How upset are Cubs that Yu Darvish tweeted with writer before start? ‘Come on,’ Joe Maddon says

Think the Cubs have a problem with pitcher Yu Darvish interacting on Twitter before Wednesday’s start with a press box wag? Think again.

“A who?” manager Joe Maddon said.

Exactly.

While pundits spent airtime Thursday debating the merits, causes, effects and/or perceived protocol breach of Darvish engaging a Cubs beat writer in brief Twitter banter two hours before a rough start, Maddon laughed it off.

“That’s the spirit of social media for me,” Maddon said Thursday. “I think that’s a good exchange, actually. There’s nothing negative; nothing horrible. I think he handled it well.”

After the original tweet suggesting Darvish wear a Notre Dame cap so “he has ‘ND’ across his forehead,” Darvish replied with a picture of a Cubs “W” cap and typed, “I want this one.”

He went on to snap a franchise-record streak of 10 no-decisions – but with a loss after giving up five runs in five innings.

Was the tweet exchange from the clubhouse that harmless two hours before a start?

“Come on,” Maddon said. “I mean, the way these guys are?”

Jake Arrieta actually tweeted with fans before starts regularly during his Cy Young season in 2015.

“When it comes to that stuff these guys, just like you, right before the game, are attached to their devices,” Maddon said. “It’s no different than breathing.

“We’re all guilty of being distracted at different points, and actually it’s not even that any more,” he added. “It’s just a method. It is breathing. It is going down to the snack room and grabbing a bite to eat; it’s listening to music on your headphones. There’s no difference for me.”