ST. LOUIS -- It's not just a fad anymore, or something to laugh about later. Major league managers are using their position players on the mound as a strategy -- instead of a novelty -- to save their bullpen. And as you might imagine, Chicago Cubs skipper Joe Maddon is at the forefront of the trend. He's more unorthodox than most.
This year alone, the Cubs have used a position player in six different instances -- the most times in baseball -- including in two games in four days recently. In one, against the St.