March 09--Chicago Cubs infielder Javier Baez admitted he was at fault for not running out a grounder in the fifth inning of Tuesday's game against the Dodgers.
Baez said he didn't see the umpire signal whether his grounder to third base was fair or foul, but he accepted responsibility for his gaffe after he was thrown out at first base.
"There are no excuses to not run out a ground ball," Baez said. "But I was confused. I didn't see the ball (signaled). It's not the umpire's fault. It's my fault. You got to hit the ball and run. That's my reaction, and I just thought it was foul."
Manager Joe Maddon didn't speak to Baez after Baez returned to the dugout, but Maddon and Hall of Famer Billy Williams, currently serving as a guest instructor, held separate conversations with Baez during Wednesday's workout.
"The biggest quest is going to cut down on the mental mistake," Maddon said. "Because I will accept many physical mistakes as they they have to make. They can punch out, make bad throws, bobble balls, whatever.
"I don't care. The thing that prevents you from winning is the mental mistakes. So for him and everyone else, that's the only thing I want them to put in their back pocket and get rid of."
