Chicago Cubs: Maddon brings new slogans for the 2017 season

The Chicago Cubs entered the 2016 campaign with the “Embrace the target” and “Try not to suck” as their mantra. Since those worked so well, Joe Maddon rolled out the new slogans for this year.

One of this year’s slogans comes thank to a player who would admit he didn’t have the best year. Chicago Cubs’ outfielder Jason Heyward‘s speech before extra-inning in Game 7 of the World Series led Joe Maddon to one of his new slogans for 2017. “Don’t forget the heartbeat.”

Maddon’s slogans and sometimes his actions during the season can seem quirky. But there’s always a reason behind them. Last year, he knew that everybody would be aiming for the Cubs. So it wasn’t just about a catchy slogan, but talking about what was ahead of the team instead of ignoring it.

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The Cubs will also use “Authenticity” and “Be uncomfortable” throughout the season. Maddon and Theo Epstein have talked often about complacency after winning, and they feel that the team can’t continue to grow unless they remain uncomfortable.

Maddon is a big proponent of being an authentic person. It’s very much part of who he is, and how he wants his team to be.

"“For me, I really want us to really understand the authentic part of who we are. From that, be able to sustain what we’ve done in the past just by being us. Don’t try to do anything different.” Joe Maddon"

The most unusual but my personal favorite is “That’s Cub”. It was once considered negative to “do it like the Cubs”. But now, Maddon has taken it to the positive side, looking at what you do to move forward.

"“That would be Cub, that’s Cub to move it forward, to win a World Series and then come back the next season and you’re happy and you’re impressed and you love what you’ve done, but you have to continue to move it forward,” Maddon said."

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For the fans, they’re fun shirts to wear. But for the players, it’s more than that. It’s a message to remind them what lies ahead this coming season. To not fall into a level of complacency in what they do. Maddon want’s to keep this team hungry as they chase a second straight World Series championship.