Cardinals manager Mike Matheny took a cute swipe at the Cubs and manager Joe Maddon after his team improved to 6-0 in home games in Jupiter, Fla.
It’s no secret the Cardinals struggled last season in St. Louis, where they open the 2017 season against the Cubs with a Sunday night showdown.
So after their latest victory Wednesday at Roger Dean Stadium, Matheny cracked: “I think we have T-shirts somewhere that say something about winning at home.”
Whoa! Sounds like a shot at the Cubs.
Our old pal Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch gave Matheny the opportunity to walk back his apparent jab at the Cubs and Maddon. Here’s what happened.
Matheny’s comments were relayed to Maddon this morning, and he took them in stride.
“Imitation is always the sincerest form of flattery,” Maddon said in Mesa, Ariz. “And necessity is the mother of invention.”
So what if the Cardinals start making their own T-shirts?
“If it goes to anybody’s foundation,” Maddon said, “I’ll be happy to purchase some.”
Any ideas for Cards T-shirts?
“No, not at all,” Maddon said. “We’re saturated here with korkedbaseball.com. That’s where you can buy ours.”
Always the pitchman.
Maddon and his antics have long been fodder in managerial circles around baseball. Our Gordon Wittenmyer had a great tale in October of how veteran Giants manager Bruce Bochy reacted to a Maddon text that read “Groovy” last spring training.
There’s no question Maddon isn’t your typical manager. But looking at his resume, it’s hard to argue with the results — even if the hazing and overuse of magicians need to be reeled in. And with the biggest achievement of his career (winning a World Series with the Cubs), Maddon is now tied with Bochy and Angels manager Mike Scioscia as baseball’s highest-paid managers at $6 million a year, according to a report by Jon Heyman at FanRag Sports.
Maddon’s original five-year, $25 million contract includes an escalator clause, Heyman reports, that tacks on an extra $1 million each year for the final three years of the deal (Maddon is entering Year 3). Maddon told Wittenmyer this morning that he didn’t even realize the clause existed.
“Honestly, when this all came about, my first thought was the more you could make, the more you could give back,” Maddon said. “I guess in some way it’s an honor to be considered in that position. But also it’s a function of where I work.”
Of course, this was all part of the Cubs’ grand plan.
“With an escalator of that type, it’s the kind of escalator you hope you’re paying,” general manager Jed Hoyer told Wittenmyer this morning. “I’m glad we are.”
Money well spent for the Cubs.
Can’t get enough Maddon? Jayson Stark at ESPN did a fun video with managers, including Maddon, on how they plan to signal for the new intentional walk rule. Check it out here just to find out which manager called it — correctly! — a “rinky-dink rule.”
READY TO FACE THE WORLD
It was a busy Thursday morning at Cubs camp.
After just two Cactus League appearance, setup man Hector Rondon pronounced himself ready for the World Baseball Classic, where he will represent Team Venezuela.
Rondon is the only pitcher from the Cubs’ projected opening roster to participate in the WBC.
AGE IS JUST A NUMBER
Reliever Koji Uehara is the oldest player in a Cubs’ clubhouse that still mostly gets checked for its ID any time a round of drinks is purchased. He’s no Grandpa Rossy, but Uehara, who turns 42 during the first week of the regular season, says he’s still a kid at heart.
“He’s probably one of my favorite guys to have played with,” Jon Lester said of his former Red Sox teammate. “Just the energy that he brings, the competitiveness, the high fives in the dugout after he gets out of an inning are pretty special. I can’t wait to see some of the faces when he does that for the first time.”
THE KING RETURNS
On the South Side, Paul Konerko returned to White Sox camp on Wednesday. They used to call him The King when No. 14 was running the clubhouse.
There’s a different look to the rebuilding White Sox, but Konerko likes what he sees.
“As they keep getting better and better, there will be things pulling them away from keeping together,” Konerko said. “The money guys are making, guys getting married and having kids, all that kind of stuff. You start to spread out. Hopefully, the idea is you build that core and they show up each day for each other because they’re built that way, and the wins are just a byproduct.”
A FIGHTING CHANCE
Peter Bourjos is in the White Sox’ camp on a minor-league contract, seeking a job as a backup outfielder.
The veteran discussed this morning trying to crack the roster of a rebuilding Sox team.
“I’m really not, like, overly concerned about how I fit on the roster,” he told our Steve Greenberg. “If I go out and play well, good things will happen.”
AROUND THE HORN ON TWITTER
#regulars pic.twitter.com/hSdxx5A2DB
— Gordon Wittenmyer (@GDubCub) March 9, 2017
'B' game. pic.twitter.com/Dn2HMS0QJL
— Gordon Wittenmyer (@GDubCub) March 9, 2017
Today's #SoxSpringTraining starters: pic.twitter.com/YKVAlPhvIV
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) March 9, 2017
Another day of #SpringTraining baseball for the Grapefruit & Cactus Leagues - Here's the #MLB schedule for today: pic.twitter.com/T7B1854f5g
— Baseball by BSmile (@BSmile) March 9, 2017
Column: Tim Tebow's first at-bats in spring training spoke volumes about his status as a legit prospect. https://t.co/qYvdo7j7dU
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) March 9, 2017
oh hey this is the actual uniform of a minor league baseball team - guess they're expecting to have some big bats in their lineup ;) pic.twitter.com/rzmLVlbRZk
— megan BRAUNY FOREVER brown (@thatgirlondeck) March 9, 2017
Enjoying some @KelloggsUS Raisin Bran Crunch Apple Strawberry with my family b4 the kids are off to school. Living the good life! #ad pic.twitter.com/RHs9ZNcX0X
— David Ross (@D_Ross3) March 9, 2017
#OTD in 1893, Hall of Fame Manager Billy Southworth was born. His #STLCards teams won 3 straight NL pennants & 2 WS titles (1942 & 1944). pic.twitter.com/3UgG93EQKo
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) March 9, 2017
Catch Probability: A new metric to help further explain how amazing @BillyHamilton is in center field.
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) March 9, 2017
🔗 https://t.co/ilZSIsT2nr pic.twitter.com/vv9Y8NY3Y6
Happy Birthday Bert Campaneris! ~ The speedy Cuban-born shortstop turns 75 years old today! #Athletics @UniWatch #MLB pic.twitter.com/aQi1k52NOH
— Baseball by BSmile (@BSmile) March 9, 2017
None of these guys made our Top 💯, but they all have a chance to emerge in 2017:https://t.co/bLqUYuQ2bN
— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) March 9, 2017
.@Pirates, @Cardinals to play "MLB Little League Classic" in Williamsport 8/20 during @LittleLeague World Series on @espn. pic.twitter.com/pEAx5sRArn
— MLB (@MLB) March 9, 2017