At some point before he heads to the plate to hit in the first inning, Anthony Rizzo typically has a few words for the guy in the on-deck circle.
“Just do that thing that everybody loves,” he tells Cubs teammate Javy Báez.
When it comes to Báez, that could mean anything. And, of course, that’s the point.
“He plays the game kind of differently,” said teammate David Bote, who shared the Rizzo-Báez story. “It’s incredible.”
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That’s why it was almost conspicuous how Báez had played such low-key roles in the Cubs first four games of this strange, short season.