Cubs' Joe Maddon On Bean Balls: 'We're Not Going To Take That'
(CBS) The latest chapter in the rivalry between the Cubs and Cardinals has new bad blood.
A war of bean balls between the two teams -- three in total -- had Cubs manager Joe Maddon fired up after Chicago's 8-3 win over St. Louis on Friday afternoon at Wrigley Field.
"We're not going to put up with that -- from them or anybody else," Maddon said. "We're not going to take that."
It started with Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo being hit by Cardinals pitcher Lance Lynn in the bottom of the fourth inning. In the top of the fifth inning, Cubs pitcher Dan Haren hit Cardinals outfielder Matt Holiday in the head, which forced him to leave the game.
When that happened, Haren warned Rizzo that he could be targeted again.
"They were yelling at me pretty good from the dugout," Haren said. "I mean, I don't know what they wanted me to say, that I'm sorry?"
Rizzo was hit again in the seventh inning, this time in the leg on a pitch thrown behind him, which caused Cardinals pitcher Matt Belisle and manager Mike Matheny to be ejected from the game. Rizzo began walking toward the mound but soon made his way to first base.
Maddon felt that hit by pitch was purposeful, and it had him upset.
"I'm really disappointed in what the Cardinals did right there," Maddon said. "We did not hit their guy on purpose at all. That was an absolute mistake. There was no malicious intent on Dan Haren's whatsoever.
"To become this vigilante group that wants to get their own pound of flesh, that's absolutely insane, ridiculous and wrong. We don't start stuff, but we will stop stuff. We will end stuff.
"I'm not sure who put out the hit (on Rizzo). Maybe Tony Soprano was in their dugout."
Maddon went on, also upset that the Cardinals played behind the Cubs' runners late in the game.
"I never read that particular book that the Cardinals wrote way back in the day ... regarding how to play baseball," he said.
"You can take that book and read it yourself, because I don't give a crap about that book. SO I want everybody there to understand that: We don't start stuff, but we'll stop stuff."
The Cubs and Cardinals meet again Saturday at 12:05 p.m. at Wrigley Field.
