When No No-Hitter is a Good Thing and Other Bullets

edwin jackson cubs press conferenceWell, it seems I was overly optimistic in my proclamation yesterday that everything was groovy in the Taylor household. Not only did the ladies deal with some resurgent symptoms yesterday, I, myself, have started to feel the icy specter of sickness creeping up next to me. So far I’ve been able to fight it off, but we’ll see what the day holds. (Update, as this (and a soon to be completed Michael Bourn piece) is taking me forever to write: I feel awful.)

  • Vine Line looks back at Edwin Jackson’s crazy 2010 no-hitter, which saw him walk seven and throw 72 pitches … through the first three innings. He ended up throwing 149 pitches for the game, which is something I hope Dale Sveum never, ever, ever lets him do. He’s already got a no-hitter, after all.
  • Vine Line adds a wrap of Luis Valbuena’s impressive season in Venezuela.
  • Keith Law chatted yesterday, and offered a few prospect-related thoughts: (1) talking about a Javier Baez plus other prospects not named Albert Almora or Jorge Soler (because they can’t be dealt until mid-season) trade for David Price is “silly”; (2) on the possibility that Brett Jackson’s swing changes will make him at least a 4th outfielder caliber player: “It’s not impossible, but it is unlikely that these swing changes – which haven’t appeared in a game yet – will help him boost his contact rate to a playable level” (utterly absurd – even at his insane 41.5% strikeout rate of last year, I can make a pretty good argument that he’s already a plausible 4th/5th outfielder when you factor in the rest of his skills); and (3) Anyone who thinks Dan Vogelbach can someday play left field is “living in an alternate reality.” Law doesn’t even think he’ll ever be able to play first base.
  • Law did have some kind things to say on his most recent podcast with Eric Karabell, pointing out that the Cubs going after Edwin Jackson is a reflection of their belief that they need pitching for 2014 as much as for 2013, and there might not be as good of an option available next year. Pretty much what I’ve been saying for the past month now: the Cubs have an eye toward being competitive in 2014, and they’re starting to accumulate pieces to that end.
  • Don’t find yourself showing up in a Baseball Prospectus piece like this one, which looks at ridiculous trade proposals involving Giancarlo Stanton.
  • And don’t find yourself acting too raucously after a Cubs win next year, especially if you plan on meandering through neighborhood streets in Wrigleyville.
  • Details on the DeJesus Family’s upcoming charity event.
  • written by

    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.

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