HIPPER SKIPPER
Free- spirited Maddon has changed dynamic of Cubs- Cardinals rivalry
Cubs- Cardinals is more than a rivalry; it’s a clash of cultures. Illinois is a blue state, Missouri a red state. The baseball uniforms follow suit.
The Cardinals are as old- school as Oxford. The Cubs feel like a hot start- up run by guys with big ideas and big beards, despite the franchise having been around since the late 1800s.
The franchises always have done their own thing, but Cubs skipper Joe Maddon has changed the texture of the comparisons. Can you imagine a Cardinals manager bringing zoo animals to the ballpark, as Maddon did before a game last season? No, you can’t. Farm animals, maybe; zoo animals, no.
Anyone can see, the Cubs have become the darlings of the baseball world. You don’t have to be particularly perceptive to see this irritates the bejesus out of the Cardinals and their fans. It’s hard to blame them. St. Louis has a long history of success; the Cubs have a long history.
The Cubs signed Jason Heyward and John Lackey away from the Cardinals in the offseason, adding more fuel to the bonfire. But this rivalry really has become about Maddon, at a very deep, philosophical level. The teams opened a three- game series Monday at Busch Stadium, and everything was in sharp contrast, thanks to the guy wearing the thick black glasses.
The Cardinals are rooted; Maddon is a free spirit.
The Cardinals are red; Maddon is tie- dyed.
The Cardinals are a three- hour church service; Maddon is the circus roaring into town.
It’s no secret Maddon’s act has launched eye rolls around baseball, but probably no more so than in St. Louis, which takes its baseball Very Seriously. It’s not that there aren’t hipsters in St. Louis; it’s that St. Louis wouldn’t want one as its manager. If Maddon ever were named the Cardinals’ manager, their fans would want to know who gave the apostate a key to the church doors.
Maddon doesn’t take himself as seriously as Tony La Russa did — a bomb defuser doesn’t — but he wants to be a trendsetter the way La Russa was. He wants to have an effect on the game the way La Russa did. Five relievers in the last two innings of a game? Maddon says, ‘‘ Yes, please!’’ So did La Russa, but without the exclamation point. Or the ‘‘ please.’’
This series and this season should be a lot of fun. You can thank Maddon for that.
Crawford doubters living under a rock
Are there any Corey Crawford doubters left in the world? Perhaps in a forest somewhere, unaware the war is over?
The Blackhawks goalie is great, and the planet is round, not flat. With enlightenment available to everyone, neither of those truths is much contested these days.
The Hawks lost 3- 2 on Sunday to the Blues and trail them 2- 1 in their first- round series. You might think this an odd time to be singing Crawford’s praises, but he’s not the problem — if there is a problem. The Hawks tend to start slowly in playoff series, feel out their opponent, then twist their heel to extinguish whomever they’re playing.
Crawford was terrific Sunday. What he was subjected to in the second period is what punching bags are subjected to at boxing gyms. The Blues had a handful of great scoring opportunities, but all they found was a wall. They scored on two deflections and on a power play. The people around Crawford have to play better.
Back to the original question: Are there any Crawford skeptics left among you? There shouldn’t be. With a victory in Game 2, he became the Hawks’ all- time leader in playoff victories for a goalie with 46. His 35 victories in the regular season were the most of his career, and he led the league with seven shutouts, even though he missed significant time because of injury.
The answer wasn’t so clearcut last season. He struggled in a
first- round series against the Predators, and even the most ardent Crawford backers among us knew a goalie change was in the best interests of the team. Scott Darling took over, but Crawford eventually worked his way back into the net. Not coincidentally, the Hawks found their way to a third Stanley Cup title in six seasons.
The stat sheet will show Crawford gave up three goals against the Blues on Sunday. The stat sheet can’t tell a story to save its life. He was great, the way he has been for a long time. Everybody sees that now, right?
Wentz would look good in a Bears uniform
One week from Thursday, the NFL draft will begin. You know what that means: There is absolutely nothing left to say about the NFL draft.
We have talked about it to within an inch of its life for the last few months. We’ve written every word that possibly can be written about all the draft prospects. A year ago, we didn’t know whom North Dakota State’s te’s Carson Wentz was or where North Dakota was. Now we have committed Wentz’s formative years in Bismarck to memory and we know that North Dakota kota is quite possibly north of South Dakota. ta.
We also know Wentz won’t be coming ing to the Bears, which is a shame. The idea dea of having the quarterback of the future re on the roster is an enticing one. Alas, the Bears have the 11th overall pick, and it’s extremely unlikely Wentz or the he other top quarterback, California’s Jared Goff, will fall that far in the first round.
The Bears need defensive help in the worst way. We all know that. Someone with the ability to rush the passer at the professional level would get a bear hug of an embrace from the local populace. A cornerback would be cheered. Anyone from Oregon defensive end DeForest Buckner to Georgia outside linebacker Leonard Floyd to Florida cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III would be received warmly.
But I keep holding out hope that general manager Ryan Pace will pull a first- day surprise involving a quarterback. I don’t think Jay Cutler is bad; I just don’t think he’s going to lead the Bears to a Super Bowl. And the Super Bowl is the whole idea.
I hope a talented young quarterback isn’t a year or two away from being on the Bears’ radar. You can turn a defense around with a few shrewd picks. You can’t manufacture a quarterback.