Although closer Aroldis Chapman helped deliver the Chicago Cubs a World Series title last season, he delivered a parting shot Friday after his return to the New York Yankees became official.
The Cuban superstar told reporters he wasn’t a fan of the manner in which Cubs manager Joe Maddon deployed him during the World Series: “Personally, I don’t agree with the way he used me, but he is the manager and he has the strategy. My job is to be ready, to be ready to pitch, however that is, however many innings that is, I need to be ready for that. I need to go in and do my job.”
Chapman pointed specifically to Game 6, which saw him throw 20 pitches and record four outs after throwing 42 pitches and recording eight outs in Game 5: “There were couple of games, but the one I can point to is Game 6. The game was open and I don’t think he needed to [leave] me in the ninth. The important game was going to be Game 7 because we had that game almost won. The next day I came in tired.”
Chapman’s fatigue showed in Game 7, as he blew a save by surrendering three hits and two earned runs in 1.1 innings.
He did pick up the victory, though, as the Cubbies regained the lead, and Mike Montgomery closed it out.
Although Chapman questioned Maddon’s tactics in retrospect, he said he did not voice concern with his former manager at the time and believed it was important to be ready in any and all situations:
I never told him about my opinion with the way he was using me. The way I feel as baseball players we are warriors. Our job is to be ready to do what we need to do on the field. They send me out there to pitch, I’m going to go out there and pitch.
If I’m healthy, I’m going to go out there and pitch. If I’m tired, I’m going to put that aside and just get through it. It is kind of like a warrior, they send you somewhere and you have to go there and your mentality is you have to go there and do your job.
The Cubs acquired Chapman as a rental from the Yanks prior to the trade deadline last season, but he is a Bronx Bomber once again after signing a five-year, $86 million contract, per MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch.
New York traded for the fireballer last offseason, and he was suspended for the first 30 games under Major League Baseball’s domestic violence policy.
Upon his return, Chapman settled in as the Yankees closer behind Dellin Betances and Andrew Miller, and he excelled with a 3-0 record, 2.01 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 44 strikeouts in 31.1 innings and 20 saves in 21 chances while donning pinstripes.
Chapman was even better down the stretch with the Cubs, postseason struggles notwithstanding.
The 28-year-old veteran will be New York’s closer once again in 2017, and although Miller is with the Cleveland Indians, Betances will serve in a setup role to reprise two-thirds of the “DMC” relief trio.
Maddon’s decisions weren’t optimal for Chapman ahead of his attempt to cash in during free agency, but everything worked out in the end, as the Cubs ended a historic title drought and Chapman landed a historic contract.
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