What the Cubs think of Bryce Harper’s fun campaign

10:18 AM ET

CHICAGO — You might be surprised but when it comes to fist pumps and bat flips, 62-year-old Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon and his mild-mannered NL Rookie of the Year don’t have a real problem with it. We know how Washington Nationals star Bryce Harper feels about the concept — he’s outspoken about it — but Maddon and Kris Bryant are OK with, well, whatever.

“If I grew up with it, and it was just part of the game, sure. I think everyone would do it, but it’s not 100 percent there,” Bryant said recently. “There are guys that do it certain ways and guys that don’t and that’s cool to me. I like seeing different personalities. That’s what makes it fun.”

Said Maddon: “For the most part I don’t have a problem with most anything as long as a guy plays hard, works hard.”

Harper has been upfront about wanting baseball to change its old-school ways and throw out the unwritten rule book. He’s bound to show some emotion this weekend at Wrigley Field as the top two teams in the National League face off for a four-game series. He and Bryant are both from Las Vegas and played together growing up, but they have different personalities and sometimes that shows up on the field.

“It’s hard for me to get out there and bat flip because half the time I don’t know if it’s a homer or not,” Bryant said with a smile. “I just put my head down and run and not try to show anyone up. Especially me so early on in my career I don’t want to ruffle feathers. I just want to go out there and play my game. That’s how I’ve always been.”

Maddon concurred with youth being a factor in how you conduct …

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