Chicago Cubs: Bregman gets testy over lack of hustle criticism

The Chicago Cubs are on a nice 7-1 run, not too long after an ugly month-long stretch of bad baseball that saw them go 7-22. With back-to-back thrilling wins over the Brewers and Padres, there’s a lot to be happy about.

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But there are still some dark clouds lurking around the silver linings right now.

One of them is Alex Bregman. Specifically, it was Bregman’s lack of hustle on a sixth-inning ground ball Sunday at Milwaukee’s American Family Field, with the Cubs trailing 1-0. Brewers shortstop Cooper Pratt bobbled the ball before throwing to first, giving Bregman a chance to beat out the play. Bregman didn’t break into a full sprint until he saw the miscue, but by then it was too late. Had he run hard out of the box from the start, he likely would’ve been safe.

The flat effort was enough to attract the attention of Cubs color commentator and former MLB pitcher Jim Deshaies.

“You don’t have to try to win an Olympic medal every time you go down the first-base line,” Deshaies commented, in an on-air moment that would become viral. “But you need to go a little harder than that.”

The effort didn’t sit well with a lot of Cubs fans who’ve already been bemoaning the lack of clutch hitting and power from the veteran third baseman, who was signed by the team to a 5-year, $175 million contract in the offseason.

Bregman gets testy

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On Monday, back at Wrigley Field, Bregman was asked whether he regretted not running harder to first base the day prior. The three-time All-Star responded in an uncharacteristically testy manner.

“Yes, and I’ve also had 10 soft tissue injuries running down the first-base line specifically. So it’s kind of some give-and-take. But at the same time, yeah, I obviously wish I would have beat the throw.”

When asked whether his response was coming from a place of frustration, he offered a terse counter.

“No,” Bregman said. “It’s just what I said.”

A little bit later in the same scrum, when asked what he was working on, he’d dip into some sarcasm for the response.

“What’s your guess?” Bregman said, laughing. “Uh, hitting the baseball.”

“Just being in a consistent spot to be able to hit the ball hard in the air,” Bregman continued. “Get back to swinging at pitches that I want to hit. And not swinging at pitches outside the strike zone. Basically, the same stuff. Swing at pitches that I can drive, and take pitches that I can’t. Hone it in. Be better.”

Frustration all around

Much had been made about Bregman’s penchant for slow starts, but as the team heads into July, there’s really no more justification for a wait-and-see philosophy on Bregman’s offensive issues. He’s currently hitting .242 with just 6 home runs and 27 RBIs, which puts him on a pace to finish the season with 12 homers and 55 runs batted in.

Although he’s been lauded for his defense and his clubhouse leadership qualities, the Cubs—and their fans—were expecting much more of a multi-faceted impact player than what they’ve gotten so far.

And it would appear that frustration is bubbling up all around.

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