CHICAGO _ The Cubs have had several themed road trips under manager Joe Maddon the last three years, including the Onesies trip home from Los Angeles in 2015 after Jake Arrieta threw a no-hitter and the Minimalist Zany Suit trip to Pittsburgh last year.
Maddon said he has been too focused on the season at hand to plan the trips in 2017. The Cubs have lost four of five, but Maddon said they were "jacked up" for Sunday night's Easy Rider trip to San Francisco.
"I don't know that we've had enough fun this year, quite frankly," Maddon said. "And a lot of that comes with winning, obviously. That's just the natural residue of winning, that you have more fun. ... I just think this is good timing for right now."
The Easy Rider trip, which stemmed from the brain of strength coach Tim Buss, had players wearing black leather motorcycle vests in honor of the 1969 biker movie starring Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper.
In May the Cubs went 0-6 on an "Anchorman" trip to Los Angeles and San Diego, and naturally some on social media blamed the losing streak on their outfits.
"I love it, I think it's good," Maddon said. "Anything you can do to unify the group, it's always a good thing. It's fun. And for the group that doesn't understand it, that's too bad that you've forgotten what it's like to be a kid."
Maddon said his annual American Legion week, in which players report to the clubhouse whenever they get there, is scheduled for the week after the road trip.
"Listen, we're not going to win it if we don't really enjoy the day," Maddon said. "You have to really enjoy yourself. ... That's the only way to do this."
