August 8, 2017

Chicago Tribune, Javier Baez' inside-the-park HR sparks Cubs to 5-3 win over Giants http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-giants-spt-0808-20170807-story.html#nt=oft03a-1gp3

Chicago Tribune, Javier Baez hits his 1st inside-the-park home run since Little League http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-javier-baez-20170807-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Cubs give struggling reliever Carl Edwards Jr. a break from Giants opener http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-bullpen-struggles-spt-0808-20170807-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Theo Epstein vows to restock Cubs' farm system as he did with Red Sox http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-minor-league-report-spt-0808-20170807-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Cubs slugger Kris Bryant looks to be more selective on outside pitches http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-notes-cubs-kris-bryant-selective-spt-0808-20170807-story.html

Chicago Tribune, What will we remember about Don Baylor? For starters, his clash with Sammy Sosa http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/columnists/ct-don-baylor-sammy-sosa-cubs-greenstein-spt-0808-20170807-column.html#nt=oft13a-6gp1

Chicago Tribune, Don Baylor: Cubs manager whose hiring team accidentally leaked online in 1999 http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/columnists/ct-don-baylor-internet-leak-cubs-spt-0808-20170807-column.html

Chicago Tribune, Willson Contreras (5 HRs in 6 games) wins NL Player of Week honors http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-willson-contreras-20170807-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Dolphins fan Anthony Rizzo on Dolphins signing Jay Cutler: 'That's good. It’s good for Jay' http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-jay-cutler-anthony-rizzo-dolphins-20170807-story.html

Chicago Sun-Times, For Willson Contreras, player-of-week award ‘motivates me to do more’ http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/for-willson-contreras-player-of-week-award-motivates-me-to-do-more/

Chicago Sun-Times, How Don Baylor nearly replaced Joe Maddon as manager: The untold story http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/how-don-baylor-nearly-replaced-joe-maddon-as-manager-the-untold-story/

Chicago Sun-Times, Market Watch: Jake Arrieta trending toward big free-agent payday http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/market-watch-jake-arrieta-trending-toward-big-free-agent-payday/

Chicago Sun-Times, Willson Contreras named NL player of the week http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/contreras-named-nl-player-of-the-week/

Daily Herald, Remembering Don Baylor: fierce competitor, quiet and respected leader http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20170807/remembering-don-baylor-fierce-competitor-quiet-and-respected-leader

Cubs.com, Inside-the-park shot sparks Cubs to victory http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/247112930/cubs-arrieta-beats-giants-with-help-from-baez/

Cubs.com, Cubbie hare: Baez blazes to inside-park HR http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/247080484/cubs-javier-baez-hits-inside-the-park-homer/

Cubs.com, Quintana set to oppose slugging pitcher Blach http://atmlb.com/2vJDtPs

Cubs.com, Maddon relishes memories in return to SF http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/247093718/cubs-joe-maddon-recalls-nlds-victory/

Cubs.com, Scorching Contreras earns NL weekly honors http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/247001978/willson-contreras-named-nl-player-of-the-week/

Cubs.com, Former Cubs skipper Baylor dies at 68 http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/246983370/don-baylor-dies-at-68/

ESPNChicago.com, What's wrong with Carl Edwards Jr.? Cubs reliever says 'it happens' http://www.espn.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/id/45284/whats-wrong-with-edwards-cubs-relievers-says-its-just-my-time

ESPNChicago.com, Inside Javier Baez's inside-the-park home run http://www.espn.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/id/45294/inside-javier-baezs-inside-the-park-home-run

CSNChicago.com, Best catcher in baseball? MVP candidate? The sky is the limit for Willson Contreras http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/best-catcher-baseball-mvp-candidate-sky-limit-willson-contreras

CSNChicago.com, How Cubs are positioned for a Giant run – right now and in the future http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/how-cubs-are-positioned-giant-run-right-now-and-future

CSNChicago.com, Inside the Javier Baez inside-the-park home run http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/inside-javier-baez-inside-park-home-run

-- Chicago Tribune Javier Baez' inside-the-park HR sparks Cubs to 5-3 win over Giants By Mark Gonzales The separation between the Cubs and Giants since their National League Division Series showdown at AT&T can't be any greater than it was Monday night, as the Cubs expanded their lead to 1 1/2 games in the NL Central following a 5-3 victory. The Giants fell to 36 1/2 games back in the NL West, while the Cubs improved to 19-7 in games against left-handed starters. At the plate: Javier Baez, who delivered the game-winning hit in Game 4 of the NLDS, haunted the Giants again by driving a pitch to right center that caromed past right fielder Carlos Moncrief for a two-run, inside-the-park home run with two out in the second off left-hander Matt Moore. Anthony Rizzo had three hits to pace a 12-hit attack.

On the mound: Jake Arrieta got out of trouble in each of the first four innings and managed to keep the Giants scoreless until the sixth when Ryder Jones hit his first major-league home run. Cubs relievers Pedro Strop, Brian Duensing and Wade Davis combined for 2 2/3 scoreless innings. In the field: Gold Glove right fielder Jason Heyward dropped a fly ball by Denard Span that set up an RBI single by Joe Panik and led to Arrieta’s departure with one out in the seventh. Key number: 10 – Inside-the-park home runs in the history of AT&T Park The quote: “Regardless of all the nostalgia and the warm fuzzies, it’s an entirely different moment for them and for us.” – Joe Maddon Up next: Giants at AT&T Park, Tuesday, 9:15 p.m. LH Jose Quintana vs. LH Ty Blach -- Chicago Tribune Javier Baez hits his 1st inside-the-park home run since Little League By Mark Gonzales Javier Baez was in for a surprise Monday night as he looked at third base coach Gary Jones while Giants right fielder Carlos Moncrief was frantically trying to retrieve a drive that caromed past him. “I thought (Jones) was going to stop me,” Baez said. But thanks to Jones' decision, combined with Baez’s speed and head-first slide, Baez was able to arrive barely ahead of a 300-foot throw by right Moncrief to complete a two-run, inside-the-park home run in the second inning that sparked the Cubs to a 5-3 victory. “I was trying to catch my breath for a few minutes,” Baez admitted after hitting his first inside-the-park home run since Little League. It also was the Cubs’ first inside-the-park home run since June 29, 2016, at Cincinnati when Anthony Rizzo circled the bases. “I’m really excited this happened to me, and I’ll take it,” Baez said. The victory, combined with the Brewers’ loss to the Twins, extended the Cubs’ lead to 1 ½ games in the National League Central. “We’re trying to gain a game every day,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. “It’s about us winning. I’m a scoreboard watcher. Guilty. But if you take care of your own business, you don’t have to worry about that stuff.” Baez sparked a Cubs team (59-52) that improved to 19-7 since the All-Star break. The decision to send Baez became clearer to Jones as Baez’s drive took a weird carom past Moncrief, a former pitcher. “I felt it was worth a shot to take a chance on it,” said Jones, who knew that Moncrief had a powerful arm but was aware that pitcher Jake Arrieta was coming to the plate with two outs had he held Baez at third. “We were lucky Javy got in and got up under the tag,” said Jones, who was most surprised with the distance on Moncrief’s throw. Maddon marveled over the power of Moncrief’s right arm.

“That guy may have the best arm I’ve ever seen,” Maddon said. “That’s Bo Jackson. That was that good. That was Bo good.” Maddon said Shawon Dunston had the best infield arm, with Jackson possessing the strongest outfield arm: “Moncrief was among that group.” Baez’s play occurred less than a year after he delivered an RBI single that completed the Cubs’ 6-5 comeback win over the Giants in Game 4 of the NL Division Series that advanced the Cubs to the next round. Jake Arrieta (11-8) allowed two earned runs in 6 1/3 innings, but Pedro Strop got Arrieta out of a jam with the tying run at the plate, and Brian Duensing pitched a perfect eighth. Strop hasn’t allowed an earned run in his past 15 appearances, and Duensing extended his scoreless streak to 16 1/3 innings. -- Chicago Tribune Cubs give struggling reliever Carl Edwards Jr. a break from Giants opener By Mark Gonzales The Cubs returned Monday night to the scene of one of their scariest postseason victories last fall. And their three-game series against the Giants should serve as a reminder that their bullpen cannot suffer a prolonged slump, no matter how well other facets of their team are performing. Of the five Giants relievers who failed to shut down the Cubs' offense in the ninth inning of Game 4 of the National League Division Series, only Hunter Strickland — who allowed the winning hit to Javier Baez on an 0-2 fastball — remains on the Giants' active roster. The Cubs, meanwhile, have a chance to correct themselves against a young but feeble Giants team, provided they can close out games that got away from them in their past four losses. In those setbacks, the bullpen allowed 12 earned runs in 10 1/3 innings. Carl Edwards Jr. surrendered a tiebreaking grand slam to Matt Wieters in the eighth inning of a 9-4 loss Sunday to the Nationals. Manager Joe Maddon said he planned on giving Edwards, who has a 7.45 ERA in his past 22 appearances, a break for at least Monday night's game. "I've seen all good relievers go through these moments," Maddon said. "What you do is keep throwing him out there like a good shooter in basketball. And he's going to be fine. He just needs that next good moment to get him righted again." The Cubs need Edwards to regain a semblance of the form he showed before the All-Star break, when he had a 2.29 ERA with only 15 hits allowed in 35 1/3 innings. Edwards was able to overcome 19 walks in the first half, but his lack of control in the second half has been costly. In his last three outings, four walks by Edwards have helped lead to seven earned runs. "Minus the results, I still feel the same," Edwards said. "It was like when I was throwing well. I'm just going through a phase. I have no arm problems, no mental problems. It's just basically just getting out there and going after guys and stop nibbling." Edwards is crucial to the Cubs' playoff hopes because of his strike ability and limiting opponents to a .142 batting average.

"Primarily his problem has been walks," Maddon said. "It hasn't been hits. He's one of the best young relief pitchers in both leagues." The Cubs have been extremely patient with Edwards, but former closer Hector Rondon is an in-house option to pick up some of his high-leverage appearances. Rondon has made a remarkable comeback since struggling in spring training, getting knocked around for his native Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic and posting a 4.71 ERA in his first 31 appearances. Since that time, Rondon has regained his 98 mph fastball while not allowing an earned run in 13 of his 14 appearances. Rondon is used to handling several duties, particularly in June of 2015 when he was temporarily removed from his closer duties after struggling but regained them in time for the drive to the NL Wild Card. -- Chicago Tribune Theo Epstein vows to restock Cubs' farm system as he did with Red Sox By Mark Gonzales Cubs President Theo Epstein has told fans to trust him as he restocks a deep pool of prospects that was depleted by several trades in the past 14 months that were designed to help the major league team compete for World Series championships. After all, he did similar work with the Red Sox last decade. "We're going to find ways to build the farm system back up," Epstein said after trading infielders Jeimer Candelario and Isaac Paredes to the Tigers for left-handed reliever Justin Wilson and catcher Alex Avila. "We have talented players in our system right now that are under the radar that a year from now are going to be household names." In between the Red Sox's 2004 and 2007 titles, Epstein and his front office groomed homegrown talents like Kevin Youkilis, Jonathan Papelbon, Jon Lester, Dustin Pedroia and Jacoby Ellsbury while trading the likes of Hanley Ramirez, Anibal Sanchez and Andy Marte to add veterans such as Mike Lowell, Josh Beckett and Coco Crisp. "I think we know what we're doing in scouting and player development," Epstein said. "We're as committed as we've ever been to young players. We look forward to the cycle beginning anew and adding as much young talent over the next few years, to play meaningful games up here at Wrigley or to move for pieces that will do the same." Aramis Ademan, IF, Class A Eugene: The trade of Paredes made room for Ademan to advance from short-season Class-A Eugene to Class-A South Bend, where he is batting .276 in his first six games. "It's a really nice opportunity for him, and it's at the right time for him," said Tim Cossins, the Cubs' minor league field and catching coordinator. "You can project him at that level. The way things are stacking up, it didn't happen early, but it's a good spot for him. I think it's great for guys to finish the year somewhere and back up hopefully in a year. "When you're healthy as an organization, any time you move players, either way it's a win-win. Guys get opportunities and guys respond, and certain guys jump out that you didn't see coming necessarily. I don't see it as a negative at all." Duane Underwood Jr., RHP, Double-A Tennessee: Underwood, a second-round pick in 2012, is making a late run by posting a 7-1 record and 3.45 ERA in his last 10 games. Michael Rucker, RHP, Class-A Myrtle Beach: Rucker, 23, switched from reliever to starter two months ago and has a 1.92 ERA in 11 starts.

"He's one of those guys that bulldogs you," Cossins said. "Gets on top of you quick. His tempo and stuff are good. He's taken the ball and run with it." -- Chicago Tribune Cubs slugger Kris Bryant looks to be more selective on outside pitches By Mark Gonzales Kris Bryant's offseason mission of driving the ball to right field remains a project. The Cubs' slugging third baseman correctly sensed that opposing pitchers would pitch him away from the plate, and Bryant said he's tempted to become even more selective. "Maybe not swinging at the ones right on the (outside) corner because those are the toughest ones to hit, the ones that far away and down from you, and nobody hits or slugs on that pitch. Over time when you see more pitches over there, you realize what you can and cannot handle. "I'm still learning, and that's good for me." Bryant said there are still pitchers — primarily hard-throwing sinker specialists — who continue to throw the ball inside. But, "a lot of times, it's just for show. Some of the pitches that are in are way off the plate, and they're trying to get me to get off the plate a little bit." Bryant led the Cubs with a .326 batting average and 17 runs in July, but he's batting only .208 (5-for-24 with one double) in his first six games in August. Bryant acknowledged that he still feels discomfort caused by a headfirst slide at Atlanta on July 19. "It's tolerable," Bryant said as he shrugged. He knows the only extended rest he will receive will occur after the season ends. On the road again: The Cubs are scheduled to start the 2018 season on the road for the third consecutive season, according to a National League source. A rough draft of the 2018 schedule, subject to change, revealed that the Cubs will open the regular season at Miami on March 29. The Cubs' home opener is scheduled for April 9 against the Pirates. Extra innings: Shortstop Addison Russell remained in Chicago to rehab his right foot under the supervision of physical therapist Ryan Mertz. Russell is eligible to be activated from the 10-day disabled list on Sunday. -- Chicago Tribune What will we remember about Don Baylor? For starters, his clash with Sammy Sosa By Teddy Greenstein Don Baylor operated in an era before managers obsessed over the feelings of their players. He didn't coddle. He wasn't Zen. He called out Sammy Sosa by saying he needed to be a more "complete" player, and he insisted it was a "big deal" that Sosa showed up late for spring training in 2000. That might sound tame, but for a slugger who demanded superstar treatment, those were practically fighting words.

Sosa shot back that Baylor had "no class." Baylor's view? If you don't like being criticized in the media, do something about it. Come see me. Or, better yet, get it done on the field. The baseball community learned Monday morning that Baylor had died from cancer of the bone marrow at 68. Cancer might be the only thing that could have taken down a man that big, that strong and that tough. Baylor could be gruff. After his team blew a late lead in Colorado in 2001, a young radio reporter asked flippantly, "Are you looking forward to leaving Coors Field?" "No," Baylor replied. "Why would I be?" Baylor paused, let out a sigh, asked if there were any other questions and then walked back to his office. But he was also personable. I covered his 21/2 seasons managing the Cubs and grew to admire a man whose autobiography was titled, "Nothing But the Truth." Baylor was reared in baseball by Earl Weaver, who didn't give a bleep what you thought of him. Only your performance mattered. And winning. Baylor's style reflected that. He once rankled closer Tom "Flash" Gordon by saying he had to have another arm ready in the bullpen in case Gordon "walked the ballpark." Baylor warned Corey Patterson that if the Cubs' top prospect didn't emphasize speed over power, he wouldn't have much of a big-league career. He clashed at times with Eric Young, who played for him with the Rockies and Cubs. Young didn't appreciate reading in a newspaper that Baylor said he reported to camp out of shape in 1995. "Don and I had our little disagreements," Young said in 2000, "and at the time I was a little teed off. But it's all in how you respond to it. I took the attitude of 'I'll show you' rather than taking it personally. I had my best years in '95 and '96." Though he ended up having a productive relationship with Sosa, Baylor vowed never to change his style, calling it "constructive criticism." Said Mark Grace in 2000: "He tells it like it is. He came out the other day and said I wasn't hitting the ball out of the infield. I have no problem with that because he was right." Baylor took the Rockies to the playoffs in their third season in 1995 but got bounced after six seasons (440-469). His 2001 Cubs finished 88-74, but President Andy MacPhail fired him after the 2002 team slumped to a 34-49 record. At the time, left fielder Moises Alou was one of the few who spoke up for Baylor, saying: "I feel so bad because Don was so supportive of me. This team hasn't played the way it should be playing. It's not his fault. It's our fault." Baylor's in-game strategy reflected the times. He favored sacrifice bunts even when his bottom-of-the-lineup hitters repeatedly failed to drive in runners. As a player, Baylor once told a reporter: "Once I get in a groove, I really don't care who the (other) outfielders are out there."

His teammates nicknamed him "Groove," and it stuck. The 1979 American League MVP with the Angels, Baylor hit .260 for his career with 338 home runs and 1,276 RBIs and was hit by a pitch 267 times, the fourth-highest all-time total. Regarding his push to have Sosa improve his defense and baserunning, Baylor explained it like this: "I've been a Laker fan all my life. When Phil (Jackson) came in and told Shaq (O'Neal), 'You're going to improve your free-throw shooting,' Shaq accepted it and said, 'I'm going to work on my game.' And he ends up being the MVP." Part of Baylor's charm was that he did not sound like a politician. He left behind some memorable, albeit awkward, sayings in the mold of Casey Stengel. He called a player's return from injury a "50-50 long shot." He said of one of his teams: "We haven't found our gel yet." And of its bullpen: "It's an improvement that we have to upgrade." "A lot of guys will be self-evaluating themselves," he said. "This year," he said early in the 2001 season, "all the puzzles fit." Baylor had his own way. He will be missed. -- Chicago Tribune Don Baylor: Cubs manager whose hiring team accidentally leaked online in 1999 By Paul Sullivan When the Cubs hired Don Baylor as their manager in 1999, his former manager with the Angels, Gene Mauch, told me he was the perfect man for the job. "They always talk about the fact that a manager must have the respect of the players," Mauch said. "But it's just as much a factor that the manager has respect for his players. I always knew how Don had the respect of the guys in our clubhouse. It's just as important for him to show respect. ... He commands respect physically, and he's street-smart. There's no con in Don." There's no doubt Baylor, the former American League MVP who died Monday at 68, had the respect of the players in the Cubs clubhouse. He didn't win in his three seasons in Chicago, but he didn't have the horses to win either. I'll always remember Baylor as the only Cubs manager whose hiring the team accidentally leaked on the internet, an odd story from the days when technology was still a little confusing. During the search for Jim Riggleman's replacement in October 1999, an "official" press release announcing Baylor's hiring was discovered on the Cubs website. A Tribune sports staffer, researching a story on the candidates, found the release while clicking through profiles of Cubs coaches. The headline on the release stated: "Cubs Name Don Baylor Manager xxx,xxx,xx,1999." The x's were to be filled in when the hiring became official. Baylor was the hitting coach for the Braves, who were in the playoffs, and was presumed to be the leading candidate on a list that included Cubs coach Billy Williams, Twins coach Ron Gardenhire and Phil Garner. The Brewers and Angels also had interviewed Baylor for their vacancies, and Indians general manager John Hart also planned to interview him.

As the Cubs beat writer at the time, I was assigned to contact Cubs GM Ed Lynch and ask him about the alleged cyber-hiring. Lynch, naturally, denied it. When I told him it was announced in a hidden section on the team's website, he denied that too. When I gave him instructions on how to find it, he told me he would have to call me back. After a few minutes, Lynch responded. "That's the first I've heard of this," he said. "As far as I'm concerned, it's not true. I can't believe they put that on our site. We have not reached any agreement with any manager. This comes as a surprise to me." Lynch said he had "no idea" how the Baylor information could have become available through the website. The Cubs accused the Tribune sports employee of hacking into their system. Cubs executive Carl Rice, then the manager of information systems, said the team had made up profiles of all four candidates in case of a hiring. "They were more a behind-the-scenes thing," he said. "You can't access it through the website unless someone is snooping around and looking for stuff." By 7 that night, the Cubs had managed to take down the information on Baylor's "hiring." The next day's Tribune reported on the mistake under the headline "Baylor Cyber-Hired? Delete That." Baylor woke up that morning and read the article on his computer over breakfast with his wife, Becky, joking to her the Cubs job was "virtually" his. "I thought maybe I was hired by the internet," Baylor told me later that day. "I thought the fans said, 'This is the guy we want.' Actually, I thought it was pretty cool." While the story upset Cubs management, Baylor took it all in stride. He spoke to Lynch and President Andy MacPhail about the erroneous posting and assured them he was not upset. Baylor told me he asked the Cubs executives not to punish the unknown Cubs staffer who "virtually hired" him. "I told Andy and Ed I hope nothing happens to the kid," he said. A couple of weeks later, Baylor's four-year deal became official. During his introductory news conference, he was asked about restoring order in a clubhouse that had been contentious in part because of Sammy Sosa's loud boom box and teammates who didn't want to hear his music. "When you're losing ballgames, I don't like to have a lot of meetings and things unless they're warranted after ballgames," Baylor said. "A lot of times I don't like to hear anything, and if I hear music, I can tell you I keep a bat in my room and I know what I can use it for now — and it's not to hit baseballs." Baylor never took a bat to Sosa's boom box, though someone else did after the 2004 season. Like many others in the job, Baylor didn't succeed as Cubs manager. But he always had his players' respect, and he never tried to con anyone. --

Chicago Tribune Willson Contreras (5 HRs in 6 games) wins NL Player of Week honors By Mark Gonzales Chicago Cubs catcher Willson Contreras was honored Monday for his dominance by being named as the National League Player of the Week. Contreras batted .455 (10-for-22) with five home runs, 13 RBIs and a 1.660 on-base+slugging percentage in six games. "It means a lot to me," Contreras said. "This is my first award in the big leagues besides the World Series. It feels great, it feels amazing. It means a lot to my family. It motivates me to do more, to keep doing more and helping the team." Contreras produced a pair of multi-homer games Thursday against the Arizona Diamondbacks and Sunday against the Washington Nationals. Manager Joe Maddon has had a difficult time finding a spot for Contreras to get a break, but Contreras isn't worried about losing any energy. "I hope I can have it my whole life," Contreras said. "When I cross the line, all, the energy comes from my heart, comes from where I want to be and (goes toward) winning the games. If I’m going to be in a World Series, it will take all my energy. Contreras' award coincided with the Cubs' visit to San Francisco, where he delivered a key hit in the ninth inning of Game 4 of the National League Division Series that helped the Cubs transform a 5-2 deficit into a 6-5 win. Wade Davis' value only increasing as Cubs closer options struggle Maddon has seen a jolt in Contreras' performance since moving him to the cleanup spot on a permanent basis. “I stuck him in the four hole because in my observation he didn’t change anything, and he’s able to score runs with hits," Maddon said. "He’s just not a home run guy, although he’s been doing that lately. He’s using the whole field. "The biggest difference is the pitches he was fouling off at the beginning, he’s not now. "He's playing with a lot of confidence." Contreras has tempered social media talk of him being one of the best catchers in the league and in line for NL Most Valuable Player consideration with nearly two months left in the regular season. "I don’t pay attention to who is the best catcher in the league," Contreras said. "I hope I can play here for a few more years. If sometime in my life I can be the best catcher in the league, I’ll be. "But I don’t really pay attention to those comments." -- Chicago Tribune Dolphins fan Anthony Rizzo on Dolphins signing Jay Cutler: 'That's good. It’s good for Jay' By Paul Sullivan Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo was cautiously optimistic about his beloved Dolphins signing former Bears quarterback Jay Cutler.

Rizzo, who lives near Ft. Lauderdale and attends some games in Miami, said the Dolphins desperately needed a dependable quarterback “obviously with (Ryan) Tannehill going down,” and gave a tepid thumbs up to Cutler’s arrival. “That’s good. It’s good for Jay,” he said. “I know he’s going to be back with (coach Adam) Gase. Hopefully they can pull off a lot of wins and get us in the playoffs.” -- Chicago Sun-Times For Willson Contreras, player-of-week award ‘motivates me to do more’ By Gordon Wittenmyer SAN FRANCISCO — As much as the starting rotation has been behind the Cubs’ rush from the All-Star break into first place in the National League Central, no one has had a bigger impact on the surge than catcher Willson Contreras. Certainly not a bigger impact on the baseball. ‘‘From the beginning of the year to where he’s at right now, it’s been pretty impressive, his entire game,’’ manager Joe Maddon said Monday, the day Contreras earned NL player-of-the-week honors. ‘‘What he’s doing offensively, we’ve definitely needed all of that to be in the position that we are right now.’’ Contreras was 10-for-22 (.455) with five home runs, a double and 13 RBI last week against the Diamondbacks and Nationals. But he has been hot since the start of July, roughly coinciding with the release of veteran Miguel Montero and his taking ownership of the catching job. Contreras entered play Monday hitting .349 with 12 homers, 12 walks and 32 RBI in 28 games since the start of July, raising his season average to .281 with 21 homers. ‘‘It means a lot to me,’’ he said. ‘‘This is my first award in the big leagues. Personally, it feels great; it feels amazing. It means a lot to me and my family. This only motivates me to do more, to keep doing more, to keep helping the team.’’ If he does any more the rest of the way, he might force his way into the MVP conversation. Right now, that is just the stuff of fan and Twitter daydreaming. ‘‘I don’t pay attention to any of that,’’ he said. NOTE: Javy Baez hit the Cubs’ first inside-the-park homer in more than a year in the second inning. Anthony Rizzo hit the last one on June 29 of last season. -- Chicago Sun-Times How Don Baylor nearly replaced Joe Maddon as manager: The untold story By Gordon Wittenmyer SAN FRANCISCO — Joe Maddon followed Don Baylor by more than a decade as Cubs manager. But the far-less-known connection is that long before that, Baylor was close to replacing Maddon as the Angels’ manager.

It was the Angels’ delay in naming Bill Stoneman their general manager after the 1999 season that cost them the chance to hire Baylor, allowing the Cubs to hire him out from under their heavy pursuit. Maddon had finished that season as the Angels’ interim manager and was interviewed for the long-term job. Then-Angels president Tony Tavares blamed himself at the time for missing out on Baylor after making a ‘‘very substantial offer.’’ Baylor said he needed to know whom the GM was going to be before making a decision. He also said: ‘‘The Cubs [interview] was done in a first-class way, and I have a relationship with [then-president] Andy MacPhail. He traded for me and brought me to a World Series team [1987 Twins].’’ Whether the fortunes of either franchise might have changed with a different decision by Baylor that fall, the moment offers a glimpse into how well-regarded and widely respected the 1979 American League most valuable player was throughout a five-decade life in baseball. He died Monday after a long struggle with multiple myeloma. ‘‘That’s a big loss for baseball; that really hit hard today,’’ said Darrell Miller, a former spring-training teammate and a member of the Angels’ scouting department that fall. ‘‘Incredible, incredible player. Incredible man. A kind guy. They’re just not on every street corner like him.’’ Baylor was the first manager in Rockies history. He took them to the playoffs in their third season and won a National League Manager of the Year award. He was the first black Cubs manager, directing a 23-game improvement from his first season in 2000 to his second in 2001. And he was universally respected and often revered in the game. ‘‘Everybody loved playing for him,’’ Miller said. ‘‘And he’s the kind of guy who would treat the batboy and the clubhouse kid like the president of the United States.’’ Baylor continued to work for more than a decade after his 2004 diagnosis, keeping the severity of his condition out of the public light. ‘‘Don passed from this earth with the same fierce dignity with which he played the game and lived his life,’’ his wife, Rebecca, said in a statement. Baylor managed the Cubs in 2000-02, compiling a 187-220 record before being fired midway through his third season. Commissioner Rob Manfred praised Baylor’s on-field accomplishments but also remembered him away from the game. ‘‘Don’s reputation as a gentleman always preceded him,’’ Manfred said. Baylor played for six teams (Orioles, Athletics, Angels, Yankees, Red Sox and Twins) in 19 big-league seasons. He was hit by a pitch 267 times, which ranks fourth in history. -- Chicago Sun-Times Market Watch: Jake Arrieta trending toward big free-agent payday By Gordon Wittenmyer SAN FRANCISCO — Jake Arrieta doesn’t have to think about it. The answer is out of his mouth almost before the question is completed. “Zero.”

There would be no scenario in which he can imagine accepting a qualifying offer — about $18.1 million this year — from the Cubs to stick around another season before hitting the free-agent market “That’s hilarious to even think about,” said Arrieta, who pitched into the seventh to beat the Giants 5-3 on Monday at AT&T Park. “You’re asking me if I would play on a one-year contract? Absolutely not. Why would I do that? Why?” Arrieta pitched against a backdrop that offered several reminders of why anything short of the open market makes no sense despite his first-half struggles. Which makes these last 10 starts or so — and whatever may come in October — last-chance viewing of the pitching comet that has been Arrieta in his four years with the Cubs. The last time Arrieta (11-8) pitched at AT&T Park, he hit a three-run homer off Madison Bumgarner and handed off a 3-2 lead to the Cubs’ bullpen after six innings in Game 3 of the National League Division Series last October. The Cubs lost in 13 innings but won the next night to win the series. He went on to win two games on the road in the World Series, including an elimination Game 6. What’s that worth on the open market? Arrieta also is a 2015 Cy Young Award winner who hasn’t missed a start since April 2014 and is on pace to average 206 innings the last three years. He handles the biggest stages well enough to have pitched a five-hit shutout in his first postseason appearance (2015 wild-card game). Just ask former Cubs teammate Jeff Samardzija, who’s in the other dugout this series after signing a five-year, $90 million deal with the Giants a few months after leading the American League in hits, homers and earned runs allowed in 2015 for the White Sox. That’s the market for starting pitching, and it has only grown since, with 2012 Cy Young winner David Price signing a seven-year, $217 million deal with the Red Sox as a free agent the same winter. “There’s just not many guys you can count on to be healthy and give you innings,” Arrieta said of his confidence taking his track record to free agency this winter, “and pitch well and give you wins in the postseason.” He looked before the season like he might be the class of the upcoming market, and after producing a 2.18 ERA in seven starts since the beginning of July, he’s trending back in that direction after a poor first half. He and the Dodgers’ Yu Darvish should jockey for market-setting status down the stretch — and maybe into the postseason. His agent, Scott Boras, suggested that level of market status this fall even before Arrieta surged out of the All-Star break. “I understand everyone wants to look at numbers,” Boras said during the break, when Arrieta was barely .500 and lugging a 4.35 ERA. “You have to look at durability first. The most important thing about a starting pitcher is durability, his ability to go out there and throw the innings.” In May, when Boras spoke to reporters in Los Angeles about Arrieta, he made a case based more on a multiyear window of elite performance and postseason performance. Boras might be able to make either case if this keeps up, while the Cubs have long accepted the inevitability of his departure after this season. “Then you have to add in the postseason component,” Boras said. “I don’t think it’s any secret this Chicago Cubs team is facing the dynamic of having a season where they had a long season last year. You look at Jon Lester, and he’s a great pitcher. Look at his ERA [at the break]. He and Arrieta share an ERA.”

Lester’s ERA was 4.25 in the first half. “They’re both great pitchers, and they’re both championship pitchers,” Boras said. “But their ERA is probably a run higher than it was a year ago. ‘‘Does that mean that their values [are down]? The issue is they’re out there doing it [over a long window]. “But durability for me is what creates value. And you have postseason excellence, you have durability.” -- Chicago Sun-Times Willson Contreras named NL player of the week By Elan Kane For the first time since July 2014, a Cubs position player received a weekly accolade from MLB. Willson Contreras was named this week’s National League player of the week on Monday. He’s the first Cubs position player to win the award since Anthony Rizzo received it in July 2014. This is the Cubs’ first player-of-the-week honor this season. Contreras batted .455 with five home runs, 13 RBI and six runs scored last week and ranked first in the National League in home runs, extra-base hits (6), RBI, total bases (26) and slugging percentage (1.182) for the week. Contreras has been one of the league’s best hitters since the All-Star break, batting .346/.414/.782 with 15 runs scored, 10 home runs and 29 RBI in 20 games. For the season, Contreras is batting .281 with 21 home runs and 71 RBI. Cubs manager Joe Maddon said Contreras is not a player to be overlooked offensively. “Right now offensively, man, obviously he’s locked in,” Maddon said before Sunday’s game against the Nationals. “He’s on top of his game. I know he’s done well in the past but to play at this level offensively he had to lock down his defensive method first in order to really focus on offense.” -- Daily Herald Remembering Don Baylor: fierce competitor, quiet and respected leader By Bruce Miles As a baseball player, Don Baylor was ferocious. He hit 338 home runs in parts of 19 big-league seasons, and that wasn't the only kind of hitting Baylor did. If you were a middle infielder, you needed to get rid of the ball quickly if big Don was barreling down the baseline trying to break up a double play. And just to prove he could take it as well as dish it out, Baylor was hit by pitches 267 times during his career. As a person, Don Baylor put the "gentle" into the word "gentleman." He also was generous and genuine, and that's why so many in the baseball world were saddened Monday to hear of his death at age 68. Baylor died in his hometown of Austin, Texas, after battling multiple myeloma.

I covered Baylor from the time he was named manager of the Cubs after the 1999 season until he was fired midway through the 2002 season after he compiled a record of 187-220. Sitting with him in the manager's office during spring training of 2000, I casually asked him about his outside interests and hobbies. He mentioned that he considered himself to be a wine connoisseur. I mentioned that I also enjoyed a glass of red wine with dinner. "Well," Baylor said, "this season, I'll turn you on to a couple while we're on the road." I thanked him and was on my way, not knowing when -- or if -- that would ever happen. The very next morning, while I was on my appointed rounds to the Cubs clubhouse, Baylor spotted me and called me into his office. He handed me a shopping bag and said, "Try these." Inside the bag were a couple bottles of red wine. During the season, one in which the Cubs won only 65 games, one of the clubhouse guys approached me before a night game. "Don wants to see you in his office," he said. "Oh, great," I thought. "What did I write?" When I got to Baylor's office, he handed me another bag with a couple more bottles of wine. That's the kind of guy he was. Baylor came up with the Baltimore Orioles, and it was there that he earned his nickname of "Groove." Story has it that as a young player, he said he was feeling in a "groove." Future Hall of Famer Frank Robinson heard that and tagged Baylor as "Groove." The name stuck. From 1970-88, Baylor saw action with the Orioles, Athletics, Angels, Yankees, Red Sox and Twins. He won the American League's Most Valuable Player Award with the Angels in 1979, and he was a member of the Twins' world-championship team in 1987. As an outfielder and DH, Baylor compiled a hitting line of .260/.342/.436 with 338 home runs, 1,276 RBI and 2,135 hits. He said the inspiration to manage came out of left field -- literally -- as he watched Orioles manager Earl Weaver and Yankees boss Billy Martin match wits. He said he also drew inspiration from Gene Mauch, John McNamara, Tony La Russa, Jim Fregosi, Tom Kelly, Joe Altobelli and Cal Ripken Sr. Baylor managed the expansion Colorado Rockies from their inception in 1993 through 1998. He led the Rockies to the wild card in 1995 and earned Manager of the Year honors. He was the first black manager hired by the Cubs, and during his introductory news conference he asked for prayers for Chicago Bears legend Walter Payton, who was near death after battling liver disease. After the poor showing in 2000, the Cubs' front office made a flurry of moves, and Baylor had the team in first place for four months in 2001. When closer Tom "Flash" Gordon was injured, Baylor made veteran lefty Jeff Fassero the closer, and Fassero saved 12 games and was a key reason the Cubs were in the race for so long. But the team faded down and stretch and failed to make the postseason. In July of 2002, Baylor was fired after the team got off to a 34-49 start. He was fired by Cubs President Andy MacPhail, who today is president of the Philadelphia Phillies. On Monday, MacPhail shared his thoughts. "I don't think he gets enough credit for 2001," MacPhail said. "We had some injuries and bad breaks, but he kept us in it a long time, and we still won 88 games, which today gets you to the postseason."

MacPhail was GM of the Twins, and he traded for Baylor in '87 on the way to a World Series win. "If you check, there was about a three-year period that whoever had Don Baylor went to the World Series," MacPhail said, noting the 1986 Red Sox, '87 Twins and '88 Athletics. Baylor never managed after 2002, but he was a respected hitting coach, and he stayed in the game for years in that capacity. he had little patience for players who didn't work at their craft. As the Atlanta Braves' hitting coach in 1999, he marveled at how hard Chipper Jones worked, saying how he would wheel a grocery cart of baseballs out for batting practice and that Jones would hit every one of them and want to hit some more. It wasn't always smooth sailing for Baylor, which made him like every other manager. He and second baseman Eric Young had their ups and downs in Colorado, and Young played for Baylor in Chicago. "Of all the managers I've had, he's gotten the most out of me," Young said while with the Cubs. "People want to say that we had bad blood and we didn't like each other. I don't know where they got that from. But I'll be the first one to tell you that I had my best years under Don Baylor." Utility man Jeff Huson knew Baylor both in the Colorado system and with the Cubs. Huson said Baylor's honesty kept him in the game after Baylor told him to stick with it after Huson was sent to the minor leagues by the Rockies. Baylor didn't much like pitchers. Maybe you wouldn't either if they hit you with a ball 267 times. Baylor and Cubs superstar Sammy Sosa feuded in 2000, and Sosa was nearly traded that season. The two men patched up their differences, and Sosa went on to sign a contract extension in the spring of 2001. "Where Don really shined was as a human being," MacPhail said. "He was quiet and never bragged. But he had a presence about him. He was very much respected." -- Cubs.com Inside-the-park shot sparks Cubs to victory By Chris Haft and Jonathan Hawthorne SAN FRANCISCO -- Appearing at AT&T Park for the first time since they mounted a four-run, ninth-inning rally to win Game 4 of the National League Division Series and advance to the NL Championship Series, the Chicago Cubs needed fewer dramatics Monday, racing to a five-run lead through five innings before holding on for a 5-3 triumph. Cubs starter Jake Arrieta (11-8) improved to 5-2 in seven career starts against the Giants but allowed three runs (two earned) and nine hits in 6 1/3 innings, contrasting with the 2.08 ERA he posted in his previous four AT&T Park outings. Rookie Ryder Jones delivered a two-run homer, his first Major League long ball, in the sixth inning to help the Giants apply pressure. Arrieta said he noticed he felt off physically before the game but used his five-run lead to his advantage, pitching to contact. "I stayed within myself and threw some pretty good pitches," Arrieta said. "Threw some changeups in counts where I felt like they were looking for fastballs. Or spinning a good breaking ball to get weak contact. That's what I was able to do. That was the key to tonight for me."

Giants starter Matt Moore (3-12) allowed five runs and eight hits in six innings, coming nowhere near matching his eight-inning, two-run, 10-strikeout gem last fall against the Cubs in Game 4. Moore, a left-hander, could not capitalize on traditional percentages and allowed six hits to left-handed batters. "Lefties are having too much success off of him," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "He has too good of stuff to have left-handers hitting him like this. This is what we have to work on, too." Javier Baez's two-run, inside-the-park homer in the second inning galvanized Chicago's offense. With the win, the Cubs moved to 1 1/2 games ahead of the Brewers in the NL Central race. MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Keeping it in the park: Baez notched his first inside-the-park homer on a fastball offering from Moore. Baez lifted the ball to the 421-foot marker in Triples Alley and clocked a home-to-home speed of 16.11 seconds as measured by Statcast™, beating Giants right fielder Carlos Moncrief's 307-foot throw that nearly got the sliding second baseman. It was the 10th inside-the-park homer in AT&T Park history and first by a visitor since 2014. "It's one of the things you can't really describe just because of the way it happened and how quick it was," said Jason Heyward, who scored on the play. "I was like, 'OK, inside-the-park homer. Here we go.' It was just huge to get an early lead." "His presence was definitely felt out there," Moore said of Moncrief. Cain can: Making his first significant relief appearance since moving from the starting rotation to the bullpen, right-hander Matt Cain excelled by blanking Chicago over the final three innings. Cain looked particularly impressive in the ninth, escaping a two-on, one-out jam with assistance from an inning-ending double-play grounder. "I thought he did a good job of adjusting to pitching out of the bullpen," Bochy said. "[He] kept 'em there and gave us a chance." QUOTABLE "Ryder hit his first home run. I think that's the second first-career home run I've given up this year. I might send him a bottle of champagne or something tomorrow. I'm happy for him. That's a big moment in his career." -- Arrieta, on Jones' two-run homer UPON FURTHER REVIEW The Giants unsuccessfully challenged a throw to first during the Cubs' half of the ninth inning. Kris Bryant led off the inning with a single, and a replay review determined that the call stands. WHAT'S NEXT Cubs: Jose Quintana (2-1, 4.13 ERA with the Cubs) takes the mound in his fifth start since joining the Cubs in a 9:15 p.m. CT game Tuesday. His last time out -- also against an NL West team -- was trying. He allowed six runs in five innings to the D-backs. Giants: Ty Blach will start Tuesday's 7:15 p.m. PT rematch for the Giants, who can use a repeat of the offense he provided in his most recent start against Oakland last Thursday, when he hit a three-run homer. Blach became the third Giants rookie pitcher to drive in at least three runs in a game since 2005. -- Cubs.com Cubbie hare: Baez blazes to inside-park HR By Jonathan Hawthorne

SAN FRANCISCO -- As Cubs shortstop Javier Baez rounded second and saw third-base coach Gary Jones, he thought he'd see stop and certainly not go. It makes sense -- he last had an inside-the-park homer as a Little Leaguer. But Jones' signal was go. Baez followed the instructions, sliding home for the first inside-the-park homer of his career and 10th at AT&T Park in 18 seasons in the Cubs' 5-3 win over the Giants on Monday. "I just think the ball took the wrong turn off the wall and the ball went really far," Baez said. "I couldn't see it, so I was just trying to run faster." It was fast, indeed. He rounded the bases in 16.11 seconds after lifting the fastball offering from starter Matt Moore with a 107.1 mph exit velocity, according to Statcast™. The ball hit off the bottom of the wall at the 421-foot marker in Triples Alley and moved away from rookie right fielder Carlos Moncrief, toward the fourth archway, as Baez recorded the fastest home-to-home time by a Cubs player since Statcast™ debuted in 2015. Baez easily dusted the Major League average sprint speed of 27 feet per second when he darted 28.6 feet per second on the play. He normally averages 28 feet per second on max effort runs. It was Chicago's first inside-the-park homer since Anthony Rizzo laced one June 29 last year at Cincinnati. Rizzo had a home-to-home time of 17.49 seconds. "I knew we were going to have a chance to have him get all the way around the bases, based on the kick," said starter Jake Arrieta. "This is a strange park. There's certain spots in the outfield, if the ball hits off the wall, good things can happen like that. We were very fortunate in that situation." Moncrief did his best to gun down the speeding Baez, throwing 307 feet to catcher Buster Posey. It was the seventh-longest throw tracked by an outfielder this season. "That guy may have the best arm I've ever seen," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "That's Bo Jackson-arm stuff right there. It was that good." Baez's shot, which scored Jason Heyward for a 2-0 lead, was the fourth inside-the-parker by a visiting player since the Giants' park opened in 2000. Ichiro Suzuki tallied one of those four during the 2007 All-Star Game for the American League squad. "It's one of the things you can't really describe because of the way it happened and how quick it was," said Heyward. "I was like, 'OK, inside-the-park homer, here we go.' It was just huge to get an early lead." The homer also extended Baez's hit streak to six games. Asked what the reaction in the dugout was like, Baez kept it simple. "Everybody was really excited," he said. "I was just tired." -- Cubs.com Quintana set to oppose slugging pitcher Blach By Jonathan Hawthorne A battle of left-handed pitchers -- one rookie and one veteran -- is on tap for the second game of a three-game series between the Cubs and Giants on Tuesday. Jose Quintana, making his first trip to the West Coast and fifth start since his acquisition from the White Sox, squares off against rookie Ty Blach, who blasted his first career homer while pitching eight innings his last time out. He made history, too, becoming the third Giants rookie pitcher to drive in three or more runs in a game since the team moved to San Francisco in 1958.

Blach allowed two runs, lowering his ERA to 3.05 over his last six outings. After the game, Giants manager Bruce Bochy praised the rookie's performance. "It was the Ty Blach Show tonight. ... Sure, we did a lot of good things, scored runs, but what a game he had," Bochy said. "I think we were all stunned by what happened there." Quintana's pitched just once against the Giants, at AT&T Park in 2014 with the White Sox. Two months before the Giants won the World Series, he allowed four runs in 6 2/3 innings while striking out seven. He surrendered six runs -- including two homers to Paul Goldschmidt -- on six hits against the D-backs last weekend. Things to know about this game • Among current Giants, Denard Span has the best lifetime numbers against Quintana, a 4-for-7 clip. • Quintana ranks sixth in the Majors with the most swings and misses recorded on curveballs out of the strike zone. He's complied 61 this season, according to Statcast. • Blach's 416-foot home run to center field made him the third Giants pitcher this season to launch a homer of at least 400 feet. The San Francisco staff has four of those in all -- two by Madison Bumgarner -- while the rest of MLB combined has three. -- Cubs.com Maddon relishes memories in return to SF By Jonathan Hawthorne SAN FRANCISCO -- Cubs manager Joe Maddon felt his mind rewind when he approached AT&T Park on Monday. That's because last time he was here, his team pieced together a historic four-run ninth inning in Game 4 of the National League Division Series to advance to the NL Championship Series, besting the Giants, 6-5. The surge turned a three-run deficit into a champagne party before a stunned gathering of Giants fans. "It's crazy how the human mind works," Maddon said. "First of all, no time elapsed. What was it, nine months ago? It's incredible how, we as humans, time just evaporates. The nine months evaporated. It was like we had just walked in yesterday." Maddon admits the Game 4 win isn't his only positive memory vs. the Giants, but without question, it's the best. "Last year's probably can't be topped [here]," Maddon said. "I thought that victory last year really set up the whole postseason. ... That was pretty much the lynchpin, the key point, in last year's postseason." The Giants used five relievers during the inning. Just one, Hunter Strickland, is currently on the team's 25-man roster. Willson Contreras, the newly crowned National League Player of the Week, delivered the game-tying single, scoring Anthony Rizzo and Ben Zobrist. "I'll always remember the base hit. ... When you're able to beat a team in their house and come from the bench to hit a base hit to tie the game, that's one of the best feelings ever," Contreras said. Worth nothing

• Maddon said he's confident Carl Edwards Jr. will rebound from a string of rocky apperances. He's allowed seven runs in his last three outings (1 2/3 innings). Maddon indicated Edwards wouldn't pitch Monday and he will hold off on using him Tuesday. "I have not lost any confidence in him. ... I've seen all good relievers go through these moments," Maddon said. "You just keep throwing them back out, like a good shooter in basketball." Maddon went on to call Edwards, whom the Cubs project to one day be a closer, as "one of the best relief pitchers in both leagues." -- Cubs.com Scorching Contreras earns NL weekly honors By Joe Trezza Willson Contreras is making a name for himself during what has become a breakout sophomore season in Chicago, where he is swiftly grown into one of the best two-way catchers in the sport. He punctuated that growth last week with a torrid seven-day stretch that earned Contreras the National League Player of the Week honors Monday. "Personally, it feels great," Contreras said before the Cubs' series opener in San Francisco. "It feels amazing. It means a lot to me and my family. It'll only motivate me to do more to help the team." Contreras' bat was scalding last week, over which he collected four multihit games against two of the NL's best teams. Contreras went 10-for-22 (.454) overall, with five home runs and 13 RBIs. He hit two homers and drove in six against the D-backs on Thursday, then homered three times over the weekend against the Nationals. After the week ended, Contreras led all Major League catchers in RBIs (70) and slugging (.532), and he was tied for the lead in homers (21) -- to go along with one of the game's strongest arms behind the plate. Contreras entered Monday tied with Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton for most home runs since the All-Star break with 10. "I can't believe it, to be honest," Contreras told MLB.com on Sunday. "I can't believe it. To be able to put a good swing on a fastball and good pitches -- I'm not out there trying to hit homers. I'm trying to put the barrel on the ball, and it just goes." Contreras is the first Cubs player to win Player of the Week honors this season, and first since Kyle Hendricks in August of last year. "I anticipate something like this can even propel him even more right now," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. -- Cubs.com Former Cubs skipper Baylor dies at 68 By Joe Trezza Don Baylor, a feared, plate-crowding slugger who won an MVP Award and a World Series during a long playing career, and then went on to manage for nine years, died Monday after a struggle with multiple myeloma. He was 68. "Don passed from this earth with the same fierce dignity with which he played the game and lived his life," his wife, Rebecca, said in a statement.

Baylor played for the Orioles, Angels, Yankees, Red Sox, Twins and A's in a 19-year career. He was the first manager of the Rockies, from 1993-98, and skippered the Cubs from 2000-02. Baylor was most recently hitting coach of the Angels. "Today is a sad day for our game as we lost two men who built distinguished careers in the national pastime, Don Baylor and Darren Daulton," Commissioner Rob Manfred said. "Throughout stints with 14 different Major League teams as a player, coach or manager, Don's reputation as a gentleman always preceded him. ... On behalf of Major League Baseball, I extend my deepest condolences to the families, friends and fans of these two memorable individuals." Baylor spent nearly 50 years in professional baseball after the Orioles selected him in the second round of the 1967 Draft. Mostly a designated hitter who also played outfield and first base, he had his most productive seasons in the late 1970s with the California Angels, and his most consistent years in the early 1980s with the Yankees. Baylor won the American League Most Valuable Player Award in '79, when he led the Major Leagues with 139 RBIs and 120 runs scored. Nicknamed "Groove," Baylor was also an All-Star in '79, his only All-Star selection in a career that included stints with the Red Sox, Twins and A's. He hit .385 for Minnesota in its World Series victory in '87. Baylor won three Silver Slugger Awards, and hit 338 home runs in his career. He had speed, too, recording 239 of his 285 career stolen bases from 1972-79. Baylor stole a career-high 52 bases for the A's in 1976. Baylor's two-run home run for the Red Sox in the ninth inning of Game 5 of the American League Championship Series set the scene for Dave Henderson's go-ahead homer later in the inning, and he scored what proved to be the game-winner after being hit by a pitch in the 11th inning. Baylor won the National League Manager of the Year Award in 1995 after leading the Rockies to their first playoff birth in only their third year of existence. Baylor was known for a relentless toughness on and off the field. He was one of the first children to integrate the public schools of Austin, Texas, in the late 1950s. Baylor turned down a football scholarship from the University of Texas, instead choosing to pursue baseball. Had he accepted, he would have been the first African-American athlete to play football at the university. On the baseball field, Baylor developed a reputation of rarely backing off the plate, no matter how many pitches buzzed his way. He led his league in hit by pitches nine times and was struck by a pitch 267 times in his career. In all, Baylor wore the uniforms of 14 Major League teams as either a player, coach or manager. -- ESPNChicago.com What's wrong with Carl Edwards Jr.? Cubs reliever says 'it happens' By Jesse Rogers SAN FRANCISCO -- Chicago Cubs reliever Carl Edwards Jr. believes -- make that knows -- his turbulent time on the mound will pass. And he's not going to give in to his struggles, nor will his manager "run away from him." "It happens," he said on Monday before the Cubs played the San Francisco Giants. "You look at it. There aren't too many guys that are going to go through this game perfect. There was never a thought in my head that I was going to go the whole year and not have a scuffle. That's all that's going on right now. I have plenty of time to make up for it. I feel like I'm still there mentally, focused and everything. Guess it's just my time." His time came up in a bad way over the weekend when Edwards bottomed out, giving up a grand slam to Washington Nationals catcher Matt Wieters on Sunday, after hitting a man to force in the tying run. It's all been part of some larger struggles, which go back to before the All-Star break. Since July 1, Edwards has a 6.92 ERA, while walking 14 in 13 innings pitched. In his mind, it's not mechanical, it's not mental, it just is.

"I know myself better than anyone," Edwards stated. "What I'm going to do is just go out there and just attack guys. No more nibbling, trying to be the perfect guy. I'm just going to put it out there. If they hit it, they hit it. If I get away with it, I get away with it. If they strikeout, they strikeout. I'm not going to pressure myself." And neither is his manager. Joe Maddon stands firmly behind Edwards -- even if some fans are jumping off the bandwagon. But that doesn't mean Maddon is oblivious to the situation, as he'll attempt to give the righty a breather before throwing him back into the fire. Edwards didn't pitch on Monday and might not on Tuesday, and next time he does, it'll be quick -- at least that's the plan. "When guys are struggling, get them in and get them out," Maddon said. "This is one of the best young relief pitchers in the National League. ... He's had a couple tough moments. It happens to every good reliever. Stuff-wise, it's hard to beat his stuff. I have not lost any confidence in him." Even with his struggles, the opposition is hitting just .142 off Edwards this season, but it's those walks that have hurt him the most. Maddon has talked to the reliever and is satisfied Edwards is not beating himself up too much, nor does he have that deer-in-headlights look in the clubhouse. He's more determined than down. "When the ball leaves my hand, I know the nine guys behind me have my back," he said. "I'm good. I'm kind of happy this is happening right now. I'll be fine." Maddon added: "A big part of our success moving forward this year and in the future is based on him and his abilities. I've seen all good relievers go through these moments. All the good ones I've ever had. What you do is keep throwing him out there like a good shooter in basketball, and he's going to be fine. He just needs that next good moment to get him right again." When that moment will come is anyone's guess. The issue isn't his struggling, it's that it's lasted more than a few days. But the Cubs are still confident he'll return to form sooner rather than later. "Hitters go through slumps, pitchers go through slumps, managers go through slumps, writers go through slumps," Maddon said. "I love the guy, absolutely love him." -- ESPNChicago.com Inside Javier Baez's inside-the-park home run By Jesse Rogers SAN FRANCISCO -- He was out of breath as he laid at home plate after a head-first slide, but Chicago Cubs infielder Javier Baez had a smile on his face knowing he earned his first career inside-the-park home run in Monday's 5-3 win over the San Francisco Giants. Afterward, Baez was still smiling inside the clubhouse. "I couldn't see it so I just tried to run faster," Baez said. "I thought [third-base coach Gary Jones] was going to stop me." There would be no stopping Baez, though he did manage a glimpse of his right-center blast in the top of the second inning off Giants starter Matt Moore. It traveled to the farthest part of AT&T Park, and as it bounded away from right fielder Carlos Moncrief, Baez picked up steam. "Even as it was in the air, going to hit the wall, guys in the dugout were saying, 'That might be perfect for a bounce,'" pitcher Kyle Hendricks said. "Then it hit the wall, and kicked, and guys started yelling and screaming, 'It could be an inside-the-parker.'" As Baez rounded second it looked more and more like he had a shot. The Cubs pitcher was on-deck and there were two outs. Why not?

"Once I gauged it and he was halfway to third base, not to take anything away from Jake, with two outs, I thought we had a chance," Jones said. Hendricks added: "We would have been all over Jonesy if he doesn't wave him home." Jones went for it, leaving Baez with just one obstacle: Carlos Moncrief's arm. "The right fielder has a cannon and showed it," the third-base coach said. Moncrief finally tracked the ball down, back near where he began the play, then fired a rocket to home plate where a sliding Baez just got in under the tag. "He had a great arm," Baez said. "He showed it right there. He almost got me out at the plate." Jones joked: "[Baez] told me afterward he drank too much water so he was a little heavy then." The Cubs ended up with two runs that would be the difference in the win and a 2017 memory. There have been fewer of those this season compared to last, but a hot finish for the defending champions could still fill up their highlight reel. They're 16-7 since the All-Star break and extended their lead in the National League Central on Monday to 1½ games over the Milwaukee Brewers. Most of it was thanks to a rare play, as exciting as any in the game. And it was made even more exciting by the defense after it looked like Baez would have an easy run to home. "That guy may have the best arm I've ever seen," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "That's a Bo Jackson arm right there. ... It was an exciting play." -- CSNChicago.com Best catcher in baseball? MVP candidate? The sky is the limit for Willson Contreras By Patrick Mooney SAN FRANCISCO — Gripping two aluminum Budweiser bottles in his hands, Willson Contreras walked up to Theo Epstein with a big smile and dumped beer all over the boss’s head in the middle of a TV interview last October. Contreras stood in roughly the same spot as that wild clubhouse celebration on Monday afternoon at AT&T Park, no longer wearing Oakley goggles above his eyes or enjoying the playoff ride as a rookie catcher. More and more, this is becoming his team, to the point where there might not be another catcher you would rather build around. Buster Posey still owns those three World Series rings from the San Francisco Giants. Yadier Molina built up Hall of Fame credentials with the St. Louis Cardinals. Salvador Perez means so much to the Kansas City Royals as a World Series champion, an All-Star five seasons running and a four-time Gold Glove winner. But at the age of 25 — and in the middle of his first full season in The Show — Contreras is the rising stock. “I don’t really pay attention to those comments,” Contreras said after being named the National League player of the week. “I play baseball because I love baseball. This is my life. I don’t pay attention to who’s the best catcher in the league. “I’m just aware of where I am right now with the team. And I hope I can play here for a few more years.” Contreras put together a monster week — 10-for-22, five homers, 13 RBIs — against two likely playoff teams in the Arizona Diamondbacks and Washington Nationals. The way the Cubs have snapped out of their sub-.500 funk and surged back into first place will likely put Contreras on the edges of the NL MVP discussion.

“Yeah, that’s something that the fans have (mentioned) and they will tweet or comment about it,” Contreras said. “Like I said, I don’t pay attention to those details. I just pay attention to my routine, to my work, to who I’m going to be today at the ballpark and what my teammates are going to do today, so I’m not really worried about that.” Contreras is batting .346 with 10 home runs and 29 RBIs in his first 20 games since the All-Star break — while handling a veteran rotation that has gone 12-3 with a 3.10 ERA, a 1.00 WHIP and 14 quality starts in 22 games since the Jose Quintana trade. Contreras now has 33 career homers through 175 games, the most ever for a Venezuelan player and one more than future Hall of Famer Miguel Cabrera during that stage of his career. “I’m not trying to be The Man,” Contreras said. “I’m just trying to have a good at-bat, put the barrel on the ball, and the ball just goes. Besides that, I try to keep making mental adjustments. That is a huge part of baseball. And watching the game, you can learn a lot from it.” Not that Contreras spends a lot of time standing still or sitting on the bench or wondering how he can possibly keep this up while hitting cleanup and playing such a demanding position. “Of course,” the energy will be there, Contreras said. “When I cross the line, all the energy comes from my heart, comes from who I want to be and (how much I want) to win the ballgames. If I’m going to win another World Series, it would take all of my energy out there.” -- CSNChicago.com How Cubs are positioned for a Giant run – right now and in the future By Patrick Mooney SAN FRANCISCO – Since last October, the San Francisco Giants have gone from nearly pushing the Cubs into a dreaded elimination game against Johnny Cueto to racing the White Sox to the bottom for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 draft. The Cubs are headed for that Giant crash someday. Maybe Theo Epstein leaves Wrigley Field in a gorilla suit, the players tune out Joe Maddon’s “Easy Rider” act and Jon Lester’s $155 million left arm finally breaks down and the pitching infrastructure collapses. Who knows? Perhaps all those young hitters weren’t quite as good as we thought they were. Years of drafting near the bottom of the first round and spending restrictions within the collective bargaining agreement will slow down – if not stop – the flow of young, blue-chip talent to Wrigleyville. Nothing lasts forever. But San Francisco’s free fall into last place in the National League West – 36 games behind the hated Los Angeles Dodgers – is a reality check for the relative struggles of a first-place team and a reminder of how well the defending champs are positioned for the future. Because as much as the Cubs obsessed about the Boston Red Sox during the rebuilding years, the Giants represented an ideal of business/baseball synergies with stable leadership, a spectacular waterfront stadium, big-market payrolls, a talented homegrown core and the mental toughness to win World Series titles in 2010, 2012 and 2014. To put it in perspective now: Anthony Rizzo will turn 28 on Tuesday and is only 14 months older than Joe Panik, the Gold Glove/All-Star second baseman viewed as the young guy in San Francisco’s clubhouse. Jason Heyward was born the day after Rizzo in 1989. Kris Bryant, Willson Contreras, Javier Baez, Addison Russell, Kyle Schwarber and Albert Almora Jr. are all between the ages of 25 and 23. Ian Happ will turn 23 this weekend. It

won’t just be seeing the black and orange all around AT&T Park during a three-game series that begins Monday night and returning to the scene of last year’s epic Game 4 comeback and raucous celebration in the visiting clubhouse. “When we go play other teams, I’m still struck by how we’re always the youngest team on the field,” general manager Jed Hoyer said. “We have this young core of position players at basically every position who are guys that were all top-10, top-15 prospects in baseball who are wearing rings on their finger from last year.” So, no, the Cubs aren’t worried about the “Bottom of the Barrel” label that Baseball America put on their farm system, ranking it as one of the industry’s worst after the July 31 trade deadline and aggressive moves for Jose Quintana, Justin Wilson and Alex Avila. “Certainly, we’ve traded a number of prospects to go out and win a World Series and strengthen ourselves for the future,” Hoyer said. “Prospect rankings are valuable in some ways. I think how big your prospects are is – in some ways – a good view into sort of organizational health. But we’re unusual in that way. “It’s really difficult or challenging to look at our organization in that way, because on the one hand, yes, we’ve traded a number of prospects. But on the other hand, we’ve really protected that core of players that are in the big leagues. And that’s a very deep core of super-talented players who are young and under control for a long time. We’re an incredibly healthy organization from a young-talent standpoint.” The guess here is that the Cubs brand is so strong, team officials are so good at marketing their young players and there are enough legitimate assets to get some names on Baseball America’s 2018 top 100. But looking back at those rankings heading into the 2012 season – the first full year for the Epstein regime – shows how unpredictable this business can be: Brett Jackson placed 32nd on a top 100 where the top five went Bryce Harper, Matt Moore, Mike Trout, Yu Darvish and Julio Teheran. Baseball America slotted Rizzo at No. 47 in between Randall Delgado and Billy Hamilton. Matt Szczur landed at No. 64, or one spot ahead of Sonny Gray. At No. 61, Baez fell two spots behind George Springer, who got this blurb: “Figures to battle Rangers’ Mike Olt for title of best UConn position player in the big leagues.” Sooner or later, the Cubs will have a new TV deal that will enhance all their built-in advantages over the small-market franchises in the NL Central. The potential departures of free agents like Jake Arrieta, John Lackey, Wade Davis, Jon Jay, Koji Uehara, Brian Duensing and Avila could create more than $50 million in payroll space. Quintana’s club-friendly deal – which will make him an anchor for the 2018, 2019 and 2020 rotations at just under $31 million – allows the Cubs to think big and add another star player. Epstein’s front office also structured long-term contracts for Lester and Ben Zobrist with a curve that made upfront payments, took their ages into account and decreased the financial commitment on the back end. So while 1908 hung over everything the Cubs once did, in reality the operating philosophy could be summed up like this: Get into the playoffs, say, seven times in 10 seasons and there should be a year – or two or maybe even three – where your team stays healthy, gets hot, runs into the right matchups and makes enough plays for a parade down Michigan Avenue. The 2017 Cubs are staying in the picture. -- CSNChicago.com Inside the Javier Baez inside-the-park home run By Patrick Mooney

SAN FRANCISCO — Javier Baez made it feel like the playoffs more than the 63-degree temperature at first pitch, the Halloween colors all around AT&T Park and a San Francisco Giants franchise holding auditions and playing for the future. October is Javy Time after last year’s breakout performance, which started Game 1 with the Johnny Cueto quick pitch he drove into the Wrigley Field basket and became a blur of highlight-reel plays. The rest of the baseball world began to see what the Cubs already understood — a sixth sense for tagging, freakish range and arm strength, a fearless attitude running the bases and so much swagger. Baez became the game-changer during Monday’s 5-3 win, again stealing the show on a night where Metallica played the national anthem, Joe Montana watched from the stands, Jake Arrieta showed flashes of Cy Young Award stuff and Barry Bonds waved to the crowd on the 10th anniversary of breaking Major League Baseball’s all-time home-run record. Baez didn’t exactly burst out of the batter’s box and admired this one for a moment in the second inning, a natural reaction to watching lefty Matt Moore’s 93-mph fastball soar out to right-center field. “I was in the on-deck circle — I see Javy,” Arrieta said. “Most hitters kind of take a look, kind of assess the situation and then go from there. “But he’s a tremendous athlete. I knew we were going to have a chance to have him get all the way around the bases, based on the kick. And this is a strange park. There are certain spots in the outfield. If the ball hits off the wall, good things can happen like that.” Baez turned on the afterburners in between first and second base when he saw the ball slam off the angled wall and ricochet away from Carlos Moncrief, who made his big-league debut in late July for a last-place team that lost its identity and might now have the worst outfield defense in the game. Third base coach Gary Jones still knew Moncrief had a “cannon” and calculated that sending Baez would be worth the risk with two outs in a scoreless game and the pitcher up next. “I thought he ran hard the whole way,” Jones said. “I just try to read the situation. You try to play certain scenarios in your mind before they actually happen. And then when they happen — because you’ve already played it in your mind — it kind of slows down on you a little bit.” Moncrief hustled after the ball and unleashed a strong one-hop throw that bounced up while Baez dove low headfirst under the tag from Giants catcher Buster Posey. “That guy may have the best arm I’ve ever seen,” manager Joe Maddon said. “That’s Bo Jackson arm stuff right there. That was that good. That was Bo good. I’ve always thought Shawon Dunston and Bo Jackson. Shawon Dunston on the infield, Bo Jackson on the outfield. And I think Moncrief is among that group. It’s incredible.” Baez stretched out in the dirt for a moment before slapping hands with Jason Heyward — who scored from first base — and getting back up to his feet with a big smile on his face. “That’s everything I had,” Baez said. “He told me after that he drank too much water, so he was a little heavy,” Jones said. It became the first inside-the-park homer for Baez since “Little League, I guess.” It marked the first by a Cub since Anthony Rizzo last season and only the 10th since this magnificent stadium opened in 2000. “Everybody was really excited (in the dugout) — I was just tired,” Baez said. “I was trying to catch my breath for a few minutes.” It’s hard to picture a more dynamic No. 8 hitter who can play Gold Glove-level defense at second base and seamlessly move over to replace an All-Star shortstop while Addison Russell is on the disabled list. With that mad

dash, the defending World Series champs are now 59-52 and up 1.5 games on the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central. The Cubs and Baez are coming for October. “Everybody’s got me as a really exciting player,” Baez said. “I’ll take it.” --