Cubs notes: Hammel’s hammy, Maddon on Ali, road-trip theme

Jason Hammel pitched just two innings in his start Monday, exiting after feeling a cramp in his right hamstring.

The cramp was long forgotten when Hammel started in his regular spot Saturday. He tossed a gem in a 5-3 victory over the Diamondbacks, allowing two runs, one hit and two walks in seven innings.

Before the game, Hammel was more concerned about the rainy weather than his leg.

“During my warmup pitches for the first inning, I almost launched two to the backstop because it was coming down pretty good,” he said. “I tried to stay with it and command the ball in the strike zone and hoped the rain would calm down. I ended up finding a pretty good rhythm.”

Hammel, who entered the game with the fifth-best ERA in the majors, gave up a two-out walk and a home run to Jake Lamb in the first inning. He allowed just one other batter to reach base — Brandon Drury, who walked in the third — and lowered his ERA to 2.14.

Maddon reflects on Ali

Cubs manager Joe Maddon never met Muhammad Ali, but he did see him spar in his hometown of Hazleton, Pennsylvania.

Maddon said Ali used to spend a great deal of time at his training center in nearby Deer Lake, Pennsylvania. One night, when Maddon was still a teenager, he saw Ali spar at Harman-Geist Memorial Field in Hazleton.

“I think it was prior to the [George] Foreman fight,” Maddon said. “I got to see him do a sparring routine in the center of Geist Stadium in Hazleton. He used to frequent my hometown because of the location and the people.”

Ali died Friday night at 74.

“I don’t think there’s ever going to be a boxer that provides that kind of entertainment, that kind of interest, that kind of charisma and everything else he had going on,” Maddon said. “I feel fortunate in some bizarre way to have rubbed elbows with him through common friends.”

Fashion update

The Cubs arrived in the clubhouse Saturday to find NBA-style track suits in their lockers.

The outfits will be the required dress for the next road trip, which takes the Cubs to Philadelphia on Monday.

Each jacket features a nickname on the back. Maddon’s is “JOEY,” but several players had far more creative nicknames. Justin Grimm’s read “REAPER,” and Matt Szczur’s read “SZCZ-URRRRR.”

Maddon said the idea for the theme came from Jon Lester.

“It’s the Jon Lester tribute to the NBA Finals road trip,” Maddon said. “I intend to wear mine as often as weather permits.”

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