The Chicago Cubs face the possibility of missing the playoffs as they continue to flounder toward the finish line. That has left manager Joe Maddon doing everything he can to try to right the ship.
On Friday, Maddon delivered his latest assessment: the Cubs have been tight lately, and he’s trying to address it.
Joe Maddon said his guys were playing tight recently and has taken steps to infiltrate and combat that situation without personally taking on the group .
— Bruce Levine (@MLBBruceLevine) September 13, 2019
The Cubs had lost five of their last six before salvaging Thursday’s game against the San Diego Padres. That left them tied with the Milwaukee Brewers for the second wild card spot. Though the Brewers lost Christian Yelich for the season, they do have the easier schedule down the stretch.
There’s even more to it, though. Maddon is currently a lame duck manager with no contract for next season. Though he had hoped to get a new one, it’s hard to see that happening if the Cubs miss the playoffs given the expectations they had for the season. Maddon may well be managing for his job down the stretch.
