Chicago Cubs: Joe Maddon wishes more players had Buds with buds

Chicago Cubs: Here’s to hangin’ with the boys

Guys hanging out, telling stories, joking around and belching up the tasty aroma of a nice kolsh or lager every once in a while after games could do a lot for team morale and chemistry. In essence, it would create a world of change in something you can quantify (wins) but not qualify (chemistry).

More from Cubbies Crib

• Cubs starting pitching has been thriving on the North Side
• Make no mistake: the Cubs are very much about power hitters
• Cubs are giving pitcher Javier Assad a deserved shot
• Cubs: It’s time to start thinking about potential September call-ups
• Cubs: P.J. Higgins deserves to be in the lineup on a daily basis

And that didn’t happen a lot this past season for whatever reason according to Maddon. Whether it’s guys getting older, getting married, staying away from potential social media snafus or eschewing drinks and fast food as ordered, it just didn’t happen.

This brings to mind two old sayings we’ve all heard before: “everything in moderation” and “be careful what you wish for.” Currently, the Cubs are moderating too well, and being too careful. Perhaps they do need to go out and have a few beers.

Maybe the front office shouldn’t have been worried about fast food and beer last year. This could just be the natural pendulum swinging of beer and chicken in a baseball clubhouse, a ring coming two years after the initial problem (see Red Sox, Boston- c. 2013).

Then you have Epstein and Maddon supposedly meeting over drinks last night in attempt to take over the world and decide the fate of the Cubs franchise for the next few years. Strange, right; or, maybe just ironic? Regardless of the word, the Cubs certainly have had a few run-ins with beer-related stories this season. Heck, Maddon wishes they had had more run-ins with beer in person. If it means another ring, I’m all for it too.

I don’t personally care whether the players are playing video games or going out to the bar, but friendship and camaraderie is an enormous part of chemistry in a clubhouse. You don’t need everyone to be best friends, but it wouldn’t hurt either. Perhaps they bring back John Lackey as a Beverage and Social Interaction Consultant for the 2020 season and see how things go. After all, he didn’t come for a haircut, so maybe a beer would work just fine.