(670 The Score) Cubs shortstop Javier Baez did it again Monday evening.
In the fourth inning of the Cubs' 2-0 win over the Royals at Wrigley Field, Baez pulled off one of his famous tags. He leaned back into a throw from catcher Willson Contreras and tagged out Royals shortstop Adalberto Mondesi, all while pointing back toward home plate.
Cubs manager David Ross told the Laurence Holmes Show on Tuesday that he has never seen a player with the unique tagging ability of Baez.
"No, not even close," Ross said. "I mean, he lets the ball travel in a way that's just so unique. He has this awareness of where the ball's going in the ball flight where he doesn't have to go catch it in front of his eyes. He can let the ball really get deep on him. His eye-hand coordination is just some of the best I've ever seen. The way that he's able to trust himself and understand that he can let that ball travel a little bit and still stay in there.
"Javy just stays right in there. It's so rewarding as a catcher, speaking from experience with him, just to turn that ball loose, get it down there and let that so-called magician do his thing."
The Cubs host the Royals on Tuesday night for the second game of a four-game series split between Chicago and Kansas City. The two teams will play at Kauffman Stadium on Wednesday and Thursday.
The Cubs are then scheduled to open up a three-game series in St. Louis on Friday against a Cardinals team that has seven players and six staff members who have tested positive for the coronavirus.
Though the Cardinals have had their games postponed through Thursday, Ross doesn't envision the Cubs' series in St. Louis getting postponed.
"We're anticipating playing those guys," Ross said. "Major League Baseball is on top of that stuff and facilitating it regularly.
"Right now, we're still focusing on Kansas City."
