SURPRISE, Ariz. – Jason Heyward has always been known as a leader in the Cubs’ clubhouse and the speech he gave during the rain delay of Game 7 of the 2016 World Series still lives on in the Cubs lore.
But in the years that have followed, Heyward has become an even bigger presence in the Cubs’ clubhouse and been a sounding board to younger players and another leader for veterans.
Heyward’s growth over in the Cubs’ clubhouse didn’t just happen overnight and as the organization is in the midst of a transitional period, having a player that can relate to so many people in the organization goes a long way.
“I think it’s my responsibility. It’s my time,” Heyward said of his role as clubhouse leader. “When I was 20 coming into the game, there were a lot of firsts. Just having Tim Hudson, David Ross, Eric Hinske, Michael Bourn, Martin Prado, Chipper [Jones], Brian McCann, Billy Wagner. People like that just kind of gradually give me information.
“Of course, you gotta be willing to be open to it and want to receive that stuff. But yeah, I feel like it’s just kind of my time, my responsibility to be one of those people that pass things along to the next generation of players.”
Craig Kimbrel’s mechanics a work in progress
It’s been a slow start for closer Craig Kimbrel this spring and the early results haven’t been the prettiest for MLB’s active saves leader. Kimbrel has struggled in his first two outings this spring, allowing nine runs on seven hits in his 2 1/3 innings of work.
The Cubs’ closer had mechanical issues that lingered into the season in 2020 and the focus for him and the team is getting those issues sorted out as soon as possible.
“Yesterday was the first day I thought kind of looked a little like some of the older characteristics that we identified last year,” manager David Ross said. “I think that’s what they’re kind of looking at this morning and trying to reevaluate those keys. If we need to get them in the lab while we’re here, we have that resource. … Yesterday was probably one of the outings that most resembled some of his struggles.
“That second or third outing, for a lot of these guys, has not been sharp for most of them. So I think Craig falls in that category, as well. The ball wasn’t coming out like it normally could yesterday. It didn’t look like it had much behind it in general, even though the radar gun said 94 or 95 [mph]. It just wasn’t as explosive as it normally is…. He will try to tackle that to make sure he feels good or gets back to defining those keys and mechanics that we’ve identified.”
