The Chicago Cubs lost their first game of 2017 4-3 to the rival St. Louis Cardinals. Cubs second basemen Javier Baez blames the deciding run on the signage.
In their first meaningful game after winning the 2016 World Series, the Chicago Cubs dropped Game 1 of the 2017 MLB season to the National League Central Division rival St. Louis Cardinals, 4-3. One could point back to the deciding run coming from a defensive lapse from Cubs second basemen Javier Baez.
During the bottom of the third inning at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Cardinals shortstop Aledmys Diaz hit a ground ball in Baez’s vicinity. He didn’t pick the sharp ground up right away, allowing speedy centerfielder Dexter Fowler to score from first for the game’s first run.
Baez immediately blamed the signage behind home plate for his inability to turn two on that play. Yes, the sign was mostly white, but it was an official MLB sign that would rotate throughout the game. Baez would plead his case to the second base umpire while Cubs manager Joe Madden would talk to the crew chief behind the dish.
There were a few interesting things surrounding the on-field incident. First, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred was in the booth with the ESPN telecast crew during the top half of that inning talking about all the advance the MLB was going to do about rate of play. Having Baez and Maddon argue about signage on a ground ball certainly delayed the game several minutes more than it had to.
Second, it wasn’t just Fowler’s foot speed the allowed him to score from first on a hard-hit ground ball. He got a great jump on contact thanks to Cubs starter Jon Lester’s reluctance to through over to first. A new year, more yips from the crafty Cubs southpaw.
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Lastly, it seemed like Cardinals manager Mike Matheny just wanted to keep the game going. He came out of the dugout with a slight tinge of disgust. It hasn’t even been a day’s worth of baseball and we’ve got players arguing about signage. Baez was clearly caught off-guard by the grounder. He was embarrassed about not making the double play. It ultimately cost the Cubs a shot at a perfect season.