MESA, Ariz. -- Baseball players are artists, and Cubs manager Joe Maddon made that point when he met with pitchers and catchers on Wednesday prior to the club's first workout of Spring Training, using art to present his 2018 themes in a colorful way.
Maddon's messages were included on two paintings by Tampa, Fla., artist Jason Skeldon. One features Michelangelo's David statue on the pitcher's mound at Wrigley Field, and the other depicts Salvador Dali wearing a catcher's mask.
Maddon has been reading Walter Isaacson's book on Leonardo da Vinci this offseason, and when the manager walked into a clothing store, he saw a painting of Mona Lisa by Skeldon.