GOODYEAR, Ariz. — Cubs manager Joe Maddon doesn’t believe in the Sports Illustrated cover jinx.
The Cubs landed on the front of the magazine’s baseball preview with Sports Illustrated picking the Houston Astros — another team accused of tanking during a multiyear rebuild — to beat them in the World Series.
“Well, you know, just get us there,” Maddon said before Tuesday’s Cactus League game against the Cincinnati Reds at Goodyear Ballpark. “SI, please get us there. I’d be happy with that.”
All-Star first baseman Anthony Rizzo, Gold Glove outfielder Jason Heyward, Rookie of the Year Kris Bryant and Cy Young Award winner Jake Arrieta made the regional cover, which labels the group as “The Revenants: Out of The Desert, into the World Series (Finally).