CHICAGO -- The Cubs refrained from taking batting practice before their game against the Pirates on Friday afternoon, hitting in the cages instead.
Cubs manager Joe Maddon made it clear he isn't a fan of excessive BP.
"I think it's the most overrated thing we do on a daily basis," Maddon said. "We swing the bat way too often."
Maddon said he has had his team go as long as a week without batting practice. He theorized that BP became a bigger issue in the 1980s, when hitting coaches were more prominent.
"Batting practice became a longer exercise, and extra batting practice and hitting off tees and hitting in cages and swinging and swinging and swinging, I think it can be counterproductive," he said.