It's rare for any player to publicly call out a teammate. Perhaps the last time it happened in any notable way came in June 2017, when catcher Miguel Montero ripped right-hander Jake Arrieta for his inability to hold runners on base. Montero was then designated for assignment the next morning.
Montero had crossed a line in a clubhouse that prides itself on handling matters internally. While the team has seen plenty of turnover since then, the core group that's still intact knows that private face-to-face conversations in which emotions are under control are the best way to handle any issues.
"The old football mentality of screwing up and grabbing a guy's facemask are long gone," left-hander Jon Lester said. "In baseball, there is a different set of boundaries that are used. You have to give it a little time in baseball to see if it's a focus issue or if there is more to it before you assert yourself."
Even as infielder Addison Russell struggled mightily with his focus and performance recently, Cubs players expressed support for him. It was manager Joe Maddon who publicly went hard at Russell, who was soon demoted to Triple-A Iowa afterward.
On a few occasions through the years, star shortstop Javier Baez has failed to run hard on groundballs, pop-ups or deep drives that he thought were out but stayed in the park. Cubs players didn't gripe at him, instead choosing to discuss the matter with him directly and respectfully.
Maddon also plays a key role in this. The Russell example aside, he rarely publicly criticizes a player, setting the tone for the clubhouse approach. In his view, communication is the key in all of this, especially when the roster turns over on the fringes.
"I have a lot of conversations with our guys," Maddon said. "Sometimes I will ask them to talk to another fellow. I think we are well covered in that area. Frankly, it has not needed to be done as of late. Anything that has gone array, I have had a lot of conversations. Our guys are getting better at this."
In many ways, oneness has been a calling card for the Cubs. Players who fail to perform up to their expectations are quick to take the blame, which helps keep the camaraderie. Players are also cognizant of how they send messages to one another so as to keep the harmony.
"When (an issue) happens, one of the people in here will be kind, friendly and manly enough to confront someone in a positive way," first baseman Anthony Rizzo said. "We do it in a brotherly way, but if you are the weak link and not doing all you can do, it will get exposed. Someone will remind you to do the work and get in the work to become the best player."
Many of the best teams have quality leadership from a manager and veterans who know how to deliver tough love when needed but also keep a positive attitude at the same time.
"In my experience, this method of being a good person and teammate usually works out," Lester said. "For the most part, I have been around a lot of great veterans that know how to handle those situations. It should be done behind closed doors or away from everyone else. Make the guy who is in trouble or getting reamed feel like he did something wrong but at the same time, he has the respect of the guys to handle it the right way. We do not air out our thoughts about teammates in public."