Chicago Cubs Activate Ben Zobrist From Disabled List
By James Neveau •
The Chicago Cubs are looking to get healthy again, and they took one step in that direction Saturday as they activated Ben Zobrist from the 10-day disabled list.
Zobrist, who was dealing with inflammation in his left wrist, has spent the last few days on a rehab assignment, going 3-for-6 and playing at second base and at both corner outfield spots for the Tennessee Smokies.
The versatile fielder began having issues with the wrist in late May, but it wasn't until after the Cubs' game on June 12 that he was placed on the disabled list to rest and rehab the injury.
To make room for Zobrist on the 25-man roster, the Cubs have optioned outfielder Mark Zagunis to Triple-A Iowa.
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CLEVELAND, OH - NOVEMBER 02: Manager Joe Maddon of the Chicago Cubs reacts after defeating the Cleveland Indians 8-7 in Game Seven of the 2016 World Series at Progressive Field on November 2, 2016 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cubs win their first World Series in 108 years. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
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On Tuesday night, Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon notched his 1000th win as a manager. He is one of 63 skippers in big league history to hit that plateau, and he’s one of eight active managers with that many wins. n nAmong active managers with at least 1000 wins, Maddon has the second-best winning percentage, checking in at .534. Only Los Angeles Angels skipper (and Maddon’s former boss) Mike Scioscia is better, with a .540 winning percentage.
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Maddon attended Lafayette College to play football, but he switched to baseball during his collegiate tenure after hearing the sounds of batting practice from the football field on a daily basis.
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Maddon was hired in 2006 as the manager of the Tampa Bay Rays, but it took him a really long time to get a big league managing job. He began coaching and scouting all the way back in 1979 with the California Angels, and although he had a few interim stints, he didn’t get hired as a big league skipper for nearly 30 years.
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Maddon has become famous in Chicago for his use of slogans like “Respect 90” and “Try Not to Suck,” but he first embraced the concept of slogans when he was the skipper of the Rays. Slogans like “9=8” and “Another Way” were some of the big ones that he used as he brought the Rays to the playoffs on multiple occasions, including a World Series berth in 2008.
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Maddon’s relentless positivity even extends to his interactions with umpires. Back in 2007 when he was with the Rays, Maddon was warned that if he said one more word to umpire Ted Barrett, he would be ejected. Maddon replied with the phrase “I love you,” and he was promptly tossed from the contest.
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In response to the growing distrust and disconnect between white residents of Hazleton, PA and the Hispanic residents of the town, Maddon started the Hazleton Integration Project. The Project has a community center at its core that helps underprivileged kids and adults participate in educational, athletic, and cultural activities, and the project’s mission also involves “fostering trust and respect among all of the region’s ethnic cultures.”
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When Maddon triggered an opt-out clause in his contract with the Rays, he met with Cubs President Theo Epstein and G.M. Jed Hoyer. Instead of holding the meeting in an office or over the phone, the Cubs’ duo travelled to Florida and met with Maddon on a beach, sipping beers and talking baseball as they cemented a relationship that would ultimately culminate in Maddon joining the Cubs.
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Instead of fining players in money when they break his select few rules, Maddon has a different approach: he has players buy him a bottle of wine. That policy has resulted in Maddon gaining a reputation as a wine aficionado, and he even has a wine rack in his office at Wrigley Field.
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Maddon has become known for his colorful slogans and themed road trips, and he’s parlayed that eye for detail into another charitable endeavor. Partnering with Korked Baseball, Maddon has released a line of t-shirts with some of his more memorable one-liners, including “Try Not to Suck” and “If You Look Good, Wear It.” A portion of the proceeds from the t-shirt sales go to Maddon’s “Respect 90” foundation.
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When Maddon won the 2016 World Series with the Cubs, eagle-eyed fans may have noticed that he was wearing an old school Anaheim Angels hat. That’s because the hat belonged to Maddon’s father, who wore the hat nearly every day when his son was on the team’s coaching staff. Maddon keeps the hat with him everywhere, and wore it after the Cubs won the title in memory of his dad.
So far this season Zobrist is batting .223 with seven home runs and 21 RBI for the Cubs, and even though his batting average is down significantly, he's slowly rebuilding his on-base percentage and will hope to continue to be an important part of the team's lineup now that he's back.
Zobrist will be available for the Cubs when they take on the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday at the Great American Ballpark.
