John Mallee

By Mark Gonzales

Before youngsters Jorge Soler, Javier Baez and Kyle Schwarber connected on an array of impressive home runs in the playoffs, they began to absorb messages delivered by Cubs hitting coach John Mallee and assistants Eric Hinske and Manny Ramirez.

Their development was evident in the Cubs’ National League Division Series conquest of the rival Cardinals.

“Our guys stood in the box and knew what to expect, knew how the guys were getting them out, and they’ve learned how to make adjustments,” Mallee said late Tuesday night. “And that’s what you saw this series.”

For Soler, his plate discipline was just as impressive as his two home runs against the Cardinals. He drew six walks in 13 plate appearances after walking only 32 times in 404 plate appearances during the regular season.

Baez, who was notorious for striking out on outside pitches that he tried to pull last season, drove a low, outside pitch from Cardinals veteran John Lackey into the bleachers in right-center for a three-run homer that changed the course of the Cubs’ series-clinching triumph.

Schwarber, who batted .208 in September and October, has flourished in the playoffs with three home runs and a .600 on-base percentage.

“They had such good plate discipline,” Mallee said. “That helps. You talk about a selective aggressive approach in hitting. There were some dynamics involved in that. A lot of that is innate. They have it when they come into the organization, and it helps for them to get the experience playing against these guys, over and over again.”
Game 4 photos: Cubs 6, Cardinals 4

Photos of the Cubs’ 6-4 win in Game 4 over the Cardinals at Wrigley Field.

The results have caught the attention of 22-game winner Jake Arrieta.

“They made it look way easier than it is,” Arrieta said. “It’s so hard to be good at this game, and to do it on a consistent basis is even harder.”

Jon Lester’s admiration runs even deeper.

“The power is not surprising,” said Lester, who is expected to pitch Game 1 of the NL Championship Series against either the Mets or Dodgers on Saturday. “We’ve seen it all year. But how they go about their business has surprised me. I’ve been most impressed with every single day how prepared they are to go out and play and perform. They do it day in and day out.

“For me, it’s the hardest thing to learn, to be ready to play every single day. And they did it with ease, and I’m sure they’ll continue to do it.”