A minor point about the game last night: everyone is getting on Jeff Baker’s case for trying to stretch a single into a double “in an eight-run game.” Why, exactly, does it matter how big the lead was at that point? It was only the 5th inning, and the Cubs had a long way to come back. No one would argue that it’s a whole lot easier to score from second than from first, and if you chip away a run here and there, you never know what might happen. You don’t have to get them all back in one chunk. I really can’t wrap my head around the criticism, and I’d love to be set straight.
Mike Quade summed up Matt Garza, who was in line for a blowout loss last night before the Cubs came back, and was apparently a little nutty after the win: “There’s always something wrong with him mentally. But that’s why we love him. He’s my kind of lunatic.” Does that make Carlos Zambrano not your kind of lunatic?
Aramis Ramirez’s value – both in trade and to the Cubs in 2012 – is skyrocketing. He’s the hottest hitter in baseball, and he’s catapulted himself, unbelievably, into the discussion of the best offensive third baseman in baseball in 2011.
Paul Sullivan says Crane Kenney’s time as the Cubs’ President is drawing to a close. Speaking about Red Sox President Larry Lucchino as a contrast to Kenney, Sullivan says: “Lucchino gets things done. He was instrumental in building Camden Yards, which began the retro ballpark revolution. He got a new ballpark built in San Diego, and a renovated Fenway Park in Boston. He also won a couple World Series with the Red Sox, and doesn’t put up with any garbage from players, agents, or the media for that matter. I believe his contract is up in Boston, so he should be available. Don’t know if he is the answer, but something has to happen. The current Cubs president, Crane Kenney, certainly had his shot, and failed. The only ones still defending him are his pals in the media. Time’s up.”
I’m not going to link it, because it deserves no more page views than the one I already gave it, but Steve Rosenbloom yesterday criticized Carlos Zambrano for planning to fly to Guatemala over the AS break to adopt a child. I wish I could say I was exaggerating.
Cubs’ DSL prospect Enyelberth Pena, a right-handed pitcher, was suspended 50 games for steroids. I hadn’t heard of him until this news, so it’s at least a fair guess that he’s not a kid to be extraordinarily worried about.
Prince Fielder selected, among others, his teammate Rickie Weeks to be on the NL Home Run Derby squad, rather than, say, Carlos Pena (tied for fourth in the NL in homers at 19). Weeks, however, has 16 homers himself, and is an All-Star this year. Probably not a lot of complain about, but it would have been fun to see a Cub in the Derby.
Curt Schilling on the prevalence of cheating in the 1990s.
Brett Taylor is the Lead Cubs Writer at Bleacher Nation, and you can find him on Twitter at @BleacherNation and on LinkedIn here.
Brett is also the founder of Bleacher Nation, which opened up shop in 2008 as an independent blog about the Chicago Cubs. Later growing to incorporate coverage of other Chicago sports, Bleacher Nation is now one of the largest regional sports blogs on the web.
Meaning no offense to Kyle Hendricks, but if you had to choose a veteran right-handed in the Cubs' rotation to face the Atlanta Braves this week, you're probably going with Jameson Taillon. We may never know if that was part...
There is something about seeing Cubs players homer with pink bats that makes me smile extra wide. I suppose it's PROBABLY at least a little because this is one of my favorite Cubs memories: https://twitter.com/ChiSportsDay/status/1788291377333170611 Javy Báez, with the pink...
It's Mother's Day. I'm hanging with the family. I don't feel like being as pissed off as a game like that threatened to make me. So I am QUITE relieved by that 10th inning (and the fact that the Cubs...
I'll just presume he was sending this one out for mom. And I'll also presume that the knee is indeed feeling good. Home run number nine on the season for Christopher Morel: https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1789713524052087082
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The Sunday TBD has been D'd, and it's going to be Kyle Hendricks coming back an outing early. Instead of making another rehab start at Iowa, Hendricks is going to be activated from the IL to rejoin the rotation tomorrow:...
The Cubs came within 90 feet of keeping that ridiculous game going. No dice. Stupid game. Early on, it just kinda seemed like the Cubs might lose a perfectly normal - bad, but normal - game. Justin Steele did not...
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There is something about seeing Cubs players homer with pink bats that makes me smile extra wide. I suppose it's PROBABLY at least a little because this is one of my favorite Cubs memories: https://twitter.com/ChiSportsDay/status/1788291377333170611 Javy Báez, with the pink...
The Denver Nuggets and the Minnesota Timberwolves take the court in Game 5 of the second round of the NBA Playoffs. The Nuggets are favored by 4.5 points in the contest, which airs on TNT at 10:30 PM ET. The...
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NEWSLETTER
A minor point about the game last night: everyone is getting on Jeff Baker’s case for trying to stretch a single into a double “in an eight-run game.” Why, exactly, does it matter how big the lead was at that point? It was only the 5th inning, and the Cubs had a long way to come back. No one would argue that it’s a whole lot easier to score from second than from first, and if you chip away a run here and there, you never know what might happen. You don’t have to get them all back in one chunk. I really can’t wrap my head around the criticism, and I’d love to be set straight.
