Joe Maddon has funny quip about Cubs’ early-season struggles

The Chicago Cubs set the bar high for themselves last season by winning their first World Series title in 108 years, but manager Joe Maddon isn’t sweating the fact that they haven’t quite lived up to it yet this year.

After the Cubs were swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers over the weekend to fall to 25-24 on the season, Maddon managed to maintain a joking demeanor.

“Please, go ahead and freak out,” said the three-time Manager of the Year, per Jesse Rogers of ESPN. “If you want to freak out, freak out.”

Even hovering around .500 at the moment, the Cubs are still only 1.5 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers for the NL Central division lead. There has definitely seemed to be a post-championship hangover element in play with them, and it may be more of a testament to the ridiculous pace they were on in the regular season last year (sitting at 35-14 through their first 49 games).

The Cubs are still a top-10 team in ERA (per ESPN) with a good run differential, so Maddon, who has never been one to listen to outside noise, does not, to this point, appear to be at all misguided in his nonchalance.