October 4, 2016 Cubs vets carry on tradition, help youngsters Russell's all-around play key to Cubs' fortunes

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1 October 4, 2016 Cubs.com, Cubs vets carry on tradition, help youngsters Cubs.com, Russell's all-around play key to Cubs' fortunes Cubs.com, Who should Cubs root for in Wild Card Game? Cubs.com, Near flawless Sept. nets Lester Pitcher of Month ESPNChicago.com, Cubs get later start times for Games 1 and 2, umpire crew assigned as well umpire-crew-assigned-as-well CSNChicago.com, Joe Maddon s Message To Cubs Before Playoff Pressure Turns Up CSNChicago.com, Why Giants Pose Bigger Wild-Card Threat For Cubs Chicago Tribune, How Cubs pulled off season-changing surprise: Bringing back Dexter Fowler story.html Chicago Tribune, Jake Arrieta: Playoff target on Cubs isn't as large as others see it story.html Chicago Tribune, Cubs to open playoffs with 2 night games Chicago Tribune, Cubs World Series could be ratings and revenue home run for Fox Sports Chicago Tribune, Travis Wood delivers for Cubs, on mound and even in outfield story.html Chicago Tribune, John Lackey's playoff experience perfect fit for Cubs' playoff run Chicago Sun-Times, Remember me? Schwarber still big part of Cubs 2016 playoff team Chicago Sun-Times, They go, Cubs go: Fowler, rotation starts of big things in

2 Chicago Sun-Times, Stats show that Cubs excelled in all phases Daily Herald, Kasper: Why Cubs players don't feel all the weight fans carry Daily Herald, Otto: For the Chicago Cubs, now comes the hard part Daily Herald, 6 moments that mattered for Chicago Cubs this season Daily Herald, Chicago Cubs to open NLDS with 2 night games Cubs.com Cubs vets carry on tradition, help youngsters By Carrie Muskat CHICAGO When Dave Martinez was called up to the Cubs in 1986 at the age of 21, he bought a suit. It was the first one he'd ever owned. "One day, I put my hand in the sleeves, and the sleeves ripped out," Martinez said. "[The other Cubs] were like, 'Oh, man, you bought a cheap suit.' Then they started laughing, and I realized what they did. The next trip, I had two brand new suits in my locker." To this day, Martinez, 52, does not know who pranked him and cut the sleeves or who bought his new clothes. He assumes it was one of the Cubs veterans, either Rick Sutcliffe, Jody Davis or Keith Moreland. The veterans on the current Cubs team, which begins the Natonal League Division Series vs. the Wild Card Game winner on Friday (FS1, 9 p.m. ET/8 CT), have adhered to the old-school tradition of taking care of the younger players, and that is one of the reasons this year's team is so close. Albert Almora Jr. remembers being at a high-end clothing store at the same time veteran Dexter Fowler was, and the rookie picked out a wallet. Fowler surprised Almora by paying for it. "He took it from me and said, 'I got you. Welcome to the big leagues,'" Almora said. "It was really cool." Jake Arrieta, Miguel Montero and Jason Heyward each took Almora to dinner to get to know him. "It started with Heyward in Spring Training, when he took me out to eat with some of the Miami boys," Almora said. "It was a great experience. This team has been phenomenal." Veteran John Lackey gave Matt Szczur a watch for giving up No. 41 to the right-hander after the pitcher signed with the Cubs. Every time Szczur has gone to eat with one of the older players, they pick up the tab. Fowler helped update Szczur's wardrobe, too. "Last year, [Fowler] told me he was going to take me shopping," Szczur said. "This year, he said, 'I'm going to take you shopping in San Francisco,' but that's when I was on the [disabled list]. He said, 'You know where we're staying in Oakland, right?' I said, 'No.' He said, 'San Francisco.' I said, 'I guess you're taking me shopping,' and he smiled. He had it set up. "These guys are awesome. They take care of you. Honestly, everybody on the team has gotten me something, not just Dex. It's a good position to be in."

3 That camaraderie was evident during the Cubs' annual rookie dress-up trip. Last Thursday in Pittsburgh, the rookies had to wear cheerleader outfits, but the rest of the players joined in the fun by wearing football jerseys. Manager Joe Maddon credits the veteran players for helping the youngsters this season. "These guys are really responsible for how good that [clubhouse] is," Maddon said. "I am not responsible for any of that. There's a tremendous balance, and that goes to [Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein] and [general manager Jed Hoyer] and their awareness in bringing together not just guys with sabermetrically good numbers, but guys that really know how to interact with other human beings." When the players go out to lunch, they don't talk about where they should position themselves defensively against the Pirates' Andrew McCutchen or what to look for against the Giants' Madison Bumgarner. "They want you to be part of the family," Szczur said. "You go bond with other things than baseball, and I think that's the point of it. It's not just to be a teammate, but be a friend outside the game. I feel that's a big reason why they do it." When Heyward was called up to the Braves in 2010, players like David Ross, Eric Hinske, Martin Prado and Chipper Jones took care of him. It's one of the reasons Heyward treated Ross to a suite on the road this season in the veteran catcher's final year the young outfielder wanted to pay him back. "These are people who have been there and done it and understand that's the old-fashioned part of this game," Heyward said. "It's getting lost and kind of sad to see. It's awesome to be able to help or lend experience, comfort, anything like that and pass along, not even the torch, but hospitality of becoming part of the fraternity." Watching the Marlins react to Jose Fernandez's death reinforced the family aspect of teams. Heyward recognized that. "The way I look at it, the better I know my teammates, the better I'm going to be pushing them or giving them space," Heyward said. "Throughout a game or a season, if somebody has a tough game, some people like to be patted on the back, some people don't. Some people, you have to give them their space and let them do their thing. I think that goes along with getting the best out of people." Even though he was new to the Cubs, joining in late July via a trade, Aroldis Chapman took it upon himself as a veteran to treat the rookies, too. Reliever Felix Pena was one of the players who went with Chapman in Houston, and he was surprised at the pitcher's generousity. "It made me feel a part of the team," Pena said. Martinez, the Cubs' bench coach, said he hopes the young players continue the tradition. He did. "You learn to appreciate what they've gone through and what they're trying to teach you, so one day you hopefully become that veteran guy and you understand how it is when the young guys come up," Martinez said. "As I got older, I understood when we had a young guy, we'd take him out." That small gesture helps both the player and the team. Cubs.com Russell's all-around play key to Cubs' fortunes By Carrie Muskat CHICAGO The Cubs' pair of Most Valuable Player candidates, Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant, will get most of the attention when the National League Division Series opens on Friday at Wrigley Field (FS1, 8 p.m. CT), but the X- factor on the team may be shortstop Addison Russell.

4 Russell has thrived since he was moved up in the batting order, and finished the season third on the team in RBIs with a career-high 95, behind Rizzo (109) and Bryant (102). If there was an award for Cubs second-half MVP, Russell would be in serious consideration after driving in 44 runs since the All-Star break. Russell and the Astros' Carlos Correa are the first shortstops to total 95 RBIs in their age-22-or-younger season since Troy Tulowitzki did so at age 22 in 2007 with the Rockies, when he drove in 99. Correa finished the season with 96 RBIs. Russell is the first Cubs shortstop to reach 95 RBIs since Hall of Famer Ernie Banks drove in 117 in Russell is the second Cub to reach the 20-homer mark in his age-22-or-younger season, joining Hall of Famer Ron Santo, who hit 23 home runs during his age-21 season in "He has a nose for the RBI," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "Hitting [fifth], he seems to have taken to that well. He's getting good at-bats, not opening up his strike zone. He's maturing offensively." Maddon moved Russell up in early July to take the pressure off Jason Heyward, and the young shortstop didn't blink. "It's given me a lot of confidence," Russell said. "It puts me in these situations where it's not forcing me to produce, but I feel I want to produce. I want to step up in the situations. It's fun, overall, and my confidence is up right now. It makes me happy whenever Joe puts me up there in the lineup. Hopefully, he believes that I can knock in some runs for us." Russell got a huge confidence boost when he was voted in as the starting shortstop for the NL All-Star team. And his defense has been stellar, which Maddon also appreciates. After Russell made an amazing play in San Diego, the Cubs' manager presented him with a bottle of wine appropriately titled "Justification" and started to tout the shortstop for the Gold Glove Award. "He's definitely got to be in the conversation, legitimate conversation," Maddon said of Russell. "This guy on defense, it's getting to the point where there's no one else like that right now." Last year, Russell injured his hamstring in Game 3 of the NLDS against the Cardinals and was not available for the NL Championship Series. The Cubs were swept by the Mets in the NLCS. This season, Maddon has made sure to give the shortstop a breather now and then to keep his legs fresh and keep him healthy. The Cubs need Russell. "He's just grown he's growing and growing," Maddon said. "That's the beauty of development. The biggest thing I used to focus on in the Minor Leagues is what did a guy look like in April, and what does he look like in August. You see the development. He's a perfect example everything's gotten better." Cubs.com Who should Cubs root for in Wild Card Game? By Andrew Simon The Cubs erased all uncertainty down the stretch this season, as they soared to 103 wins while locking up the National League Central title in mid-september before clinching the NL's top seed with more than a week to go. But there's one thing manager Joe Maddon's ballclub won't know until Wednesday night. That's when the Giants and Mets meet at Citi Field in the NL Wild Card Game (ESPN, 8 p.m. ET/7 CT), with the winner advancing to Wrigley Field for Game 1 of the best-of-five NL Division Series on Friday (FS1, 9 p.m. ET/8 CT). While the Cubs have no control over who their opponent will be, is there an outcome they should want? If the club has an opinion on that, it isn't sharing.

5 "That has to be organic," Maddon said. "The moment you start wishing for something, be careful what you wish for." As the Cubs well know, discounting a Wild Card team or putting too much stock in regular-season head-to-head results isn't wise. In 2015, Chicago won the NL Wild Card Game and knocked off NL Central champion St. Louis in the NLDS. But then the Mets, a team the Cubs swept, 7-0, during the regular season, swept them back in the four games of the NL Championship Series. So with that in mind, here is a deeper look at which of the Cubs' two potential NLDS matchups sets up more favorably for them. Starting pitching In last year's NLCS, the Mets started Matt Harvey in Game 1, Jacob degrom in Game 3 and Steven Matz in Game 4. This year, all three pitchers are out with injuries, leaving the Mets with a depleted staff. Right-hander Noah Syndergaard can be overpowering, but New York will need to use him on Wednesday, which means he would only be able to start once in the NLDS (most likely Game 3). Unheralded rookies Robert Gsellman and Seth Lugo would suddenly be on the spot in the NLDS. They combined for a 2.66 ERA in their 15 starts down the stretch; however, both remain relatively unproven and both recently surpassed their career highs for innings in a season. A big bonus for the Giants is that while they will expend Madison Bumgarner in the Wild Card Game, that still leaves co-ace Johnny Cueto (1.78 ERA in September) for Game 1 and a potential Game 4 or 5 in the NLDS. Then there's Jeff Samardzija, who had an inconsistent season but put up a 2.45 ERA in his final 10 starts, soon after reintroducing a curveball to his repertoire. Offense When it comes to overall production with the bat this year, there wasn't much difference between the clubs. In terms of weighted runs created-plus (wrc+), a park-adjusted metric where 100 is league average, the Giants finished fourth in the NL at 98, the Mets sixth at 97. New York fared much better after the All-Star break (99 to 93). However, the teams have different approaches. The Giants finished 13th in the NL in home runs (130) and were the only MLB team not to have a player finish with at least 20. On the other hand, no NL club struck out at a lower rate, had a higher walk-to-strikeout-ratio or made contact more often. By contrast, the Mets finished second in the NL in homers (218), eighth in lowest strikeout rate and fifth in contact rate. They scored a league-high 51.1 percent of their runs via the long ball and went when they didn't hit one, compared with for the Giants. Cubs starters Kyle Hendricks, Jake Arrieta and Jon Lester all ranked in the top 13 for lowest homer rate among qualified MLB pitchers, suggesting they may be able to neutralize the Mets' biggest offensive weapon. Bullpen Mets relievers ranked in a virtual tie for first in the NL in FIP and were third in strikeout rate and second in strikeout-to-walk ratio, led by an effective closer (Jeurys Familia) and a setup man who has been even more dominant (Addison Reed). The Giants, on the other hand, endured significant bullpen problems down the stretch and had to make a late closer change, from Santiago Casilla to Sergio Romo. Still, Romo looked good in that role, and manager Bruce Bochy has shown a deft touch with his relief corps in previous postseasons. Defense Against an offense as potent as the Cubs', extra outs are poison for an opponent. Not only did the Giants make the fewest errors in the Majors (72), but advanced metrics give them a significant edge over the Mets. Ultimate Zone Rating has the Giants second in MLB (42.6) and the Mets 15th (1.2), while Defensive Runs Saved puts San Francisco third (plus-50) and New York 21st (minus-18).

6 Verdict It's the postseason, which means any team is dangerous, and the results are unpredictable. Either the Giants or Mets, despite entering the NLDS as significant underdogs, would have a chance to knock off the Cubs. But for Chicago, the club with three championships over the previous five years offers the more troublesome matchup. Cubs.com Near flawless Sept. nets Lester Pitcher of Month By Cash Kruth Jon Lester's second-half push into National League Cy Young Award contention has earned the Cubs left-hander NL Pitcher of the Month honors for September/October. Lester was 5-1 with a 1.48 ERA in six starts in the season's final month, as he and the Cubs cruised to the NL Central title and the Majors' best record. Lester opened the month by tossing a one-run, complete-game gem against the Giants at Wrigley Field before turning in three scoreless outings, two of which came against the rival Cardinals. He also tossed seven innings of one-run ball against the Reds, ending his season Saturday against Cincinnati by giving up five runs in five innings at Great American Ball Park. This is Lester's fourth career monthly honor and second of the season after being named NL Pitcher of the Month for June. The 32-year-old ended his second regular season in Chicago with a 19-5 record and a 2.44 ERA in 32 starts. ESPNChicago.com Cubs get later start times for Games 1 and 2, umpire crew assigned as well By Jesse Rogers CHICAGO Start times for Games 1 and 2 of the divisional playoffs were announced on Monday along with umpiring crews assigned to each series. The Chicago Cubs will host either the New York Mets or San Francisco Giants in Game 1 at 9:15 p.m. ET (8:15 locally) on Friday night (Fox Sports 1), while first pitch for Game 2 on Saturday (MLB Network) is set for 8:08 p.m. ET. The Major League Baseball Network is offering a free preview of their channel from Oct so the game can be seen even if you don't normally subscribe. The umpire rotation for Game 1, with John Hirschbeck serving as the crew chief, is as follows: HP: Todd Tichenor 1B: Alan Porter 2B: Larry Vanover 3B: Marvin Hudson LF: Hirschbeck RF: Mike Muchlinski For what it s worth, Cubs starter Jon Lester is 1-3 with a 5.82 ERA in four career starts with Tichenor behind the plate. AccuWeather forecast for Friday predicts a high of 71 degrees and a low of 50 while Saturday should be cooler with the high temperature only reaching 57 degrees.

7 Start times for Game 3 and beyond will become clearer once the wild-card game between the Mets and Giants is played on Wednesday night. CSNChicago.com Joe Maddon s Message To Cubs Before Playoff Pressure Turns Up By Jesse Rogers Joe Maddon doesn t believe in meetings or rah-rah speeches or dress codes. The Cubs manager doesn t want his players showing up to the ballpark early or taking extra batting practice, refusing to pigeonhole them into one position or follow baseball s unwritten rules. If players became frustrated with the spring-training feel at the end of the regular season, then Maddon also sounded annoyed at the passive-aggressive comments to reporters. If Maddon sometimes seems to make it about himself, then there s also no denying his hands-off, big-picture, media-friendly style has been a spectacular success for a World Series-or-bust franchise. The cold water sprayed all over Maddon s white hair, Great American Ball Park s visiting clubhouse and the manager s office after Sunday s 7-4 comeback victory over the Cincinnati Reds marked a Game 162 release and a celebration of his 200th win in a Cubs uniform. Just look around the clubhouse, pitcher Jake Arrieta said. (With) the character of the people and the players that we have if we hold each other accountable that s the kind of regular seasons that we can have as a unit if we stay healthy and we perform to our ability. Yeah, 200 wins in two seasons is no easy feat. But after we win a ring, we d like to make it three seasons with 100. Try Not To Suck-tober is here, so when the players gather before Tuesday afternoon s simulated game at Wrigley Field, Maddon will give a rare State of the Cubs address, something simple and to the point, an updated postseason version of what he told them in spring training and around the All-Star break. Most of the guys have been there (before), Maddon said. I don t want to give them any stark advice regarding how they should deal with any of this stuff. It s not going to be a long meeting. It s primarily going to be about: In playoff baseball, things are going to go wrong. And how do you deal with (it) when things go wrong? You have to be able to maintain your focus. When things are going well, it s easy. We all can do that. I just want to remind them to be able to maintain our focus, maintain our methods, even if something goes awry. Maddon wants his team to play the same game all the time. In theory, it shouldn t matter if it s April and the Arizona Diamondbacks are filling Chase Field with noise pollution, or an August weekend against the St. Louis Cardinals in front of 40,000 in Wrigleyville, or the October spotlight that can be blinding. So before Friday s Game 1 against the winner of the National League wild-card game either the New York Mets or San Francisco Giants batting practice will be optional. Nothing should change, Maddon said. We ll have our workout Tuesday (and) get some pitchers involved. Wednesday and Thursday, we will do different things, just to brush up. And then Friday it will be normal pregame. If you don t want it on the field and want to hit in the cage, please do. If you want to go hit on the field, please do. I don t want anything to change. I want minimal or no changes whatsoever. Theo Epstein s front office may have handed Maddon the keys to a Ferrari, but as Lou Piniella once said: This is not some push-button operation.

8 Even with multiple candidates for MVP (Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo) and the Cy Young Award (Jon Lester, Kyle Hendricks) and a range of personalities that goes from a 22-year-old All-Star shortstop (Addison Russell) to accomplished veterans in their mid-to-late 30s with World Series rings (Ben Zobrist, John Lackey, David Ross) to the role players (Javier Baez, Matt Szczur, Travis Wood) who have thrived with Maddon s keep-everyone-involved philosophy. Joe has that great sixth sense when it comes to people, outfielder Jason Heyward said. He knows when to be where he needs to be, and the tone he needs to set for us. We ve done a good job of being ourselves and policing ourselves on things and fighting through the ups and downs of the season. So the Cubs will rely on the daily routines, natural talent, emotional intelligence and scouting reports that got them to this point and not try to reinvent the wheel just because the fans and the TV networks will be so focused on I want them to go out and play with a free and clear mind, Maddon said. There s no information right now that s really that above and beyond pertinent. You might grab a nugget or two. You might. Might. I m all about the nugget. But I don t want them carrying anything differently than when we ve been seeing them (while) winning (103) games this year. I don t want them to be any different. This is what we want to do. But don t go nuts and try to do anything differently right now. CSNChicago.com Why Giants Pose Bigger Wild-Card Threat For Cubs By Patrick Mooney Jake Arrieta s reflexive answer to the wild-card question Who gives a s-? will either be remembered as the symbolic moment where a Cy Young Award winner got locked back into the zone. Or those four words will go on the headstone of the 2016 Cubs if they don t win the World Series. Because if Madison Bumgarner puts the San Francisco Giants on his shoulders and beats New York Mets ace Noah Syndergaard on Wednesday night at Citi Field, then remember how Cubs manager Joe Maddon framed any National League first-round opponent: Be careful what you wish for. Especially in a best-of-five series where the Giants can line up Johnny Cueto to start Games 1 and 5 at Wrigley Field, with one-time All-Star lefty Matt Moore, World Series MVP Bumgarner and motivated ex-cub Jeff Samardzija in between, making this a simple question: Which team is more dangerous? It s the Giants, an NL Central scout said, because if their starting pitching gets hot, then they can do some damage. But the only problem is, they need their bullpen to shore things up a little better at the end of the game. They have pedigree. They have experience. They have starting pitching. It s just a matter of the back end (of the bullpen) when they re winning: Can they hold it together? The Giants certainly have their flaws, leading the majors with 30 blown saves, sinking to in the second half after having the best record in the game at the All-Star break (57-33). But San Francisco could once again be clicking at the right time, sweeping the Los Angeles Dodgers over the weekend at AT&T Park to avoid a road Game 163 against the St. Louis Cardinals. Elite rotation pieces and a defense that tied for the major-league lead in fielding percentage (.988) can help mask some of those bullpen issues. Offensively, the Giants can make up for a power outage Brandon Belt led the team with 17 home runs with a lineup that doesn t give away at-bats and features battle-tested hitters like Buster Posey, Hunter Pence and Brandon Crawford.

9 You ve got an experienced, mature bunch that will figure out a way to beat you, an NL East scout said. It s an even-number year. That s what (would scare) me. Look at what they did two years ago. They were in the cellar then, and look what they did. The 2010 Giants didn t clinch an NL West title until Game 162 and won the World Series. The 2012 Giants won elimination games against the Cincinnati Reds and Cardinals before sweeping the Detroit Tigers in the World Series. The 2014 Giants watched Bumgarner throw a complete-game shutout in a wild-card showdown against the Pittsburgh Pirates and come out of the bullpen for a five-inning save to beat the Kansas City Royals in a World Series Game 7. This is 2016, so they re going to be tough to beat, no doubt, first baseman Anthony Rizzo said. Same with the Mets and the experience they gained last year. That will be a fun game to watch, especially with Syndergaard and Bumgarner. I m sure they re both going to throw 200 pitches each if they have to. It s fun for baseball those wild-card games and we re happy we re not partaking in that this year with that anxiety and the stress level. Where the Mets have lost three frontline pitchers who shut down the Cubs during last year s NL Championship Series Matt Harvey, Jacob degrom and Steven Matz are all recovering from season-ending surgeries the Giants invested $220 million in Cueto (18-5, 2.79 ERA) and Samardzija (12-11, 3.81 ERA) and gave up the kind of young position player (Matt Duffy) the Cubs refused to surrender to the Tampa Bay Rays in a trade-deadline deal for Moore (13-12, 4.08 ERA). After burning Syndergaard in the wild-card game, the Mets could be leaning on a 43-year-old control artist (Bartolo Colon) and two rookies (Seth Lugo and Robert Gsellman) who didn t arrive in New York with any hype. The Mets I don t know they got some mojo, an NL West scout said. When you got a guy like (Yoenis) Cespedes, he can turn (everything) around (in that lineup). Bartolo s pretty good, but I m shocked that they ve put this run together. The Giants and Mets are 87-win teams that didn t flip off the switch. The Cubs held a double-digit lead in the NL Central since the first week of August, clinched a division title in mid-september and spent the final week of the regular season playing non-contenders. One reward for 103 wins will be a four-day layoff. Listen, we re going to play a good team in the first round, general manager Jed Hoyer said. By definition, you re going to play a team that gets on a plane feeling awesome about themselves after Wednesday s win. We were that team last year. You get on that plane, you feel like world-beaters after winning that (wild-card) game on the road. We re going to play a good team that feels good about themselves. That s why I think the focus has to be on us and why we need to play good baseball. Arrieta gave his teammates that invincible feeling, suffocating the Pirates and setting off the champagne-soaked celebration inside PNC Park s visiting clubhouse, the Cubs flying to St. Louis and then knocking out a 100-win Cardinals team. We can go toe-to-toe in the playoffs with any lineup or any rotation, Arrieta said. We re more than equipped and more than capable of taking care of business and moving forward. But you got to start with the first game October 7. Chicago Tribune How Cubs pulled off season-changing surprise: Bringing back Dexter Fowler By Paul Sullivan

10 When reports surfaced on Feb. 23 that Dexter Fowler had signed a three-year, $35 million deal with the Orioles, his former Cubs teammates began texting him congratulations. Seven months later, Fowler was leading the champagne celebration in the Cubs clubhouse after they clinched the division title. The unexpected return of Fowler helped propel the Cubs to one of their best seasons in decades, and may eventually be remembered as the move that took them to the promised land. The saga started last winter when the Cubs made the free-agent center fielder a qualifying offer in order to get back a draft choice when he signed elsewhere. As much as they liked Fowler, the Cubs didn't want to offer him a long-term deal and firmly believed agent Casey Close would get him one. "The timing didn't match up," President Theo Epstein recalled. "They were looking for something different early, and we had to move on. We were going to sign (Jason) Heyward." Fowler went through the winter unsigned, partly because teams didn't want to give up a valuable draft pick. But Epstein stayed in touch with Close, repeatedly asking him the same question: "What's going on with Dexter?'" Epstein saw the market for Fowler wasn't materializing and volunteered to call other GMs and tell them "what great guy he is" and how well he performed for the 2015 Cubs. "I said 'I'd be happy to, because I feel really bad,'" Epstein said. "I wanted the best for Dexter. I kept getting updates, and then when we got into spring training, I told (Close) 'No promises, but look, if it ends up he's looking at any one-year scenario, stay in touch because we might be able to make a trade or do some things that would put him back in play for us.'" Close basically said thanks but no thanks. The Orioles were interested, and Fowler was ready to sign. But when the deal fell through, Fowler told Close to call the Cubs and see if they were still interested. It didn't take long for Epstein and Close to hammer out a one-year deal with an option for 2017 that would guarantee Fowler $13 million and possibly give him another chance at free agency. Meanwhile, a report of Fowler signing with the Orioles leaked, and once it hit Twitter it was taken as gospel. "I actually didn't know where the report came from," Fowler recalled. "That thing is still a mystery to me. But the right people knew what the deal was." The Cubs deal remained a secret between Fowler, Epstein and Close. First baseman Anthony Rizzo had sent Fowler a text to congratulate him on signing with the O's but didn't hear back. "I gave him 24 hours, and I was kind of like, 'What?'" Rizzo said. "Dex's usually good at texting back." Fowler was as silent as a sphinx, and had no problem keeping his friends out of the loop. "In free agency you keep a lot of secrets," he said. "If nothing is spoken, then there is nothing to report." On Feb. 24, once Epstein knew Fowler's deal was under wraps, he came up with a plan to surprise everyone at Cubs camp in Mesa, Ariz. "We all wanted Dexter to have a real nice moment," Epstein said. "He'd been through an offseason that didn't go exactly the way he'd envisioned it. Casey is good at keeping a secret, and we are too."

11 As Fowler drove to Mesa from Las Vegas to take a physical, he received a text from Epstein giving him a place to meet the next day. The plan was to walk in together while the Cubs were doing team fundamentals and surprise everyone. That night, Epstein took his wife out to dinner at True Food Kitchen, a restaurant in Scottsdale, happy with his coup. On their way out, they ran into Rizzo and David Ross, who had come in for dinner. "Rizzo and Rossy walked in, and we were just talking," Epstein said. "And I said 'See you tomorrow. Oh, and I've got a good surprise for you too.'" "What is it?" Rizzo replied. "I can't tell you," Epstein said. "But you're going to be surprised." Epstein figured the two thought it was "some dress-up thing or some magician," the usual stuff manager Joe Maddon trots out in spring. Rizzo wasn't sure what Epstein had up his sleeve. "An elephant? A giraffe?" he recalled. "Not Dex, especially since we thought he'd just signed with another team." Fowler completed his physical in Mesa and waited for instructions at his hotel. The next morning, the Cubs dealt outfielder Chris Coghlan to the A's, clearing $4.8 million of salary and a roster spot. "Theo called me that morning and told me everything was taken care of and to come on in," Fowler said. "He waited for me in the parking lot and we just walked on in from there." The two sat in Fowler's car and caught up for a few minutes before making the long walk to Field No. 6, where Maddon was talking about fundamentals and buying time. "We're all gathered around like 'What's going on?' Kyle Schwarber recalled. When Fowler and Epstein walked out to the back of the complex, they were spotted by an ESPN reporter. Epstein shrugged, figuring the secret wouldn't be spoiled because it would take the reporter a few seconds to put two and two together. "I was all the way there," Fowler said. "So at that point it didn't matter." The players had their backs to Epstein and Fowler as they strolled toward the field, and Javier Baez asked Maddon when the players were going to shave their heads. "I remember they said 'Don't turn around,'" Schwarber said. "Knowing me, I had to turn around and look, and I see someone walking towards us, and I'm like, 'That really looks like Dexter.' "I tapped someone on the shoulder and said: 'I think that's Dexter.' He said: 'No, Dex just signed with Baltimore.'" Maddon suddenly ended his speech and the players all turned around to see Fowler with a smile a mile wide. The entire team immediately burst into applause and began hugging Fowler. At long last, Fowler was home. "It was awesome to see a smile on their faces, just of pure joy," Fowler said. "It's priceless."

12 Chicago Tribune Jake Arrieta: Playoff target on Cubs isn't as large as others see it By Mark Gonzales Cubs manager Joe Maddon told his players as early as December to embrace the target, and the bull's-eye will expand beginning with Game 1 of the National League Division Series on Friday. But not everyone sees it that way, according to right-hander Jake Arrieta. "If you look at it from the outside, maybe," Arrieta said in regard to the Cubs being perceived as the hunted team in the postseason. "I don't pay attention much to that. Whether you're an underdog or a favorite, you still have to win. And regardless of who we face, they're going to be good and the guy on the hill we're going to face is going to be good. And their lineup is going to be good. "(If) we execute more pitches than they do, get a couple of timely hits, I like our chances. It's a roll of the dice. With the group we have, we're set to make a deep push and hopefully get over that hump from last year and get this thing done for Chicago." Z factor: The Cubs have thrived on working deep counts to chase opposing teams' starters early, and Anthony Rizzo points to Ben Zobrist as a key to a deep playoff run. The Royals won the World Series last season, and Zobrist played his part. In 16 postseason games, he had a.365 on-base percentage with seven walks and 15 runs. Zobrist drew his 96th walk of the season Sunday to reach 700 for his career. "It's a group effort," Rizzo said. "When you see Ben taking his walks, you see me with a two-strike approach, it's things like that that move the lineup. "We don't need to be the heroes of the long ball. It's just a matter of getting that next guy up and letting him do it." Do the math: Kyle Hendricks' climb from a finesse-throwing, eighth-round pick to the major leagues pales in comparison with passing an abstract-algebra class at Dartmouth College needed to complete his math-minor requirements. "It had been two years since I had been in class," recalled Hendricks, who earned an economics degree in the fall of "I heard that class was one of the toughest ones at Dartmouth. "I had to work my tail off to pass it. With baseball, the enjoyment you feel makes it easier. That why I love to play. Sitting in the class isn't ideal. But I showed some strength at the end of the course and got a B. It was very difficult." Chicago Tribune Cubs to open playoffs with 2 night games By Mark Gonzales The Chicago Cubs are slated for prime time for their first two games of the National League Division Series at Wrigley Field. Major League Baseball announced Monday that Game 1 between the Cubs and Wednesday night's wild-card winner - either the New York Mets or San Francisco Giants - will start Friday at 8:15 p.m. Game 2 will start at 7:08 p.m. Those games will be televised by FoxSports1 and the Major League Baseball Network.

13 Chicago Tribune Cubs World Series could be ratings and revenue home run for Fox Sports By Robert Channick When the Major League Baseball playoffs begin this week, Cubs fans won't be the only ones cheering on the team's quest to end a centurylong championship drought. Television executives at Fox Sports are unabashedly rooting for the Chicago team to drive a ratings and revenue bonanza for the network, which is home to the World Series. A Cubs World Series appearance could be worth more than $20 million in additional advertising revenue for Fox Sports, and millions more for local affiliates, including Fox-owned WFLD-Ch.32 in Chicago, according to broadcasting sources. With the Cubs favored to win their first World Series since 1908, a storyline likely to attract a huge national TV audience, playoff ad sales are 30 percent ahead of last year, said Mark Evans, senior vice president of sales strategy for Fox Sports. "Much like the curses in Chicago, we don't like saying it out loud too much. But yes, we're selling on the optimism of that run continuing," Evans said. Fox will carry the National League division and championship series on its cable channel, Fox Sports 1. The games shift to the Fox television network for the World Series, which begins Oct. 25 and would run through Nov. 2 if it goes to seven games. The network broadcast its first World Series in 1996, and has been the exclusive home to baseball's championship since Fox has World Series broadcast rights through Evans likened the broadcast buzz surrounding the Cubs to the postmillennial rise of the Boston Red Sox, who exorcised the "Curse of the Bambino" by winning the World Series in 2004, the team's first championship in 86 years. The Red Sox won the World Series again in 2007 and The World Series may be the culmination of the national pastime, but the Super Bowl remains a much larger TV event. When the Red Sox swept the St. Louis Cardinals in 2004, it was watched by an average of 25.4 million viewers. In February, an average of million viewers saw the Denver Broncos beat the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50. Sources said Fox is looking to top the record $5 million per spot that CBS got during Super Bowl 50 when it airs Super Bowl LI in February. Spot rates for the World Series aren't in the same ballpark, but a Game 7 commercial could fetch more than $500,000, depending on the matchup, sources said. In Chicago, WGN-Ch.9, WLS-Ch.7 and Comcast SportsNet Chicago share the Cubs regular season TV broadcast rights through 2019, but the only local player in the post-season is WFLD-Ch.32, which will air the World Series in Chicago. If the Cubs make the World Series, Fox 32 Chicago is expecting huge ratings, promotional opportunities and an advertising windfall, according to Dennis Welsh, the station's general manager. "We would make millions of dollars locally here, in addition to what the network would make, if that was to happen," Welsh said. "We've already made a lot of sales. There's an enormous amount of interest."

14 The station is selling the World Series broadcasts to Chicago advertisers as if the Cubs are in it, Welsh said, with half of the local commercials already booked. If the team doesn't make it, there is a contingency, with the committed World Series budget reallocated to other programs. Fox 32 will keep some ad slots available right up to the World Series, allowing the station to charge a premium for last-minute advertisers looking to be part of Cubs history. "If they wrap up the (National League Championship Series), you would still want some spots left because then you can really command a good rate," Welsh said. The station is also planning to leverage the World Series with pre- and postgame shows aimed at keeping Chicago audiences tuned in for extended viewing. The first half-hour of Fox 32's 9 p.m. news will be the postgame show. Welsh expects the station's local news ratings to rise if the Cubs make the World Series, with viewers staying tuned to celebrate or commiserate. "We anticipate record viewership for our Fox news show," Welsh said. "Even if we're not winning, they'll still hang around because they want to be miserable with everybody else." Meanwhile, Fox Sports executives are not only hoping the Cubs prevail, but they also have a certain foe in mind for maximum drama and the largest possible national audience. "Right now, on paper, the best television matchup would be the Cubs against the Red Sox, from a ratings perspective," Evans said. "It would be pretty wild to watch the Cubs beat the Red Sox in the World Series for their first title in over 100 years." Chicago Tribune Travis Wood delivers for Cubs, on mound and even in outfield By Paul Skrbina Travis Wood didn't quite run through a brick wall for his team. But he ran into one on July 31. That's when Wood showed poise in ivy after Cubs manager Joe Maddon ordered the left-handed reliever from the pitcher's mound to left field to start the seventh inning of a chew-your-nails-to-the-nub, extra-inning victory against the Mariners. Maddon also pinch-hit pitcher Jon Lester, whose two-strike, walk-off squeeze bunt capped the improbable 7-6, 12- inning win during which 22 Cubs played and overcame a six-run deficit. Wood, who had patrolled left once earlier this season but didn't make a play, raced toward the wall and snared what looked destined to be a sure extra-base hit by Franklin Gutierrez. As ball met glove, Wood closed his eyes, back to the wall, and braced for an impact that triggered a standing ovation and looks of disbelief. "I texted him and gave him a hard time, said his route efficiency was only like 90 percent," teammate Trevor Cahill said. "Everybody knows he's a great athlete. "We try not to rub his ego too much, but it's crazy how it's a valuable thing that he can do that." Maddon made the unconventional move so Wood would remain eligible to return to the mound if needed.

15 Somewhat to his chagrin "I would have liked staying there," Wood said with a grin that moment arrived with two outs in the eighth, when he was summoned to close out the inning, which did with a pickoff. In all, he struck out two in 11/3 innings of scoreless relief. "To get back out there and have one hit at me first batter, I didn't expect it to be quite as hard as it was, but it was fun," Wood said. "I've always wanted to play the outfield in the big leagues just because I loved playing it in high school." Maddon's pitcher-to-the-outfield move should come as no surprise, either. Spencer Patton, Pedro Strop and Wood took turns doing it against the Reds this season, allowing the Cubs flexibility with hitter-vs.-pitcher matchups without burning too many bullpen arms. It was the first time in 30 years a team had sent more than one pitcher to the outfield and back to the mound in a game. Mets manager Davey Johnson did it with pitchers Roger McDowell and Jesse Orosco in "With Joe you've got to expect anything," Strop said. "He knows exactly where to go if he needs somebody to help in the outfield." Apparently, that place is the pitcher's mound. Wood, who was traded from the Reds to the Cubs in 2011, said he and Maddon talked about the possibility during spring training, when the manager took notice of his pitchers shagging fly balls with seriousness. "He told me he wasn't afraid to put me out there if the situation came up, and that's how it unfolded," Wood said. The outfield isn't the only unexpected place Maddon has put Wood, the starter-turned-reliever who counts among his nine home runs a grand slam against the White Sox's Jake Peavy in Wood was an All-Star that year. This year he is 1-for-2 as a pinch hitter. Maddon pulled that trick out of his bag on the Fourth of July. Wood has two career pinch-hit home runs. Wood is 4-0 with a 2.95 ERA while pitching 61 innings in a team-high 77 appearances this year. Though he's been successful on the mound, Wood is jonesing to play the outfield again. He joked that he was disappointed he didn't start in left field the day after the Cubs celebrated clinching the National League Central. "It would have been fun," Wood said. "Whatever." Chicago Tribune John Lackey's playoff experience perfect fit for Cubs' playoff run By Mark Gonzales John Lackey's "big-boy games" comment three months ago might have triggered some snickers, but his knack for performing at his best in significant games might be as important as any postseason factor for the Cubs. "A lot of people don't realize who John Lackey is and has been over the past few years," said Giants right-hander Jake Peavy, who watched his former teammate pitch the sixth and clinching game of 2013 World Series for the Red Sox.

16 "John Lackey was St. Louis' No. 1 guy (in 2015), the guy they leaned on. We would have been down 2-1 (in the 2013 American League Championship Series), but that same John Lackey beat Justin Verlander in Detroit. You know what those Detroit teams were made of. And you've done something to beat them 1-0 on the road." With Jon Lester, Kyle Hendricks and Jake Arrieta showing various degrees of dominance, it's possible Lackey won't start until the fourth game of a series. But that could line him up to pitch in the deciding game of a best-of-five series or even the final game of a seven-game series. And Lackey, 37, has been accustomed to the big stage, dating to his rookie year with the Angels when he pitched five innings of one-run ball to beat the Giants in Game 7 of the 2002 World Series and give Joe Maddon then an Angels coach a bonus large enough to help pay for his daughter's wedding. Lackey's no-nonsense demeanor surfaced well before his World Series debut. But he has acknowledged how fortunate he has been to pitch on contending teams and how precious those moments are. "I was one of only a few rookies when I came up," Lackey said. "It's different now. The expectation level is high, which I've been used to for my whole career. Luckily, I've been on a lot of good teams. "It's something we've embraced and have played very well." The 6-foot-6, 235-pound Lackey is in better shape now than he was during his first four seasons with the Angels, Maddon said. "He's the same good friend with the same kind of intensity and edginess," the Cubs manager said. "His velocity came back post-surgery (in 2012). I see mph on the breaking ball. I think it was 82 when I had him in His fastball cut more back then, but it's almost identical to now." It's not uncommon for Lackey to show emotion on the mound, as he did when rookie center fielder Albert Almora Jr. didn't hit the cutoff man in a June game and Christian Bethancourt admired a home run he hit off Lackey in a 1-0 loss to the Padres in May. "He's your best teammate ever," Maddon said. "He's just got an edge when he plays. And if you all know that and accept that, then you can co-habitat with him well. "When he gets upset out there, it's nothing negative. It's just the emotion of the moment. If you took that away from him, he might not be as good as he actually is. " Said catcher David Ross: "Some people can play this game emotionless. I don't think he's one of those guys. He expects perfection from himself and greatness out of himself and his teammates." Yet there's a friendly, team-oriented side to Lackey that some don't see. When infielder Munenori Kawasaki was promoted from Triple-A Iowa to join the team in Pittsburgh last July, Lackey went out of his way to greet him in the visitor's clubhouse. "One of my top five teammates of all time, especially with the way he goes about his business," Ross said. "He works. He's on the bench supporting and high-fiving his teammates and talking the game, the whole package. "He's all about whatever the team is about. If we're going to a team dinner, he's in. If he needs to buy, he'll buy. He's one of those guys you can count on the whole year, and those guys are hard to find." Chicago Sun-Times Remember me? Schwarber still big part of Cubs 2016 playoff team By Gordon Wittenmyer

17 Kyle Schwarber spent every home game this season in full uniform, on the Cubs bench at Wrigley Field, even though he got no closer to the playing field during a game than the moment he hobbled on one crutch to the foul line for Opening Day introductions to a standing ovation. But it s been just these past few games as the season reached the fall and the imminence of the playoffs became as palpable as the renewed chill in the air that the memories have started to flood through Schwarber s mind. Definitely they do, said the Cubs young slugger. A year ago as a rookie, Schwarber was a second-half force and the Cubs power-hitting playoff hero, setting a franchise record with five postseason home runs as the Cubs rolled to the National League Championship Series. Now six months to the day since he suffered a season-ending knee injury on an outfield collision in Phoenix, Schwarber will be back on the bench in uniform Friday when the Cubs open this year s playoffs the video board with his legendary Game 4 home run ball against the Cardinals still encased on top where it landed, staring back at him from right field. As this time has rolled around, it definitely brings back memories for me since I m out, said Schwarber, who quickly pivots to dispel any sense of self-pity. But watching these guys play every day and seeing how they go about their business it s all really good stuff. I feel if they keep doing what they re doing, having fun, separating the added pressures that we have, we ll be just fine. Schwarber, who had a sudden impact when the Cubs called him up at the All-Star break to add his left-handed power to the lineup, might have impressed the organization as much this season with his approach and attitude as he has stayed in Chicago for his rehab work since that injury the third game of the season. In addition to a full schedule of physical work, he has participated in planning meetings with pitchers and catchers, soaked up what he could in the team s war room on draft day, and has helped as much as allowed with video and scouting breakdowns of opponents. I like to try to do as much as I can, he said. That was part of the idea in having him stay in Chicago instead of spending the year in Mesa, Ariz., doing his rehab work. More important was the relationship building the Cubs wanted to see continue with a player they consider so big a part of their future he became their only untouchable prospect during trade talks with the Yankees that eventually landed closer Aroldis Chapman. It s very important to have him stay connected like that for next year, manager Joe Maddon said in recent weeks. Everybody knows what he s all about. He s all about winning. That has made sitting out such a huge year, and the postseason to come, especially difficult for the fourth overall pick in the 2014 draft. Looking at him, you couldn t tell if it s been tough on him, he s just been so strong, teammate Kris Bryant said. Just a really good teammate through everything. But I m sure it s eating at him. He wants to be on the field. Schwarber, who s not sure if he ll make his return to games during winter ball or spring training, said he s just trying to keep his focus on being in the best shape of his life with a healthy knee in February. The Cubs won 103 games without him this year, but everybody from the front office to Maddon to teammates talk about how much he s been missed. And he ll start traveling with the club during the playoffs. Oh, my goodness, if he was in this lineup the whole year I think we could have won at least 10 more games, Bryant said. He s a game changer. I m glad we ll have him back next year.