The Bernstein Brief: Joe Maddon Recognizes The Unmeasurable
By Dan Bernstein--
CBSChicago.com senior columnist
(CBS) As much as Cubs manager Joe Maddon believes in data-driven analysis to guide his decisions, he also recognizes the unmeasurable.
It's the latter that explains why Kyle Schwarber will return to the minors after his already-splashy stint with the Cubs, despite clear evidence of a whip-quick big league bat that scouts felt was ready for this level shortly after he was drafted last year.
Maddon's trying to win right now, and some observers wonder why he'd rather stick with 38-year-old David Ross and his .192/.278/.355 slash line since the start of 2013. Ross is merely a caddy for left-hander Jon Lester at this point, with any defensive benefit skewed by that relationship's small sample, and a perfectly valid case could be made that it's time to make room for Schwarber's offense.
The counter-argument -- and the real belief of Maddon and Cubs' brass -- is that Ross has value well beyond numbers, and his role in the clubhouse and with the pitching staff is critical to a playoff run. They also feel that Schwarber needs to hone his catching skills at Triple-A Iowa to maximize his positional flexibility in a league with no DH.
It's a discussion with points to be made on either side and can be seen as just the latest good problem to have for a competitive Cubs team.
Dan Bernstein is a co-host of 670 The Score's "Boers and Bernstein Show" in afternoon drive. Follow him on Twitter @dan_bernstein and read more of his columns here.
