Cubs' Joe Maddon on home runs: 'Act like you’ve done it before'
Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon addressed the practice of "pimping" home runs at spring training on Wednesday.
According to the Chicago Tribune, second baseman Javier Baez was laughing about how catcher Welington Castillo watched a home run during a game the previous day. Maddon said that if that was true, "we need to talk," according to the Tribune.
Maddon said he thinks players should act like they've "done it before." From the Tribune:
Asked his feelings about players “pimping” homers, Maddon said: “Act like you’ve done it before and you can do it again. Surely the touchdown celebration, pounding your chest after dunking a basketball, all this stuff that’s become part of this generation of athletes, whether you agree with it being right or wrong, does it matter?
“I would just prefer our guys act like they’ve done it before and that they’re going to do it again.”
The Cubs hired Maddon as their manager in November after firing Rick Renteria.
One message Maddon has emphasized since he took over is to "Respect 90," a push for his players to "respect that distance..run hard for 90 feet, and the respect will come back to you."
Chicago opens the season on April 5 against the St. Louis Cardinals.
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