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  4. title => "Anthony Rizzo fires back at Miguel Montero: 'That labels you as a selfish player'"
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  6. article_body => "<p>Anthony Rizzo pulled no punches in firing back at Miguel Montero after Tuesday night's rant.<\/p>\n<p>Montero didn't even wait to get changed after the Washington Nationals stole seven bases,<a href=\"http:\/\/www.csnchicago.com\/chicago-cubs\/cubs-catcher-miguel-montero-drops-truth-bomb-throws-jake-arrieta-under-bus-after-nationals-run-wild\" target=\"_blank\"> immediately throwing pitcher Jake Arrieta under the bus<\/a> for not holding players on.<\/p>\n<p>Rizzo \u2014 the face of the franchise and one of the leaders in the clubhouse \u2014&nbsp;hopped on David Kaplan's radio show on ESPN 1000 Wednesday morning and aboslutely ripped Montero:<\/p>\n<p><blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Rizzo on Miggy&#39;s comments:<br>&quot;When you point fingers you&#39;re a selfish player. We have another catcher that throws everyone out.&quot;<\/p>&mdash; ESPN 1000 (@ESPN1000) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ESPN1000\/status\/880076242900353024?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 28, 2017<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n <blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Rizzo:<br>&quot;This is all over TV last night. Now I gotta talk about it today. We win as 25 lose as 25. To call teammates out? What\u2019s the point?&quot;<\/p>&mdash; ESPN 1000 (@ESPN1000) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ESPN1000\/status\/880077177869352960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 28, 2017<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n <blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Rizzo calls Montero rant about Jake unprofessional. Points out it&#39;s second time Miggy was &quot;barking&quot; to media about something. <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/ByeMiggy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#ByeMiggy<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Paul Sullivan (@PWSullivan) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/PWSullivan\/status\/880076101896294400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 28, 2017<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.espn.com\/espnradio\/play?id=19758114\" target=\"_blank\">Here are Rizzo's complete comments:<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\"He's obviously frustrated. Whenever anyone steals seven bases, Miggy gets frustrated. It's his second time barking in the media and not just going to his teammates. It's something as a veteran like he is, you'd think he'd make smarter decisions about it.\"<\/p>\n<p>Rizzo said he was not aware of the Montero rant in the clubhouse Tuesday night and only heard about it afterwards.<\/p>\n<p>\"I had no idea aobut it until I got back to the hotel and saw all this stuff. I got a couple text messages from a couple of my friends just kinda asking, 'What the hell is this guy doing?' Listen, we win as a team, we lose as a team. If you start pointing fingers, I think that just labels you as a selfish player. I disagree. We have another catcher that throws out everyone who steals and he has Jon Lester who doesn't pick over. It's no secret. I think going to the media with things like that, I don't think it's very professional.\"<\/p>\n<p>So how does Rizzo handle it from here?<\/p>\n<p>\"Something like this, it's out in the public now. Things that get handled with coffee or in the clubhouse are things that people never know about. Sometimes, they get out. But this was obviously all over 'Sportscenter' last night and whatnot and we're talking about it today. We win as 25, we lose as 25. To call your teammates out via the press, I mean, what's the point?\"<\/p>\n<p>Rizzo is dead on in referencing Willson Contreras, who is throwing out 34 percent of runners attempting to steal against him, even serving as Lester's personal catcher. Contreras may have one of the best arms in the game, but he is catching the exact same pitching staff Montero is and has found a way to nab 16 would-be basestealers out of 47 attempts.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Cubs numbers list Montero as 0-for-31 in throwing out basestealers.<\/p>\n<p>The league average caught-stealing rate is 28 percent.<\/p>\n"
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Cubs

Cubs

Anthony Rizzo pulled no punches in firing back at Miguel Montero after Tuesday night's rant.

Montero didn't even wait to get changed after the Washington Nationals stole seven bases, immediately throwing pitcher Jake Arrieta under the bus for not holding players on.

Rizzo — the face of the franchise and one of the leaders in the clubhouse — hopped on David Kaplan's radio show on ESPN 1000 Wednesday morning and aboslutely ripped Montero:

Here are Rizzo's complete comments:

"He's obviously frustrated. Whenever anyone steals seven bases, Miggy gets frustrated. It's his second time barking in the media and not just going to his teammates. It's something as a veteran like he is, you'd think he'd make smarter decisions about it."

Rizzo said he was not aware of the Montero rant in the clubhouse Tuesday night and only heard about it afterwards.

"I had no idea aobut it until I got back to the hotel and saw all this stuff. I got a couple text messages from a couple of my friends just kinda asking, 'What the hell is this guy doing?' Listen, we win as a team, we lose as a team. If you start pointing fingers, I think that just labels you as a selfish player. I disagree. We have another catcher that throws out everyone who steals and he has Jon Lester who doesn't pick over. It's no secret. I think going to the media with things like that, I don't think it's very professional."

 

So how does Rizzo handle it from here?

"Something like this, it's out in the public now. Things that get handled with coffee or in the clubhouse are things that people never know about. Sometimes, they get out. But this was obviously all over 'Sportscenter' last night and whatnot and we're talking about it today. We win as 25, we lose as 25. To call your teammates out via the press, I mean, what's the point?"

Rizzo is dead on in referencing Willson Contreras, who is throwing out 34 percent of runners attempting to steal against him, even serving as Lester's personal catcher. Contreras may have one of the best arms in the game, but he is catching the exact same pitching staff Montero is and has found a way to nab 16 would-be basestealers out of 47 attempts.

Meanwhile, Cubs numbers list Montero as 0-for-31 in throwing out basestealers.

The league average caught-stealing rate is 28 percent.