What The Chicago Cubs Need To Do To Make The Playoffs

Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

4. The Leaders Need To Continue To Take Care Of The Kids

We all know the Chicago Cubs are one of the youngest teams in baseball. The entire defense is composed of players 25 years old or younger. There are some very good leaders on the team, though.

Antony Rizzo is one of them.

Rizzo has done everything you want to be a good leader. In the winter, he went out on the limb and predicted that the Cubs would win the NL Central.

Winning the Central may not happen, but you have to love him setting the bar high on the season. He set that bar very high, and even though the Cubs might not get there, the team has played hard since the start of the season, and it may result in a playoff berth.

Having a veteran like Lester also helps. He is battle-tested, having won two World Series titles with the Boston Red Sox. He knows what it takes to win in the postseason, so he could help the young Cubs get the feeling of what to expect down the stretch.

The Cubs have no better leader in the league than Joe Maddon.

Maddon is always thinking out of the box in his attempts to keep the team motivated. He did the same thing when he was with the Tampa Bay Rays.

Maddon looks for interesting ways to keep the team loose. This season, he’s had a DJ at Spring Training, a magician during a tough stretch and had the team dress in pajamas on the team flight. Whether you think it is silly or not, whatever he does seems to work over the course of his managing career.

Maddon will continue to try to wave whatever magic wand he has. He also set the bar high this season. He wants the kids to experience this and embrace the pressure.

Maddon is not afraid to make moves on the field that some consider quirky. While being a player’s manager, he won’t hesitate to make a move that may disappoint a player.

While Hammel has struggled, Maddon pulled him out of a few games after just three innings. Hammel was upset about it, but Maddon is playing to win now, and if he has a bad feeling he will go with it.

The pulling of Rondon is another example. When Maddon pulled Rondon in June, Rondon pitched to just one batter. Maddon again did not feel good about how he looked, and he pulled him, whether Rondon liked it or not.

The kids need to continue to follow Maddon and the other leaders so they can make it to the playoffs.

Next: 5. Dexter Fowler Needs To Continue To Set The Table