Major League Baseball

Rondon: 'I need to do (my job)'

Published Jun. 7, 2015 4:31 a.m. ET

share

facebookxredditlink

foxsports

Cubs manager Joe Maddon had a quick hook Saturday night as closer Hector Rondon was pulled after just one batter.

“It was about winning the game today,” Maddon told reporters after the game. “I am not ordaining anybody new. It was a moment for today.”

While Maddon may not be "ordaining anybody new" he didn't exactly give Rondon a big vote of confidence either.

“I may look for an opportunity for him just to pitch more freely in a different moment,” Maddon said. “So he can go out there and work on some stuff, because this guy’s done a great job here in the past finishing games off. He’s going to do it again. But for right now, I just thought that was the right thing to do today.”

The move may have seemingly come out of nowhere and certainly wasn't traditional or "by the book," but it got the Cubs a win and Rondon knows he needs to do better.

“If (Maddon) puts me in the ninth inning, the fifth inning, seventh inning, I don’t care,” Rondon said. “I need to do (my job).”

While he certainly would have liked to finish the game and earn the save, Rondon held no hard feelings and impressed Maddon with his maturity.

“The stuff is great and the guy’s great," Maddon said. "He came up to me, fist pump after the game, which shows me what kind of a professional that he is. It was outstanding. He wants to win. He’s a team guy. He’s going to be a big part of our future. Today, I thought it was better to do what we did.”

(h/t Chicago Sun-Times)

Photo Credit: Andrew A. Nelles/AP Photo

share

Get more from Major League Baseball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

in this topic

Major League Baseball