – like Arrieta’s strikeout-to-walk ratio (49:13) – and a track record that can be sources of optimism. But at a certain point, the defending champs talking about taking steps in the right direction and trusting the process will get old. This is a bottom-line business. “I have so much faith and confidence in him and his methods,” Maddon said. “You’re pretty aware that I don’t get kind of off the bandwagon very easily. I really believe he’s going to be fine. I believe it’s just going to be almost like a snap of the fingers – everything’s going to fall back into place. “I don’t think you’re going to see this slow method of better, better, better, better, great. I just think you’re all of a sudden going to see something’s going to click and he’s going to be back close to where he had been. “It’s hard to be where he had been when he won the award. I’m not expecting that, but more like what we had seen last year, a lot more consistency in his velocity. Velocity is probably the biggest (thing).” -- CSNChicago.com How Ian Happ Could Force The Issue And Stick With Cubs By Patrick Mooney ST. LOUIS – Ian Happ pivoted from his talking points when a reporter mentioned his reputation as a defender, flashing another side to the reserved, professional demeanor the Cubs noticed in spring training as he blended in with the defending World Series champs. “I don’t know where that came from,” Happ said. “Everybody does their scouting reports coming out of college and that was just something that caught wind and caught a little bit of helium. “It’s blown up that I stink at fielding. So I’m not really sure how that came about, but I feel like I can play multiple positions well. And that’s what I try to do.” Manager Joe Maddon brought it up during his media session after Happ made another strong impression in Sunday’s 5-0 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium: “He’s always been branded as a hitter, but he’s a lot more than that.” The day after blasting a two-run homer off Carlos Martinez in his big-league debut, Happ got two hits off Adam Wainwright, made a sliding catch in right field and moved over to play center. That in-game flexibility as a switch-hitter and a second baseman is what the Cubs envisioned when they drafted Happ out of the University of Cincinnati with the ninth overall pick in the 2015 draft. The last two pennant races have seen Theo Epstein’s front office aggressively promote prospects like Kyle Schwarber, Albert Almora Jr. and Willson Contreras, with Maddon’s coaching staff trusting them in key moments for playoff teams. So while the Cubs made this decision in response to a wave of injuries, Happ’s offensive upside and defensive versatility could force the issue again. “Absolutely, if he keeps doing (this), it’s hard to say that you don’t want him here any longer,” Maddon said. “There’s other ways to fit him in. But, again, all I want him to do is attack today. Literally, enjoy the moment. Don’t overthink it. Control what he can. Again, I don’t want to go psychobabble. But that’s what he needs to do. “We know how good he is. We know what he means to our future. Go play, and let us figure out the rest. Of course, the team, roster-wise, is in a state of flux now, based on different guys being banged up. But all Ian has to

worry about is to continue to do what he did in camp, what he’s been doing at Triple-A, and let us make that decision.” Staying in character, Happ will try not to think about those big-picture discussions over developing every day at Iowa vs. being on call for an 18-19 team looking for a spark. “Come to the park every day, try to help the team win,” Happ said. “That’s all I can do." -- CSNChicago.com Cubs Manager Joe Maddon Trolls Mlb Safety Rules, Proposes Cup Checks, Face Masks And Banning Headfirst Slides By Patrick Mooney ST. LOUIS – Joe Maddon trolled Major League Baseball officials while waiting to hear from the New York headquarters about his pointed criticism of the slide rule. "I'm looking forward to it," Maddon said Sunday at Busch Stadium. "I have some other additions to it. I had to think about it some more. I thought of other ways for protectionism." The Cubs manager didn't exactly walk back his comments after Saturday's 5-3 loss, Maddon fuming over the automatic double play awarded the St. Louis Cardinals once Ian Happ slid past second base, wiping out a run scored and a potential fifth-inning rally. Maddon ran with a throwaway follow-up question near the end of a pregame media session that lasted almost 20 minutes. "I think we should consider now eliminating the headfirst slide to protect base runners, because that is really a dangerous slide," Maddon said. "You hurt your hand. Your eye could be poked out. There are all these different things that could occur on the headfirst slide. "I think face masks should be mandatory for all hitters. And pitchers have been hit with line drives several times up the middle, so I think pitchers should now be forced to wear helmets. "The other day, we're playing in Colorado and (Charlie) Blackmon was in the on-deck circle and their pitcher was late and he got smoked. I think there should be a cage in the on-deck circle now, so on-deck guys could stand behind the screen and not get hurt. "And finally, even when I coached third base in the minor leagues, I always wore a cup. I was always concerned, so I think there needs to be a cup check as players run onto the field now, in order to prevent the potential for the loss of future families." The Maddon Plan could become the extension of The Buster Posey Rule and The Chase Utley Rule. "I'm on board with protectionism," Maddon said. "No more headfirst slides. Face masks, helmets, cage, cup check on a daily basis." -- Chicago Tribune Cubs limp home after 5-0 loss to Cardinals drops them below .500 By Mark Gonzales A 10-game homestand would appear to be a timely remedy for a Cubs team that has lost seven of its last nine games and has fallen below the .500 mark for the first time since April 18.

"The problem is we haven't done well at home," manager Joe Maddon said. Indeed, Jake Arrieta's latest setback is only part of the Cubs' growing woes after a 5-0 loss Sunday to the rival Cardinals dropped their record to 18-19. "I don't think there's any reason to panic," Arrieta said after allowing two-run home runs to Yadier Molina and Matt Carpenter. "The talent we have here will correct itself and start to turn itself around. "We'd like to win a few more games than we (have) and tighten things up, but guys are showing up ready to play and going about themselves the right way. We're just not getting the results we'd like." The Cubs, without Most Valuable Player Kris Bryant for the third consecutive game, managed only six runs in this series. They continued to get minimal production from the left side as Kyle Schwarber and Anthony Rizzo were a combined 3-for-34 on the six-game trip. Clutch hitting also has vanished, as a 1-for-14 performance in this series dropped the Cubs' average with runners in scoring position to a National League-low .214 despite the team having the most plate appearances (394) in this situation. Maddon said the hitters have "started doing better" using the entire field rather than trying to pull the ball with runners in scoring position. Much of their recent trouble can be attributed to various ailments to Ben Zobrist, Jon Jay, Bryant and others, leaving them with a young lineup that has tapered off dramatically after an impressive start. Maddon added that right fielder Jason Heyward might not come off the 10-day disabled list on Tuesday, giving youngsters Jeimer Candelario and Ian Happ a few more days to show they belong. After getting a hit in his first at-bat Tuesday, Candelario is hitless in his last 16 at-bats. Happ helped his cause by hitting a double and a single in his second game since being promoted from Triple-A Iowa. Sunday's loss snapped a streak of seven consecutive games in which the Cubs committed at least one error. But the pitching staff has been charged with a major-league-high 25 unearned runs, only 20 fewer than they allowed in 2016. The defense became moot once Arrieta allowed the home runs to Molina in the second and to Carpenter in the third, inflating his ERA to 5.44. A large part of the Cubs' ability to cruise to the 2016 NL Central title was based on a 57-24 home record. But they've started 7-9 at Wrigley, thanks to three-game sweeps by the Pirates and Yankees. "If we had just a decent home record right now, we'd be in pretty good shape," Maddon said. The Cubs will start a stretch of 16 consecutive games without a day off, providing them with a chance to find their rhythm after eight days off during the first 44 days of the calendar season. "It's that internal feeling you create where you start creating your own magic, things start going your way because you're playing the game well and properly daily," Maddon said. "And all of a sudden you have that belief that if it's tight late, you're going to win somehow. And that's who we are." -- Chicago Tribune No head-first slides? Cage in on-deck circle? Joe Maddon sarcastically proposes safety rules By Mark Gonzales

Manager Joe Maddon said he hasn't been contacted by Major League Baseball officials regarding his strong comments questioning a slide interference rule Saturday during the Cubs' 5-3 loss to St. Louis. But Maddon, continuing to seize the moment, sarcastically revealed some proposals to make baseball safer. "I think we should consider now eliminating the head-first slide to protect baserunners," Maddon deadpanned Sunday. "That is really a dangerous slide. To head-first slide you can hurt your hand, and your eye can be poked out. All different things can occur on a head-first slide. "I also believe, you saw (Chris) Iannetta get hit in the mouth the other day on a pitch. I think the facemask should be mandatory for all hitters, and pitchers have been hit in head with line drives several times. Pitchers should be forced now to wear helmets." Maddon was just getting started, adding that he recalled Charlie Blackmon of the Colorado Rockies getting nailed by a foul ball by pitcher German Marquez while in the on-deck circle on Wednesday. "There should be a cage in the on-deck circle so on-deck guys can stand behind the screen and not get hurt," Maddon said. "Finally, when I coached third in the minor leagues, I always wore a cup. I always was concerned. So I think there needs to be a cup check for players around the field in order to prevent the loss of future families." All these incidents are "much more dangerous than the slide incorporated at second base by Ian Happ (in which he was called out for interference). Not even close. "I’m on board with protectionism. Head-first slides? What’s more dangerous than that?" -- Chicago Tribune Jake Arrieta, Kyle Schwarber can't break out of their funks By Mark Gonzales Jake Arrieta threw his first 12 pitches for strikes Sunday and finished by throwing 60 of his 85 pitches. Kyle Schwarber ripped a line drive in his first at-bat and started a rally in the third with a walk. But that wasn't enough to shake them out of their struggles. Arrieta's two blemishes were a pair of two-run home runs allowed to Yadier Molina and Matt Carpenter that increased his home run total to eight — already half his total from 2016. "Right now it seems the mistakes I'm making, they're not fouling them off, taking or swinging and missing," Arrieta said after his ERA swelled to 5.44. "They're making pretty solid contact. I'm going to continue to be aggressive. I'd like to not make any mistakes, but the ones I'm making right now are being taken advantage of." Arrieta, whose fastball topped out at 93 mph, has allowed two home runs in a game three times, and he has allowed three runs or more in each of his last seven starts. Schwarber remained optimistic despite an 0-for-3 performance that dropped his batting average to .179. "I don't think the leadoff spot has really changed what's been going on," said Schwarber, who has a .313 on-base percentage. "I squared some balls and wasn't able to get a hit. It's part of the game. It's baseball. That's why it's a game of failure, and you have to learn from your mistakes and go with the good.

"It's a crazy game. It can put you in a great place. It can put you in a bad place. You just try to stay in the middle." Manager Joe Maddon reinforced his support of both players, saying he believed this was Arrieta's best performance of the season and that Schwarber was victimized by a shift that took away a hit in the sixth. Hot Happ: Ian Happ hit a double in his first at-bat Sunday, becoming the first Cubs player since Jorge Soler (Aug. 27-Sept. 1) to collect an extra-base hit in each of his first two games. Maddon also praised Happ's defense, as he shifted from right to center for the final two innings. "I think the misconception was this guy was just a bat," Maddon said. "He's got all the tools. He can steal a bag, runs well and is a switch hitter. "He always branded as a hitter, but he's more than that." -- Chicago Tribune Cubs' Jake Arrieta watches dominance over former TCU teammate Matt Carpenter end By Mark Gonzales Jake Arrieta never gloated over his dominance of his friend and former Texas Christian teammate Matt Carpenter. So Arrieta did give some credit after Carpenter snapped an 0-for-28 rut with nine strikeouts against him Sunday by smacking a two-run home run in the third inning of the Cubs’ 5-0 loss to the Cardinals at Busch Stadium. “I made a mistake middle away, and that’s what he was looking for,” Arrieta said. “It’s not the ideal first hit I’d like to give to him, but you got to give him a little credit.” Cubs manager Joe Maddon credited the Cardinals for putting on the hit-and-run play on a 1-0 count, with the likelihood Carpenter was going to get a pitch to hit against Arrieta with the knowledge of his past struggles. “I’m sure he’s been waiting to get off the schneid against me for a while, and he was able to do in a nice way for his club,” Arrieta said. “I wasn’t a huge fan of it, but that’s the way it goes. Hitters like that, regardless of the history, will make you pay for it.” Carpenter’s home run was his eighth of the season, and the home run was his first hit in the three-game series. -- Chicago Tribune Once part of Cubs' future, Matt Szczur thankful to get a chance elsewhere By Paul Sullivan Everyone seems to agree Matt Szczur is better off in San Diego, where he can play every day, than as a reserve with the Cubs. The 27-year-old outfielder did what he could with the limited playing time he was given in Chicago. He was considered a great teammate, never complained to management about his status and earned his championship ring, despite being left off the postseason roster. Now it's Szczur's time to prove what he can do, and the rebuilding Padres provide him with a chance he never would've gotten with the Cubs.

"I need to get an opportunity to play," Szczur said Saturday before White Sox-Padres game. "This just so happened to be the place for me." Szczur said Anthony Rizzo and other Cubs players texted him after his first-pitch home run against the Sox on Friday. He expects to stay in touch with most of them the rest of his career, and some will remain friends forever. "When you win a World Series with those guys, it's something you'll never forget," he said. Szczur joins Dexter Fowler, David Ross, Jason Hammel, Jorge Soler, Travis Wood, Aroldis Chapman and Chris Coghlan in the first wave of departures from the 2016 champs. They were all part of the dog pile on the infield at Progressive Field, and they'll always be linked by the experience, forever remembered in Chicago as part of that special group. Life goes on. The Cubs called up top prospect Ian Happ from Triple-A Iowa on Saturday, seemingly a significant upgrade from Szczur. With the Cubs stuck in neutral, they need all the help they can get, and manager Joe Maddon didn't give Szczur much playing time this season anyway, making his departure seem inevitable. It's strange to think now that Szczur and Brett Jackson, a first-round draft pick in 2009, were once considered two-thirds of the Cubs outfield of the future. That's how it was billed in the spring of 2012, the first year of President Theo Epstein's rebuild. "It's supposed to be the future," Szczur said that March. "Hopefully it is." The 2012 Cubs had a starting outfield of Alfonso Soriano (34), Marlon Byrd (35) and David DeJesus (32), with Reed Johnson (35) as the fourth outfielder. The Cubs would go on to lose 101 games to earn the No. 2 pick in the 2013 draft, select Kris Bryant the following June and changing the course of "the future." Jackson had a cup of coffee with the Cubs in 2012, but it turned out to be the truck-stop gas-station variety. He hit .175 in 44 games in a late-season call-up and quickly flamed out of the majors. Szczur made his Cubs debut in August of 2014 and played a small part on the 2015 playoff team before his first full season in '16. Albert Almora Jr. was selected for the postseason roster, so Szczur could only cheerlead and lend Rizzo his bat for good luck. If Szczur ever was going to get a shot with the Cubs, it would've been this year, after Fowler left for the Cardinals and Coghlan was left unsigned. But the Cubs signed Jon Jay to a one-year deal, leaving Szczur right back where he started. Szczur always kept a rock in his locker at Wrigley Field, a reminder of a parable — "the Stonecutter" — he learned from a priest while playing football at Villanova. After trying to break a stone by tapping it repeatedly, the stonecutter finally cracked it with a tap. It was a lesson in perseverance. The stonecutter realized the collective taps were what really did it, not the final one. "That reminds me every day, keep grinding," Szczur said in the spring. Interestingly, Szczur wound up with the Padres, whose mascot is a friar. The rock moves to San Diego, but the grind continues. Szczur was thankful to Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer for trading him to San Diego and appreciative of their honesty while dealing with him.

"It was tough for them too," Szczur said. "I've been there for seven years, and I really honestly, truly believe they respected the way I played and respected me as a clubhouse guy. "I'm sure it was hard for them. But at the end of the day, I think they knew that I needed to be somewhere else. I can't thank them enough because I think they could've found a way to keep me on the roster. I think they wanted me to have the opportunity to play." The journey, for Matt Szczur, is really just beginning. -- Chicago Tribune Eddie Butler, who won't pitch again until Friday, doesn't mind extra time between starts By Mark Gonzales The Cubs elected to keep left-hander Jon Lester on his normal schedule by adjusting their rotation so that he will make his next start Thursday against the Reds. That means that Eddie Butler, who threw six shutout innings in his Cubs' debut Friday against the Cardinals, won't pitch until this Friday against the Brewers at Wrigley Field. Butler possessed a fastball that clocked at 96 mph, but he doesn't mind using the extra time between starts to polish his secondary pitches. Specifically, Butler said he would like to have better command of his slider, which got "big" when he walked two in the first inning. "I need to keep it firm," said Butler, who admitted he was wlid enough to be effective. "When it gets big for me, that's when I start missing the strike zone." Based on his impressive start following a dominant stint at Triple-A Iowa, Butler is expected to receive a warm greeting when he takes the Wrigley Field mound for the first time in a Cubs uniform. But Butler isn't about to get caught in the hoopla. "It’s another game, the first one at Wrigley for the home team," Butler said. "And I'll go out there and attack guys, get guys to put the ball in play and rely on my defense." John Lackey will start Tuesday night's series opener against the Reds, followed by Kyle Hendricks on Wednesday. -- Chicago Sun-Times Struggling Kyle Schwarber (.179) still leading off, still ‘confident’ By Gordon Wittenmyer ST. LOUIS — Leadoff man Kyle Schwarber continues to struggle as the Cubs head home from a 2-4 road trip. But manager Joe Maddon still talked optimistically about the young lefty slugger. ‘‘I’ve seen a great swing and the ball fouled back,’’ Maddon said. ‘‘Like, straight back, meaning he’s just underneath the ball a little bit. It’s not like he’s slow or not on time; he is.’’ Schwarber has the lowest batting average (.179) among major-league leadoff hitters with at least 100 plate appearances, has one of the lowest on-base percentages (.313) and is hitless in his last 14 at-bats.

‘‘Obviously, it gets frustrating,’’ Schwarber said. ‘‘You feel like you put a good swing on the ball, and you’re just not getting the result. I’ve just got to keep going with the approach. I’m going to stay positive every day. I’m still going to be confident. I’m going to stay with my mindset.’’ Maddon said he doesn’t think the struggles are a carryover from Schwarber missing virtually all of last season with a knee injury or from too-high expectations coming off a celebrated World Series performance. ‘‘Everybody’s expecting the world out of him right now out of the chute,’’ Maddon said. ‘‘I can’t tell you that he’s pressing; I don’t know that. Talking to him, he seems to be fine. He’s grinding through a tough moment, but he’s really good, and I know it’s going to level out in our favor.’’ Heyward return delayed Maddon said right fielder Jason Heyward (jammed right index finger) likely won’t be ready to return from the disabled list Tuesday, as originally expected. Heyward is improving but has lingering discomfort in the finger while swinging the bat. This and that The Cubs are using their day off Monday to keep left-hander Jon Lester on his regular schedule, which means his next start will be Thursday against the Reds. Right-hander Eddie Butler, who made an impressive debut with the Cubs on Friday, will be pushed back to Saturday against the Brewers. • Shortstop Addison Russell (shoulder) returned to the lineup after missing three games and went 1-for-4. • Second baseman Ben Zobrist (back) and third baseman Kris Bryant (illness) were out of the lineup again but were available off the bench. -- Chicago Sun-Times Cubs prospect Ian Happ making himself look at home in the big leagues By Gordon Wittenmyer ST. LOUIS — Cubs prospect Ian Happ is in the major leagues only because of a sudden roster need. But after two games, Happ might have earned consideration to stick around longer than the need lasts. ‘‘If he keeps doing what he looked like, it’s hard to say that you don’t want him here longer,’’ manager Joe Maddon said. ‘‘There’s other ways to fit him in.’’ Happ, a switch-hitting infield/outfield hybrid, was called up Saturday from Class AAA Iowa because a series of minor injuries — and Kris Bryant’s stomach bug — sidelined a couple of lineup regulars. Happ, the No. 9 overall pick in the 2015 draft, started in right field and batted second in the last two games against the Cardinals. He hit a home run in his debut Saturday, then doubled and had an infield single Sunday. He also made a sliding catch in right for the first out of the third inning Sunday, then finished the game in center. ‘‘We know how good he is,’’ Maddon said. ‘‘We know what he means to our future. Go play and let us figure out the rest.’’ Barring another injury or sudden need, the Cubs’ next roster decision might come when right fielder Jason Heyward (jammed finger) is expected back from the disabled list in the middle or end of this week.

Happ’s versatility might work in his favor. Corner infielder Jeimer Candelario, who was called up as the 26th man for the Cubs’ doubleheader Tuesday against the Rockies and stuck when position guys began to ail, might be a more logical corresponding move for Heyward. After that, might Happ become the 2017 version of Albert Almora Jr., who made his big-league debut because of a roster emergency last summer and wound up on the World Series roster? ‘‘The team, roster-wise, is in a state of flux now based on different guys being banged up,’’ Maddon said. ‘‘All Ian has to worry about is to continue to do what he did in camp and what he did in Triple-A and let us make that decision.’’ -- Chicago Sun-Times Cubs drop series to Cardinals, head home with losing record, questions By Gordon Wittenmyer ST. LOUIS — Maybe the 10-game homestand that starts Tuesday is what the Cubs need. Maybe a few more hitters will get healthy and the weather will start to warm up the bats. Maybe the three scoreless innings at the end of right-hander Jake Arrieta’s start Sunday is a sign of what’s to come from the struggling starter. Maybe. The only thing for sure is that there are a lot more maybes than certainties about the potential of this Cubs season after a 5-0 loss Sunday to the Cardinals left them with a losing record and their fourth series loss in their last five. ‘‘We would obviously like to be playing better than we are right now,’’ said Arrieta, who allowed two-run home runs to Yadier Molina in the second and Matt Carpenter in the third. ‘‘I don’t think there’s any reason to panic. I think that the talent we have here will correct itself and start to turn itself around. ‘‘Yeah, we’d like to win a few more games than we are and tighten things up a little bit. But guys are showing up ready to play and going about themselves the right way. We’re just not necessarily getting the results we’d like.’’ Arrieta (4-3) said he had his best stuff of the season, and manager Joe Maddon said he noticed a return of some of Arrieta’s missing velocity on an 83-degree day. But Arrieta’s 91 to 93 mph fastball was still off his typical past velocity. And while he threw a lot of strikes, seven of them were struck for hits, including the seventh and eighth homers he has allowed this season. That’s already halfway to the total he yielded last season. ‘‘Some bad luck, some just mistakes that they’re taking advantage of,’’ he said of the homers. ‘‘Right now, it seems like the mistakes I’m making, they’re not fouling off or taking or swinging and missing; they’re making pretty solid contact. I’ll continue to be aggressive.’’ Arrieta, who’s ERA crept up to 5.44, is confident he’ll return to the kind of form that enabled him to win 18 games last season, plus two on the road in the World Series. Maddon sounded even more confident Arrieta soon will find himself on a lengthy run of success. ‘‘I don’t get off a bandwagon very easily,’’ Maddon said. ‘‘I really believe he’s going to be fine. I believe it’s just going to be almost like a snap of the fingers; everything’s going to fall back in place. Just something’s going to click, and he’s going to be back close to where he had been.

‘‘Velocity’s probably the biggest [thing]. When you start seeing that perk back up and seeing the called strikes and being able to pitch in the strike zone with misses, that’s when you’re going to see him really take off again.’’ For now, Arrieta will build off his 85-pitch effort and look to break out from a six-start stretch in which he has only one quality start. And the Cubs, who were without Kris Bryant (stomach bug), Ben Zobrist (back) and Jason Heyward (finger) in the lineup, will look to heal and rest on their day off Monday — and then try to get even healthier against the Reds, Brewers and Giants at home. The Cubs dropped below .500 for the first time since they were 6-7. They haven’t been more than one game below this season. ‘‘We’re all frustrated; nobody wants to suck,’’ left-hander Jon Lester said after losing Saturday. ‘‘But we’re grinding. We’re trying to figure out a way.’’ -- Chicago Sun-Times Cubs’ David Ross admits dancing is more frustrating than baseball By Miriam Di Nunzio “Do it big, do it right and do it with style.” — Fred Astaire David Ross may not have Fred Astaire’s penchant for elegance and style on the dance floor, but he sure knows a thing or two about doing it big and doing it right. And that applies to baseball and his gig on the hit ABC series “Dancing With the Stars.” The retired Chicago Cubs catcher and World Series champ finds himself one step closer to that show’s coveted mirrorball trophy Monday night when goes toe-to-toe in the semifinals against Olympic gymnast Simone Biles, Fifth Harmony singer Normani Kordei and NFL running back Rashad Jennings. His overall judges’ scores may not be in the same league as those of his three competitors and their pro partners, but Ross’ diehard Cubs Nation fans are not about to settle for anything but another championship from their beloved “Grandpa Rossy.” And neither is Ross. “I can’t believe how much fun I’m having, and the competition just blows my mind,” Ross says during a recent phone chat during rehearsal for Monday night’s live telecast. “Obviously, I’m not the best dancer in the group, but it’s just fun to be part of it. … And it shows how many people out there are voting for me, and it makes me feel the warm and fuzzies inside. I’m just so thankful. It just blows my mind.” Nothing prepared Ross for this new chapter in his life, he says, but that’s part of the challenge and the excitement of trying new things, even if it comes with a side order of frustration. The stress of six-hour rehearsals six days a week often gets to “DWTS” competitors, and the grind plays out on live television. There’s no hiding hurt feelings, disagreements with a coach or aching muscles. There’s no sitting out a week to rest up. “Baseball came naturally to me. It’s something I’ve been doing all my life,” the 40-year-old says. “This is so far outside my comfort zone. When you’re a professional athlete you pick up things pretty quick. But these [dance] steps are pretty frustrating all throughout the week. And you keep doing stuff over and over again and repeating those steps hoping you’ll get better. It’s extremely difficult and frustrating. … We’re learning two dances [a foxtrot to Michael Buble’s ‘You Make Me Feel So Young’ and a tango to Ed Sheeran’s ‘Castle on the Hill’], so it’s been six-and-a-half or seven-hour days, and it starts as soon as you’re done on Monday night; you’re right back [rehearsing] on Tuesday morning. And it’s all new choreography. It’s a lot of work physically, but you also learn a lot about yourself mentally.” It’s that mental frustration that’s unlike anything he’s encountered in baseball, Ross admits.

“In baseball, you make an error, or you strike out, or you’re having a bad game, and it’s short. I messed up here, I let a ball get by there or I called the wrong pitch, and it’s short, it’s over. This [dancing] is extremely frustrating because it’s failure over and over and over again. [Laughing] Judging from the back of my baseball card I’ve had a lot of failure in my day. … But mentally it beats you down some days, and some weeks are tougher than others. I also think the song choice has a lot to do with it. If you enjoy the song or there’s meaning behind it, it’s easier to work through it. There’s only been one or two weeks where I haven’t really loved the song or felt a connection to the dance. [He says his recent paso doble was the most difficult.] … The payoff is on Mondays when you’ve nailed the dance. It’s memories I’ll never forget, just great moments I’ll never take for granted.” Ross is riding high on a few other great moments in his life, including the release of his memoir, “Teammate: My Journey in Baseball and a World Series for the Ages,” and the launch of his breakfast cereal, Grandpa Rossy Crunch. (Seems like just yesterday the ultimate cereal connection for an athlete was the cover of a box of Wheaties.) “I feel like a kid, honestly,” Ross says with that familiar laugh. “When they asked me would I like to do a cereal, I was like, are you kidding? My own cereal? Who doesn’t want that? My kids can’t believe Dad’s on a cereal box.” So whose brand will sell more boxes, his or fellow teammate Anthony Rizzo’s, whose own breakfast cereal, RizzO’s, also hit Jewel-Osco shelves recently? “I’m pretty sure it will be just like our careers,” Ross says laughing. “It will be Rizzo’s. I love that guy. He’s been better than me at just about everything, so I hope he sells more.” -- Chicago Sun-Times I’m no Ronnie ‘Woo Woo’ fan, but Cubs’ treatment of fixture is dumb PR By Rick Morrissey I’ve never understood the Ronnie ‘‘Woo Woo’’ Wickers phenomenon. An adult puts on a full Cubs uniform, walks around Wrigley Field chanting about the team with regular ‘‘woos’’ thrown in and turns himself into a recognizable superfan around town for decades. OK, if you say so. But it really doesn’t matter what I think. Plenty of people think he’s wonderful — wonderful enough to want their photo taken with him, wonderful enough to yell out his name as he passes by on Chicago streets and wonderful enough to consider him part of the culture and fabric of the franchise. The Cubs ejected him from Wrigley on April 19 because they said he didn’t have a ticket to the game. Wickers’ friends said he did have a ticket, a digital version on someone else’s phone. The incident became big news last week after Sun-Times columnist Mary Mitchell wrote about it. The Cubs reacted to the Sun-Times’ front-page photo of Wickers on their Twitter account, which has 1.8 million followers: ‘‘@Suntimes Anyone else you want us to let in without a ticket?’’ But here’s the most important part of the story, the part the Cubs can’t seem to get through their corporate heads: It doesn’t matter whether Wickers had a ticket. To put it another way, are the Cubs completely out of their minds? You’re really going to go there? You’re drawing a line in the sand over this? How thick can you be, public relations-wise? It makes one wonder how far the Cubs would have been willing to go to get Wickers out of the ballpark. Would they have dragged him down an aisle, the United way?

Perhaps the Cubs have market research that shows that people don’t like Wickers and his act. Perhaps that emboldened them. But it can’t be worth the Free Ronnie ‘‘Woo Woo’’ pickets that are sure to pop up around Wrigley at upcoming games. It doesn’t matter how small the effort is. It will draw TV cameras and reporters, and it will look awful. I’m trying to understand the Cubs’ rationale for turning this into a crusade. It’s possible they want to control every bit of the entertainment at Wrigley. Maybe Clark the mascot is sulking over attention he thinks should be going his way. Or maybe, having finally won a World Series, the Cubs want to wipe out every last vestige of the losing culture that came before. I’ve been agitating for that for years. But not like this. The problem for the Cubs is that if Ronnie ‘‘Woo Woo’’ was a distraction, something should have been done about him a long time ago. They can blame past ownership groups for allowing the Wickers show to flourish, but this ownership group inherited him. It’s like letting someone pitch a tent on your property for 40 years. Somewhere along the line, you lose claim to that land — if not legally, then at least emotionally. In essence, Wickers has been grandfathered in, which makes sense because, at 75, he’s old enough to be a grandfather. The Cubs are portraying this as a fairness issue. Wickers couldn’t produce a ticket on command for the guest-services staff, so security escorted him out of the ballpark. If everybody else has to plunk down good money for a ticket, so should Ronnie ‘‘Woo Woo,’’ the team argues. More likely, the Cubs are embarrassed by the idea of him. He doesn’t fit the sleek, winning, cutting-edge image they’re selling these days. They want to build hotels and raze those things that don’t bring in money. Again, I understand the puzzlement over Wickers’ celebrity. I can’t explain how it happened or what fans see in him. It’s probably the same instinct that attracts them to David Ross, a former backup catcher who is hugely popular in retirement for no apparent reason. But at least he played two whole seasons on the North Side. If you’re the Cubs, you just go with it. It’s the easiest thing in the world to do. You can smile at Ronnie ‘‘Woo Woo’’ when you see him or roll your eyes at him. However you react, though, it’s important to understand that he’s gone a moment later, off to the next group of fans, a ‘‘woo’’ or two still hanging in the air. This really does come down to what I mentioned before, and it’s something the Cubs need to think about: Is it really worth it to get your back up over a former homeless guy who likes to don a Cubs uniform, get attention and make people happy? Do the right thing and let it go, Tom Ricketts. There are bigger things to worry about. Such as the Cardinals. -- Chicago Sun-Times Cup-check time: Joe Maddon is full of ideas to increase player safety By Steve Greenberg ST. LOUIS — Cubs manager Joe Maddon opined Sunday that Major League Baseball should institute a mandatory protective cup rule, and that old-fashioned cup checks should be performed before players take their positions. Many of you will remember cup checks from your little-league days. Knock, knock. Anybody home? “Even when I coached third base in the minor leagues,” Maddon said, “I always wore a cup. I was always concerned. So I think there needs to be a cup check as players run onto the field now in order to prevent the potential for the loss of future families.”

Was this serious jock-strap talk or simple jocularity? It was closer to the latter, though with at least one spoonful of bitterness stirred in a day after the Cubs’ Ian Happ was called for slide interference, costing the team a run and wiping out a rally in a game eventually won by the Cardinals 5-3. After that defeat, Maddon said a culture of “protectionism” has gone too far when it comes to rules modifications regarding slides at second base on potential double plays and the positioning of catchers when baserunners are trying to score. Roughly 17 hours later, before the Cubs fell 5-0 in the rubber game of the series — dropping a game under .500 on the season — Maddon sarcastically suggested other new rules the league might want to take under advisement. “I think we should now consider eliminating the headfirst slide to protect baserunners,” he said, “because that is really a dangerous slide. It is. To headfirst slide, you can hurt your hand. Your eye can be poked out. All kinds of different things could occur on a headfirst slide.” Making reference to Diamondbacks catcher Chris Iannetta, who suffered broken teeth and facial fractures Friday when hit by a pitch, Maddon went all-in. “I think the facemask should be mandatory for all hitters,” he said. “And pitchers have been hit in the head with line drives several times, line drives up the middle. So I think pitchers now should be forced to wear helmets.” Is that all? Nope — certainly not after last week in Denver, when Rockies center fielder Charlie Blackmon was hit in the butt by a foul ball as he stood in the on-deck circle during a game against the Cubs. “He got smoked,” Maddon said. “I think there should be a cage in the on-deck circle now so on-deck guys can stand behind the screen and not get hurt.” In case you didn’t get all that, Maddon provided a recap. “So, no more headfirst slides, facemasks, helmets, cage, cup check on a daily basis.” Now those are some safety precautions. What other “pansy” stuff, to use Jon Lester’s word, might Maddon approve of? Airbags in the outfield walls? Speed limits on fastballs? Juice boxes and orange slices after every inning? “I’m all about protectionism,” he said, tongue planted firmly in cheek. “I’m starting to think like everybody else.” -- Daily Herald Chicago Cubs shuffle rotation a bit By Bruce Miles ST. LOUIS -- The Chicago Cubs have done a slight shuffle of their starting rotation for the upcoming home series against the Cincinnati Reds. Lefty ace Jon Lester has been moved up to Thursday's series finale, with Eddie Butler moving back to Friday's opener against the Milwaukee Brewers at Wrigley Field. "Jon's throwing the ball so well," manager Joe Maddon said Sunday. "We've been trying to get these guys back on some regularity. The days off have helped. For the most part, I thought we've been able to utilize them in the

method that we've matched up well with the opposition. With Eddie, we feel really good about what he did. We're just flip-flopping the days." Butler pitched 6 scoreless innings Friday in his Cubs debut. The Cubs are off Monday. They will send John Lackey, Kyle Hendricks and Lester against the Reds Tuesday-Thursday, respectively. The Reds will counter with Bronson Arroyo, Scott Feldman and Lisalverto Bonilla. Injury and illness updates: Joe Maddon said outfielder Jason Heyward probably won't come off the disabled list Tuesday, when he is eligible to do so. Heyward has been on the 10-day DL with a sprained right finger, an injury he sustained May 5 while diving for a ball in a game against the New York Yankees. "He's getting better," Maddon said. "We don't know the exact date, but I'm betting not Tuesday. But not far off." Kris Bryant did not start Sunday as he continued to recover from a stomach bug that bit him right before Friday night's series opener against the Cardinals. "KB was better, but 80 degrees, coming off the issues he's had, dehydration being a problem, I did not want to push it," Maddon said. "So it was more me talking to him as anything." Maddon added after Sunday's 5-0 loss to the Cardinals that he's feeling "much more strongly" about Bryant playing Tuesday. Mother's Day doings: Joe Maddon said he took good care of his mother, Beanie, for Mother's Day. "All her gifts have arrived," Maddon said. "The owls have arrived. I bought her, literally, 25 different Amazon packages with some sort of an owl gift. She collects owls. Twenty-five separate packages, like for instance, an owl table fan, owl shot glasses, owl wineglasses, owl scarves, owl socks, owl neon signs, owl everything." There was one more gift. "I got her a Fibit," he said. "I thought it was time for Beanie to have a Fit Bit, when she works out, going up and down the steps, doing the laundry." -- Daily Herald Arrieta's ERA rises as Cubs lose to Cardinals By Bruce Miles ST. LOUIS -- The numbers aren't getting any better for Jake Arrieta and the Chicago Cubs. Arrieta's ERA rose from 5.35 to 5.44 Sunday, and the Cubs' record fell to 18-19 with a sleepy 5-0 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. The game was played in front of 47,925 fans. For the second straight day, a Cubs-Cardinals game set an attendance record at this ballpark. The Cubs and Arrieta keep insisting that the numbers will start trending in the right direction. Of Arrieta's 8 starts this season, only 3 have been quality starts.

Two years ago, Arrieta won the Cy Young Award with a record of 22-6 and an ERA of 1.77. His second half was one for the history books. Although he was not as dominant last year, Arrieta still managed a record of 18-8 with an ERA of 3.10. In Sunday's game, he worked 6 innings, giving up 7 hits and 4 runs. Yadier Molina tagged him for a 2-run homer in the second inning after Jedd Gyorko led off with a single. Matt Carpenter added a 2-run shot in the third. Control wasn't an issue, as Arrieta threw only 85 pitches while walking one and striking out five. But the Cubs still are waiting for Arrieta's velocity to rise from the low-90s (mph). "It was actually pretty good," he said of his day overall. "Probably some of the best stuff I've featured this year. Pretty good command. Just a couple of mistakes I made were capitalized on by those guys for a couple of 2-run homers." It may seem like hoping against hope, but manager Joe Maddon keeps sounding an optimistic note about Arrieta eventually looking like his old self. "It would be great to have that occur," Maddon said. "He's shown flashes of that, I think, this year, also. I have so much faith and confidence in him and his methods and just him. "You're pretty aware that I don't get caught up off the bandwagon very easily. I really believe he's going to be fine. I believe it's going to be almost like a snap of the fingers, everything's going to fall back into place, and you're going to see this slow method of better, better, better, great." Maddon agreed with his pitcher about Sunday. "I thought Jake was outstanding," he said. "I thought he had his best stuff all year. They hit 2 home runs. Give them credit for that. But otherwise, the swings and misses, the pitches in the zones, the takes on their part, I thought he was outstanding." A return to 2015 form is almost too much to ask for, and Maddon knows that. "I think all of a sudden you're going to see something's going to click and he's going to be back close to where he had been," the manager said. "It's hard to be where he had been when he won the (Cy Young) award. I'm not expecting that but more like we had seen last year, more consistency in the velocity. "Velocity is probably the biggest. When you start seeing that perk back up and the called strikes and being able to pitch in the strike zone with misses, that's when you're going to see him really take off." On the offensive side of the ball Sunday, the Cubs were manhandled by veteran Adam Wainwright, who pitched 7 innings of 4-hit ball. "We'd like to win a few more games and tighten things up a little bit, but guys are showing up ready to play and going about themselves the right way," Arrieta said. "We're just not necessarily getting the results we'd like. -- Daily Herald Maddon 'proposes' new baseball safety rules By Bruce Miles ST. LOUIS -- In the interest of baseball safety, Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon said he wants to help. So on Sunday, Maddon came up with a number of new proposals to make the game safer.

Maddon's public-service announcement came one day after he gave a controlled, but firm, speech complaining about Major League Baseball's "slide rule." The Cubs were cost a run in Saturday's 5-3 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals when baserunner Ian Happ was called for oversliding second base (ever so slightly). The play resulted in an automatic double play, with batter Anthony Rizzo being ruled out at first base, as well. So Maddon slept on it. "I have some other additions to it, though," he said. "I had to think about it some more. I thought of other ways for protectionism. I think we should consider now eliminating the headfirst slide. This is to protect baserunners because that is really a dangerous slide. To headfirst slide, you're going to hurt your hand. Your eye could be poked out. All different things could occur on the headfirst slide." Maddon was just getting warmed up. "You saw (the Diamondbacks' Chris) Iannetta get hit in the mouth the other day on the pitch. I think the face mask should be mandatory for all hitters. Pitchers have been hit in the head with line drive several times, line drives up the middle. So I think pitchers should now be forced to wear helmets. "The other day we were in Colorado, and (Charlie) Blackmon was in the on-deck circle. Their pitcher was late (on the swing) and he (Blackmon) got smoked. I think there should be a cage in the on-deck circle now so that on-deck guys can stand behind the screen and not get hurt. "And finally, even when I coached third base in the minor leagues, I always wore a (protective) cup. I was always concerned. So I think there needs to be a cup-check as players run out onto the field in order to prevent the potential for the loss of future families." When it was pointed out to Maddon that there are helmets for pitchers, he replied: "They're there. Why are not we using them every day? It's much more dangerous than the slide that was incorporated at second base by Ian Happ, much more dangerous, not even close." Maddon said he has "not yet" heard from MLB's Joe Torre about Saturday's comments. That may change Monday. -- Daily Herald Imrem: No surprise this year isn't last year for Chicago Cubs By Mike Imrem Those sirens blaring in the background represent concern over the Chicago Cubs. Yes, even though the champagne is barely dry and the confetti barely swept. Actually, maybe precisely because the champagne is barely dry and the confetti barely swept. If anything is funny about the Cubs' current slump, it's that some people are suggesting that it's too early to panic. These are the Cubs, the Cubs are a Chicago sports team, and it's never too early to panic over a Chicago sports team. Never mind that the Cubs are more talented than any team in major-league baseball.

Alarms still are blaring. It's only natural even though last year the Cubs won their first World Series championship since 1908. One season doesn't erase the scars of 108 years of sustained frustration. There's always the fear that the Cubs won't win another title until 2124. Look, I'm willing to admit that I was just a little off in my projection for the Cubs this season. Not wrong. Just a little off. I predicted the Cubs would finish the regular season with a 125-37 record. Still could. All the Cubs would have to do is go 107-18 over their final 125 games. Do the math -- please don't trust me to -- and it seems the Cubs are under .500 today at 18-19. How embarrassing it must be to be at the same number in relation to par as the White Sox, who aren't even trying to win this year. The Cubs haven't been under .500 this late since the middle of 2015. They were 27-10 after 37 games in 2016. They weren't out of first place after April 9 last year. Welcome to 2017, fellas. The Cubs began this season as odds-on favorites to not only win the NL Central, but the entire NL and the World Series. The oddsmakers still might be proved correct, but it's already clear that this season isn't last season. All we have to do to realize the difference is glance at the injured list. Over the weekend the Cubs lost two of three games at St. Louis -- including 5-0 Sunday -- with key players ailing. Kris Bryant, Jason Heyward, Jon Jay, Addison Russell and Ben Zobrist all missed some time during the series. Other than Kyle Schwarber missing all but two games of 2016's regular season, very few of his teammates missed much time due to injury. (Schwarber returned to have a terrific World Series and was supposed to build on that but is hitting .179.) Injuries and illnesses are just a few examples of how current seasons are almost always different from previous seasons. Another is the competition in the NL Central. This year those dreaded Cardinals appear to be those dreaded Cardinals again. The Cards are playing with a similar joyful swagger that the Cubs demonstrated last year. One reason given for not panicking is the division isn't any good, but St. Louis is indicating it's always risky to depend on the generosity of others. Logic still says the Cubs will prevail because they're better than the rest of the league.

That's what the backs of their baseball cards say, anyway. The problem is the backs of baseball cards can lie. As of today, Anthony Rizzo is batting .213, Addison Russell .226 and Javier Baez .236, while Jake Arrieta's earned-run average is 5.44. Too early to panic? Sorry, no, not with those sirens blaring. -- Cubs.com Homers aside, Arrieta's start draws praise By Carrie Muskat ST. LOUIS -- Sunday was Jake Arrieta's best game of the season, and he still lost. The Cubs' right-hander served up a pair of two-run homers, including one to his best friend and former TCU teammate, Matt Carpenter, and took the loss in the Cubs' 5-0 defeat to the Cardinals. "If you look at the percentage of strikes to balls and where the location was and repetition of his delivery, he was never in any trouble," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "They just hit two homers." Arrieta's first 12 pitches were strikes, and he only needed seven to retire the side in the first inning. Yadier Molina hit a two-run homer in the second, and Carpenter belted another in the third. Carpenter's blast ended an 0-for-28 regular-season stretch against Arrieta. "He's a really good hitter," Arrieta said of Carpenter. "I made a mistake, middle away, and it's kind of what he's looking for. It's not the ideal first hit I'd like to give up to him, but you've got to give him a little credit there." There may be some razzing when the two get together again. "I'm sure he's been waiting to get off the schneid against me for awhile," Arrieta said. "You make a mistake, and every now and again, they'll make you pay for it." In Arrieta's first outing of the season on April 4, he threw six scoreless innings against the Cardinals at Busch Stadium. Since then, he's given up 27 earned runs over 38 2/3 innings in seven starts, resulting in a 6.28 ERA (he has a 5.44 ERA overall). "I believe he's going to be fine," Maddon said of the right-hander, who won the National League Cy Young Award in 2015. "I believe it's going to be like a snap of the fingers and everything will fall back into place." Maddon doesn't need to see the 2015 Arrieta, but he was looking for an uptick in velocity. "That's when you'll see him take off again," Maddon said. On Sunday, Maddon was OK with what the stadium radar gun indicated, with Arrieta's fastball registering at 92, 93 mph. "By far, for me, his best performance of the year," Maddon said. "It was probably some of the best stuff I've featured this year, good command," Arrieta said. "There were just a couple mistakes that I made that were capitalized by those guys for a couple two-run homers." --

Cubs.com Cubs shut out on 4 hits, drop set, below .500 By Jenifer Langosch and Carrie Muskat ST. LOUIS -- The Cardinals turned a marquee May matchup against the reigning World Series champs into a statement series at Busch Stadium. For those who may have assumed the Cubs would coast to another division title this season, the Cardinals asserted their intentions to stick around as contenders. With a 5-0 win over Chicago on Sunday, St. Louis claimed the series victory and retained its spot atop the National League Central. The Cubs, who fell below .500 with their seventh loss in nine games, sit 3 1/2 games back. "Any time you play a team that you think is going to be in it all the way through the end, and you can win a series, it's big," said Cardinals first baseman Matt Carpenter. "Whether it's April, May or September, you want to win all these series. They're going to be crucial. Every one of them, I think, is going to come down to a swing game like this. I'd be very surprised if anybody sweeps anybody going forward." In front of another sellout crowd, again divided in red and blue, the Cardinals prolonged Jake Arrieta's woes by crushing a pair of two-run homers off the right-hander. Yadier Molina went first, blasting a first-pitch fastball into the left-field seats in the second for the first of his two home runs on the day. An inning later, Carpenter finally got the better of his former Texas Christian University teammate and connected for his eighth home run of the year. "It's not the ideal first hit I'd like to give up to him," Arrieta said, "but you've got to give him a little credit there." Arrieta, who entered the day with a career 1.71 ERA against the Cardinals, saw his season ERA creep up to 5.44. In 44 2/3 innings this year, he's allowed eight homers -- half of his 2016 total. "If you look at the percentage of strikes to balls and where the location was and repetition of his delivery, he was never in any trouble," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said of Arrieta. "They just hit two homers." Adam Wainwright, on the other hand, put in his best performance of the season. He did not allow a run for the first time since July 2016, and pitched a season-most seven innings. Once he worked around two baserunners in a 21-pitch first inning, Wainwright had relatively little trouble limiting a Cubs offense that was again without Kris Bryant and Ben Zobrist. Wainwright was aided by a pair of double plays. "When you have a packed house, an over-packed house, last night and all the life today, you can't help but get sucked into that," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. "To see him go out there and throw seven and make the pitches when he needed to -- he had a good fastball today, his curveball was terrific -- it was just a great shot in the arm for our club, and, I think, for our fans." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Long overdue: A teammate of his at TCU and a groomsmen in his wedding, Arrieta had also been a nemesis to Carpenter before Sunday. Including his first-inning groundout, Carpenter was 0-for-28 in the regular season against his longtime friend before connecting for a two-run homer that put the Cardinals ahead by four. It was no cheap shot, either. According to Statcast™, Carpenter's home run traveled 414 feet after coming off his bat with an exit velocity of 105.7 mph. "I'm sure he's got the utmost confidence when he's facing me because he's had so much success," Carpenter said. "I just got in a good spot with a runner on first base, got a pitch elevated and was able to put a good swing on it." Sweet swing: Using a pink bat on Mother's Day, Molina connected for the third multihomer game of his career and first since 2011. Molina, who had five singles in 27 career at-bats versus Arrieta, took him a Statcast-estimated 410 feet deep in the second inning. He then hit an eighth-inning solo shot off reliever Brian Duensing that traveled 412 feet. Afterward, he pointed in the stands to his mother and wife, both of whom were in attendance. "It's special day," Molina said. "Any time you have your family here, your mom is here, she got the opportunity to see that. That's good."

The home runs pushed Molina's career hit total against the Cubs to 191, second only to Albert Pujols (196) among active players. QUOTABLE "It's one of the greatest rivalries in sports. Any time we beat the Cubs, especially at home, we love beating them at home here. Their fans show up in droves here. When I looked out in the bleachers early, I almost thought I was at Wrigley [Field], there were so many Cubs fans out there. They're proud of their team. They love their team. They follow them well. It was big for us to win." -- Wainwright, whose 14 career wins versus the Cubs are tied for most among active pitchers "We would obviously like to be playing better than we are right now. I don't think there's any reason to panic. The talent we have here will correct itself and start to turn itself around. We'd like to win a few more games than we are and tighten things up a little bit, but guys are showing up ready to play and going about things the right way. We're just not getting the results we'd like." -- Arrieta, on Cubs' slow start SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS The Cubs' visit to St. Louis became the most-attended three-game series in Busch Stadium III history, with a total attendance of 143,408. That included an announced attendance on Sunday of 47,925, which established a new single-game record at the ballpark. UPON FURTHER REVIEW With the help of replay, the Cardinals turned a nifty double play to help Wainwright through the fourth inning. Carpenter fielded Miguel Montero's sharp grounder, threw to second for the first out, and then watched as Wainwright scrambled to cover first for the double-play try. Wainwright's foot wasn't on the base when he took the throw from shortstop Aledmys Diaz, but Montero missed the bag entirely as he tried to lunge past Wainwright. Montero was initially called safe, but that was overturned after a 68-second review. With two outs in the Cardinals' sixth, Randal Grichuk lined a ball down the left-field line and was credited with a double. Left fielder Kyle Schwarber did throw to second baseman Javier Baez, who made a swipe tag. The Cubs challenged the ruling, saying Baez made the tag in time, and after a review, the call stood. WHAT'S NEXT Cubs: John Lackey will open a 10-game homestand on Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. ET against the Reds at Wrigley Field. It'll be a rematch of an April 23 game between Lackey and 40-year-old Bronson Arroyo. The Reds won that game, 7-5. Kris Bryant is expected back in the lineup after not starting three straight games because of a stomach virus. Cardinals: After an off-day on Monday, the Cardinals will continue their homestand with a two-game series against the Red Sox. This will be Boston's second visit to Busch Stadium since the two teams met in the 2013 World Series. Lance Lynn, one of 10 players on that World Series roster still with the Cardinals, will start Tuesday's series opener against Eduardo Rodriguez. First pitch is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. CT. -- Cubs.com Maddon offers 'protectionism' suggestions By Carrie Muskat ST. LOUIS -- After the Cubs were charged with a double play on Saturday because Ian Happ overslid second base, manager Joe Maddon expressed his outrage at Rule 6.01(j), which requires the baserunner to remain on the base. The rule was designed to protect the infielders, but Maddon said it should be eliminated.

On Sunday, Maddon had a few more tongue-in-cheek suggestions regarding "protectionism." "I think we should consider eliminating the headfirst slide to protect baserunners," Maddon said. "That is a really dangerous slide. A headfirst slide, you hurt your hand, your eye could be poked out. "You saw [Chris] Ianetta get hit in the mouth the other day. I believe the face mask should be mandatory for all hitters. Pitchers have been hit by line drives several times. I think pitchers should now be forced to wear helmets." That's not all. When the Cubs were in Colorado, Charlie Blackmon was hit by a foul ball while in the on-deck circle. "I think there should be a cage in the on-deck circle so guys can stand behind the screen and not get hurt," Maddon said. "And finally, even when I coached third base in the Minor Leagues, I always wore a cup. I was always concerned. I think there needs to be a cup check to prevent the potential for the loss of future families." Hopefully Major League Baseball officials can pick up Maddon's sarcastic tone. • Kris Bryant was feeling better, but Maddon kept the third baseman out of the starting lineup on Sunday for a third straight day. Bryant has been batting the stomach flu. "[It's] 80 degrees, coming off the issues he's had, dehydration being a problem, I did not want to push it," Maddon said. Neither Ben Zobrist or Jon Jay started on Sunday; both have back issues. Albert Almora Jr. got the nod in center, with Happ starting again in right and Javier Baez at second. Shortstop Addison Russell did return to the lineup after being sidelined with a sore right shoulder. • Entering Sunday, the Cubs were last in the National League in hitting with runners in scoring position, but they were tied with the Reds for the most plate appearances with runners in scoring position. "We are hitting young right now," Maddon said. "The lineup is relatively young, or actually very young. I don't know if it's pitchers taking advantage of our youthful aggressiveness. "That part of the game, the runs in scoring position, need to come from the middle, opposite field more. It can't just be a pull, ground ball to third, ground ball to short, popup, try to do too much. Let's utilize the whole field. We're working on getting that back into their mindsets now. I do believe RBIs tend to be in the middle of the field more than the pull side." • Maddon did try to call his mother, Beanie, on Sunday, but missed her. He did send several Mother's Day gifts -- 25 different packages, which all contained an owl gift. For instance, he sent her an owl table fan, owl shot glasses, owl wine glasses, owl socks, an owl neon sign, owl everything. And, Maddon got Beanie a Fitbit to chart her steps when she's walking to the Third Base Luncheonette in Hazleton, Pa. -- Cubs.com Lackey, Cubs hope to thrive back at home By Carrie Muskat The Cubs need to feel more at home at Wrigley Field, and they'll have a chance to do that starting Tuesday when they open a 10-game homestand. First up, the Reds, who are in contention in the National League Central, led by Joey Votto, who ranks among the league leaders in home runs and RBIs. Chicago is batting .233 at Wrigley and has a 7-9 record and a 4.13 ERA in 16 home games, while the club has a winning mark away from the Friendly Confines.

"We've done well on the road," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "The problem is we haven't done well at home. If we'd had a decent home record right now, we'd be in a pretty good shape. "We do need to get back on track at Wrigley. That's been the anchor, playing at Wrigley. It's that internal feeling that you create, when you start creating your own magic, things start going your way because you're playing the game well and properly daily. You get that belief if it's tight late, you're going to win it somehow. That's who we are." John Lackey and Bronson Arroyo will open the Cubs-Reds series in a rematch from an April 23 game in Cincinnati, which the Reds won, 7-5. Lackey, 38, and Arroyo, 40, have each pitched in more than 400 games, played at least 15 seasons and totaled more than 2,400 innings. Lackey has more strikeouts (2,191) than Arroyo (1,551). Last season, the Cubs went 15-4 against the Reds, and they took two out of three at Great American Ball Park last month. Cincinnati lost the last three games of a four-game set in San Francisco and scored three runs or fewer in each. Things to know about this game • Votto has a .317 career batting average at Wrigley Field, with 13 home runs, 29 doubles and 48 RBIs in 78 games. • The Cubs tweaked their rotation and put Jon Lester ahead of Eddie Butler to start Thursday, so Lester can stay on regular rest. Butler will open Chicago's series on Friday against the Brewers. • Although he's been struggling, Kyle Schwarber will remain as the Cubs' leadoff man. Maddon said Schwarber is just missing his pitches and hasn't changed his approach now that he's the leadoff batter. "What he did in the World Series is kind of unusual," Maddon said of Schwarber's comeback from two torn ligaments in his left knee to be the designated hitter in the World Series. "We all have so much faith in him and we all know how good he is. Everyone's expecting the world out of him right now. I can't tell you he's pressing. I don't know that. Talking to him, he seems to be fine. He's going through a tough moment, but he's really good. It's one of those things we have to ride." --