March 10--The education for Javier Baez starts in the batter's box and continues from at-bat to at-bat.
Manager Joe Maddon seeks progress from adjustments for Baez, who made amends for striking out in his first at-bat Tuesday with a single in his trip up against three-time National League Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw.
"To know how to cut down (your swing) and when to cut it down is important," Maddon said Wednesday. "He needs to do those kinds of things."
Baez also need to develop more self-awareness because of his likely utility role.
"If you're playing every day, you can make more at-bats, make your adjustments," Maddon said. "But if you're not playing as consistently, self-awareness is a big part of being able to do well in that role."
Thus it behooves Baez to become more disciplined than in his first at-bat against Kershaw.
"I was just ready for one pitch," Baez recalled. "And then (Kershaw) threw me a fastball in, and then a big curveball, change-up, and a cutter, and I said, 'Oh, he's nasty.'"
Maddon said the learning process for young players is often gradual.
"When you're a young player, you can hear the same message daily for 162 days, and maybe it doesn't sink in," Maddon said. "You come back the next year and maybe on the 37th day, you say, 'Oh, that's what they meant.'"
Pitching priority: The pitchers took batting practice Monday for the first time, but Maddon doesn't have great expectations for them.
"I'm not going to ask them to do more than they can," Maddon said. "They're going to work at it."
Cubs pitchers batted .114 -- second lowest in the National League in 2015.
"I'm not going to overemphasize anything with them," Maddon said. "Just go play. Get your work in and go play. I want them to bunt when it's necessary within our frame work."
