Chapman critical of usage in World Series

NEW YORK Aroldis Chapman says Cubs manager Joe Maddon misused him during the post-season, putting the hard-throwing reliever on the mound too often in Chicago’s successful effort to win the World Series for the first time since 1908.

Traded from the New York Yankees to Chicago in late July, Chapman got the victory in Game 7 against Cleveland after wasting an eighth-inning lead. He became a free agent and agreed to an US$86-million, five-year contract to return to the Yankees, a deal finalized Thursday.

“I believe there were a couple times where maybe I shouldn’t be put in the game and he put me in. So I think personally, I don’t agree with the way he used me,” Chapman said through a translator Friday. “But he is the manager and he has the strategy. My job is to be ready, to be ready to pitch, whatever that is, however many innings it is, I need to be ready for that and I need to go in and do my job.”

Chapman threw 273 pitches in 13 post-season appearances, including 42 over 22/3 innings in Game 5.

He threw 20 pitches to get four outs in Game 6, then 35 more in Game 7 when he entered with a 6-3 lead and allowed Brandon Guyer’s double and Rajai Davis’s homer.

Asked for an example of misuse, Chapman cited Game 6, when he entered with a 7-2 lead in the bottom of the seventh with two on and two outs.

“I don’t think I needed to come into the game,” Chapman said. “The important game was going to be Game 7 because basically we had that game almost won, and the next day I came in a little tired.”

Maddon did not immediately respond to a message Friday seeking comment.