How the Cubs, John Backer, Are Navigating the Mental Challenges of 2020

The Cubs have spent months fortifying Wrigley Field against the outside world.

It's supposed to be somewhere they feel safe, from the coronavirus pandemic, racial injustice, record unemployment rates. Even just for a few hours.

But even Wrigley's ivy-covered walls aren't impenetrable.

"I just feel like every day there's something new," Cubs manager David Ross said on Monday. "And I hope … our world gets back to being better in so many ways: health, society, emotionally, trying to get back to loving one another as best we can, as human beings."

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The Cubs anticipated that mental health would be especially important this season and gave mental skills coach John Baker Tier 1 access. That way MLB's health and safety protocols wouldn't limit his in-person conversations with players and coaches.

"I think he's handing it great," Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer said. "I think he deserves credit, and so do the players for being there for each other and be willing to talk about the challenges we all face and anxieties we all face."

As people across the country have experienced, those anxieties are ever-mounting and ever-present.

At work, the Cubs are risking their health – and the health of those who live with them – to make a living and play a game they love. And hopefully provide fans with "levity and distraction," as Hoyer put it.

Pregame interviews never conclude without a mention of the coronavirus. There's always some sort of news between the Marlins' and Cardinals' outbreaks, commissioner Rob Manfred's comments, and other teams violating protocols.

Then, at home their escapes are limited.

"This is a hard sport and it's a sport of failure," Hoyer said, "and you want to be able to have some levity in your life that isn't this job of failure. And I think that not having that I think has created player health issues and we haven't had before."

So, the Cubs built a little levity into their practice on Monday. The Cubs hadn't played a game in four days because their weekend series at St. Louis was postponed after the Cardinals had three more positive test. On Monday, Ross and his coaching staff put on a "fun" competition, involving obstacles and target practice.

"I thought the way Rossy and the coaches and the players handled this break right now has been perfect," Hoyer said. "I think they realize that in 2020 there's going to be strange things happen. You're going to have breaks, and you're going to have doubleheaders, and there's nothing you can do about those things. You just have to roll with the punches, and you can't be upset by them."

Next, they head to Cleveland to play a team that just had players violate protocol while in Chicago to play the White Sox.

Zach Plesac apologized for leaving the team hotel to go out, and he traveled back to Cleveland via car service to remain separated from the team in case of infection. But Mike Clevenger, who ESPN reported went out with Plesac, flew home with the team. He will be quarantined instead of starting against the Cubs on Tuesday.

Another anxiety to face.

"How do I keep these guys in the moment?" Baker said. "They do it themselves. We have players that love playing baseball. I see it in the smiles on the faces now that they're back on the field."

That's how they fortified Wrigley Field.