PHOENIX -- How smart is Javier Baez? He's baseball smart.
"It's hard to evaluate baseball intellect or acumen," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said of Baez, a candidate for the National League Most Valuable Player Award. "He got a 1600 on his baseball SATs -- he definitely did."
As the Cubs enjoy a day off Thursday before playing their final 10 regular-season games, Baez's intelligence on the field may be hard for some MVP voters to measure. All you have to do is watch him to see how he takes on the role of quarterback in the Cubs' infield, directing everyone -- and it doesn't matter if he's starting at second base, shortstop or third.