Cubs’ Maddon sees different Sox from Rays days
When Joe Maddon was cutting his managerial teeth with Tampa Bay, he was a frequent visitor to Fenway Park, and as the Rays got better and better, he was involved in an increasingly intense rivalry.
Maddon knew the Red Sox well, yet when he returned this series, he discovered just how much has changed.
No. 1, he does not have to wish his pitchers good luck when it comes to facing David Ortiz.
“He’s one of those guys — you always knew where Lawrence Taylor was, you always knew where David Ortiz was in the batting order, you always know where Michael Jordan was on the court — Larry Bird, excuse me — so, it is different,” said Maddon before his World Series-champion Chicago Cubs face the Red Sox last night. “Not only him, but Manny (Ramirez) — those lineups were ridiculous, they were absurd, the teams we played against and played well against, they were really thick, man.”
Getting used to the absence of a legend is one thing, but finding another legend perhaps in the making is another. Which is why after only two games, Maddon was bowled over by the performance, poise and unteachable instincts of rookie Andrew Benintendi.
“Seen him on TV, plays different in person — he’s really good,” said Maddon. “I’m not afraid to say it — that’s Freddy Lynn reincarnated right there.”
The sacrifice fly that Benintendi connected on in the third inning Saturday reminded Maddon of the bloop hit his own hitting phenom Kyle Schwarber connected on later in the game. Each batter not only swung at but also made meaningful contact on a down and away pitch that most batters have no business hitting. Benintendi’s pitch was down and in, with Schwarber’s low and away. Neither ball should have been swung at, nor meaningful contact made as a result.
“That told me a lot about him — not unlike Schwarber’s base hit to center field,” said Maddon. “He’s going to fight, he’s going to battle, he’s got a great knowledge of the zone already.
“He’s just scratching the surface. He’s really good, he’s really good. I heard about him. It takes you about one at-bat to understand how good he is. His set up, his approach, the look in the box, the looseness, a real looseness about his swing, very free. There’s not a tight bone in his body, man, he’s a baseball player.”
Maddon got plenty of exposure to Jon Lester when Lester led the Red Sox against the Rays, and now he has him on his side in Chicago. Coincidentally, Maddon was at the helm when David Price burst upon the Tampa Bay scene — and now Price is with the Red Sox.
While neither Lester nor Price were in action this weekend (Price due to injury, Lester due to his turn in the rotation), they bear similarities that go beyond Maddon being their manager.
Each signed a lengthy mega-deal with his current team after the age of 30. And while Lester’s performance so far with Chicago has outshined Price’s with the Red Sox, Maddon was unable to say what the formula is for picking the right over-30 pitcher to ink to a large deal.
“I don’t know the secret sauce, man,” said Maddon, after trying to take a stab at it. “They’re each similar in makeup, accountability, size, strength, athleticism and work ethic.
“They’re really similar with the way they go about their business. I watch Jon work, I used to watch David work and they really hold themselves to a high standard. Maybe getting to know the person a little bit more would really matter, if you could really get under the hood a little bit. But they’re very similar with the way they go about their business and how accountable they are to themselves.”