Lack of 2016 Cubs playing in All-Star Game has Joe Maddon feeling ‘awkward'

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MIAMI -- You could almost hear Celine Dion crooning “All By Myself” when Joe Maddon discussed the lack of Cubs in the All-Star Game.

The Cubs manager said during Monday’s All-Star Game press conference that he’s in a precarious position. Each league’s All-Star squad is led by the previous year’s pennant-winning manager.

So here’s Maddon at the Midsummer Classic without any of the players that actually helped him and the rest of the Cubs coaching staff get here. Reliever Wade Davis is also in Miami to represent the club in Tuesday’s exhibition, but he was a member of the Kansas City Royals when Maddon and the Cubs ended the franchise’s 108-year World Series title drought. So while Maddon is happy to be here, he noted it’s a little different not to have any of the core Cubs players participating.

“That was the awkward moment (Sunday), talking about it,” Maddon said. “To be presented a jersey on our field in front of all our fans and have none of our players out there was different. It was difficult. I actually talked to (Ben Zobrist) about it before this ever occurred just to let him know how much I respect and appreciate what they had done for us, and how awkward it was for me personally to accept this jersey while they’re all sitting in the dugout.”

The 2016 Cubs were heavily represented in last summer’s All-Star Game in San Diego as the entire infield -- Zobrist, Anthony Rizzo, Addison Russell and Kris Bryant -- was in the starting lineup. It was only the second time in All-Star history where a team’s entire infield started together. In all, the Cubs had five players voted (Dexter Fowler) into the 2016 contest by fans and seven overall (Jake Arrieta and Jon Lester).

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None of the underachieving 2017 Cubs was voted into the contest by fans and Bryant lost in the National League Final Vote contest when Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner received a contest record 20.8 million votes. The Cubs entered the All-Star break with a 43-45 record and sit 5 1/2 games back in the NL Central.

“It’s a little bit different,” Maddon said. “I guess this really never happened before. I’m really looking forward to our second half. I have a strong belief in our guys. I really do. I’m not just saying that. It’s not lip service. Believe me, yesterday was kind of different, and uncomfortable only because of that.

“We get to represent here because of the efforts of our players, players what they did last year. But I wanted it to be passed along the players how I felt.”

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