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After discussions with the Major League Baseball officials, the Cubs dropped their protest against the last two outings of Saturday night's 5-2 loss to the Nationals.
The manager, Joe Maddon, said Sunday that he wanted to protest Sean Doolittle's tight delivery to the Nationals. At the beginning of the season, reliever Carl Edwards Jr. learned that a similar move was illegal.
"I really did not plan to do much," said Maddon. "I still do not agree with the conclusion because I think that's exactly what Carl did, only a different version of it.
"But the point was that I would not be a good parent if I had not defended my guy, and that's what I did (Saturday) tonight – talking to Carl. It's just to eliminate any kind of gray area in the future because it's going to happen somewhere. And you're just trying to define what's right and what's wrong. "
Maddon was informed that Doolittle's front foot touching the ground was a "rustle" instead of laying one foot on the ground, as Edwards did during spring training.
"I do not know how it differs," said Maddon. "(Doolittle) typed a few times and grazed. They say that Carl has put his feet on the ground and that's what I say that is different. Semantically, I could not agree.
Maddon added that he was not unhappy with Doolittle's reaction to the protest. On Saturday night, Doolittle told MLB.com, "At that moment, it does nothing but piss me off. It was a little tired. Sometimes he has to remind people how smart he is.
Maddon said, "I have no problem with that. We are all emotional. I said a lot of things that I did not want to say years ago, even in this stage. But if you understand the context as a whole, he might have had a different opinion, whereas if he had been (me) protected by his manager in similar circumstances, his position might have been different.
"They always say that what Carl did is illegal in relation to that. All I know is that I express my opinion. I do not agree with the semantics involved. However, I love what Carl does anyway. I do not want him to revisit (the toe). It's just something that awaits them on the road, they must be aware of it. "
Close meeting
Wrigley Field's temperature during Monday night's matches is expected to be around 50 degrees, but Kris Bryant has a good idea of what Jake Arrieta will be up against his former teammates.
"He'll probably go with the tank top in the jersey," joked Bryant, as the Cubs prepared to face Arrieta for the first time. "I've seen him for three years with him. He does not worry at all about the cold. It's a grizzly bear. It's crazy. "
Arrieta did not face the Cubs in his first season with the Phillies, but was welcomed as a hero when he returned last June.
"I miss the guy so much," said Bryant. "I was watching the highlights of our 2016 season the other day, and I saw it a lot in the movie. What he did for the team and the city and as a teammate, I miss him a lot. It stinks to see him on the other side, but I hope we'll get him.
Maddon said that Arrieta deserved a warm welcome even though he will face his former squad in Wrigley.
"As a manager, you never underestimate what he's done," Maddon said. "He was so good."
Maddon made a special mention of the 2015 National League season rewarded by Arrieta's Cy Young Award.
"He was good all the time," said Maddon. "But this year was as special as I've ever seen, how well it started and how consistent it was."
Twitter @MDGonzales
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