After Jonathan Papelbon grabbed Nationals teammate Bryce Harper by the neck in a dugout scuffle Sunday, it occurred to me how lovey-dovey the Cubs have been this season.
Taken even further, it’s hard to picture any Cub raising a hand against anyone.
The Cubs are winning, the Nationals have fallen apart. Winning makes most people happy. But there are exceptions to the rule. When Carlos Zambrano was a Cub, it didn’t seem to matter if his team were good or bad. You didn’t want to put a hand inside his cage. And Milton Bradley … oh, never mind.
I don’t see anyone like that on this season’s roster. Even when manager Joe Maddon talked tough about the Cardinals, it seemed more out of territory marking than actual malice.
Can nice guys finish first? We’ll find out.
