ESPN Chicago: Quade dismisses no-pressure theory

Pounds Old Style per square inch is wrong?

Is the Cubs’ seven-game winning streak a result of not having to worry about the pressure of a pennant race?

Cubs manager Mike Quade credits other reasons for the Cubs’ recent stretch of good baseball.

“I don’t buy any of that [pressure] stuff,” Quade said. “I think we play better when we are healthy. I also think we played better defense and I hope that we’ve gotten better hopefully from hard work. Pressure? Was there pressure in May when we were struggling? I don’t buy any of that. To me, if you want to talk about pressure, the last two weeks of the season when you’re in the hunt and a game separates two or three clubs—that’s pressure to play [in] Major League Baseball.

“I’m just pleased this group has held itself together and we’re getting contributions from the entire roster.”