Joe Maddon upset with schedule

CHICAGO --Cubs manager Joe Maddon isn't happy his team is playing an early-afternoon game on Memorial Day after playing a day game in Phoenix on Sunday and then traveling through "two time zones" to get home.

"I don't understand why [the] Memorial game has to be played during the day," Maddon said Monday before taking on the Washington Nationals in a 1:20 p.m. CT start. "There's fireworks and stuff [you can do at night]."

The Cubs play more day games than any team in the majors, though over the years the number of night games on their schedule has increased.

Historically, the different start times have been cited as one reason the Cubs can't sustain success.Previous managers had noted their issues with the team's schedule.

"This whole week we play at different times," Maddon said. "It is an awkward schedule."

The Cubs have five different start times for their six-game homestand, which began Monday, including three different ones for the series against the Nationals. The teams play at 6:05 p.m. CT on Tuesday and 7:05 p.m. on Wednesday. The Cubs returned from Arizona at approximately 11 p.m. Sunday and immediately canceled batting practice.

"Quite frankly to play a day game two time zones away then come back [to] another one the next day ... it's tough," Maddon said. "It's not easy, but we're not going to make excuses."

Major League Baseball said the league attempts to accommodate teams' travel issues.

"The season schedule represents one of the toughest exercises by MLB every year," the league said. "The league does its best to accommodate every club while managing very tight time frames. Certainly this means teams have to deal with inconveniences from time to time when coming back from long overnight road trips."

The Cubs are allowed 43 night games due to restrictions placed by the city; the league average is 54. But even if that allotment is used up, there are no restrictions on 3:05 p.m. starts.

"This is something we really need to look into in the future," Maddon said. "To really homogenize this thing a little bit more. I think routine is really important to us."

Maddon said knowing the schedule ahead of time doesn't necessarily help tired bodies but that he can prepare for it by resting players, what he called a "lose the battle to win the war kind of theory."

He cited the playoffs as another potential travel nightmare, but no one would complain about being in the postseason.

The Cubs have several instances throughout the season that don't play in their favor when it comes to the schedule. Sunday night contests yet to be scheduled can add another layer of fatigue, but Maddon said his team is handling it. The Cubs are 24-19 going into Monday's game.

"To this point I've been impressed with our guys," Maddon said. "I have not heard one complaint.

"I hope the players feel better than I do today."