I am currently blogging – here, on Facebook, and on Twitter – for 24 hours straight, until slightly past MLB’s July 31 non-waiver trade deadline. The plan is to do a little recap like this periodically through the day/night. Almost all the way through, I’d say the plan is holding pretty well.
Ah. The homestretch is in view. The non-waiver trade deadline is just one hour away, and, so far, the Cubs have done nothing except tell teams that various players are not available. Deals trickle in after the deadline (the announcements, anyway), so stick around for a bit, just in case. I’ll be at this for another few hours at least.
Total Posts So Far:
27.
News and Rumors Since the Last Recap:
Obviously the big news/rumor was the Cubs’ refusal to trade Carlos Marmol when the Rangers came asking. I recognize that we cannot – and never will – know the details, but nevertheless, I’m pretty irked.
Most Interesting Tidbit Since the Last Recap:
The Rangers acquired reliever Mike Adams from the Padres for two *excellent* (but young) pitching prospects. This is interesting for two reasons: (1) had the Cubs been willing to part with Sean Marshall, you can only wonder if perhaps they could have netted a similar return; and (2) the deal was originally reported by Ken Rosenthal as being for Heath Bell, not Mike Adams. I’d love to be a fly on the wall to see how that happens. Were there two deals in place, and Rangers chose the Adams deal? Or was the deal for the same return, and Rangers preferred Adams over Bell? Or was it simply a gaffe in relaying the information to or by Rosenthal?
Current Thoughts About the Chicago Cubs’ Trade Deadline Strategy/Execution:
Maybe holding tight isn’t the worst thing in the world. On this day last year – about this time – the Cubs dealt Ted Lilly and Ryan Theriot to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Blake DeWitt and two minor league pitchers who have largely flamed out. If the Cubs had held onto Lilly, they may have instead gotten a first round draft pick when he left in free agency.
Current Beverage/Stimulant of Choice:
Since I’m not 13, I’ve never tried one of those “energy drinks” (save Red Bull mixed with various, ill-advised booze). So I figured it was now or never. I’m nursing an “Amp Energy,” and I opted for sugar-free. Not sure if that’s the reason, but this thing tastes terrible. But, it’s got nine(!) times the amount of caffeine of a Coke Zero, so it’s doing the trick. Which reminds me: why exactly do we let kids buy this stuff? /end old fuddy-duddyness
Strangest Thought Passing Through My Mind:
The craziest thing is I’m thinking about telling you this short story:
I was standing in the kitchen with my wife beside me when she curled up her nose. Clearly, she smelled something funky.
“Did you just fart?” she asks.
My response?
“Maybe. I think so. I’m not 100%.”
Boom. Sleep deprived.