MESA, Ariz. -- Bullpen coach Lester Strode is the Cubs' relievers' Most Valuable Player. They'll just never tell him that to his face.
Strode, 58, is the team's longest tenured coach, entering his 11th season on the big league staff and his 29th as a member of the Cubs organization.
"Every day he comes to the field, he's the same person," reliever Carl Edwards Jr. said. "He never comes in angry or upset. He always comes in with a smile on his face. As long as we put our work in and go about our business the right way, he's laid back.