This isn’t the first time Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon drew criticism for sticking with his guys past the point of no return. Last year, Kyle Schwarber batted leadoff to open the season – and continued doing so, despite atrocious results. Eventually, of course, a demotion to Triple-A Iowa ended the experiment.
Now, we’re seeing it play out again. But it appears Maddon learned his lesson. Rookie Ian Happ dominated during Cactus League play, earning the leadoff job out of Spring Training. He promptly rewarded his skipper’s faith with a towering home run on the first pitch of the season.