I was flipping through my Amazon Prime last night, looking for something to watch before bed, and I noticed ‘The Sopranos.’ I thought to myself, but that’s an HBO show … what’s it doing on Prime, for free? Dug into it, and it turns out that HBO and Amazon just worked a deal where Amazon Prime is getting a whole bunch of HBO shows in its collection. Since I am an ardent supporter of all things Amazon Prime, and I also have each of ‘The Sopranos,’ ‘Six Feet Under,’ and ‘The Wire’ in my list of top five shows all-time (all of which are now free on Prime), this presented a perfect opportunity for me to tell you to sign up for a free trial of Prime. Yes, I get a referral fee if you sign up, but I would totally tell you do it anyway, if for no other reason than to watch those three shows immediately (don’t start with ‘The Wire’ – it’s the “toughest” of the three to “get,” but easily the most rewarding … save it). You also get the other main Prime benefit: free two-day shipping on pretty much everything you order. We use that *a lot.*
And while I’m reminding you about BN’s promotional relationship with Amazon, I’ll also remind you that you can support BN by shopping at Amazon via this link (or just by remembering www.bleachernation.com/amazon). That link takes you to Amazon.com, but it tells Amazon that you came from BN because I told you of its awesomeness. Use it whenever you shop at Amazon, which should be all the time, because of the aforementioned awesomeness. Thank you for your time. /solicitation
As you well know by now, the Chicago Cubs won the World Series Jeff Samardzija got his first “win” yesterday, a moment for which he got a beer shower from teammates (that’s actually pretty swell). Here’s Samardzija’s quote on the whole thing, now that he finally has a win (Cubs.com): “People try to downplay the record thing, but as a starting pitcher, I think it’s important. I care, I want to keep working hard and come out every day and try to get a win. That’s all you can do.” I’ve got no problem with Samardzija feeling that way, but – obviously – I do still very much have a problem with the statistic, and I went off a bit on Twitter yesterday after seeing that quote. I don’t want to reinvent the wheel, so I’ll just share my string of tweets on the subject:
LRT: Starting pitchers think W/L record is important bc they've been told it is their whole lives. It's a shit stat, dudes. You're free.
I don’t want to under-emphasize that last one. By continuously ridiculing the pitcher W/L stat, I believe I’m doing the right thing by the fans, which is to say: improving their overall baseball-enjoying experience by expanding their understanding of what they’re seeing (just as others have done, and continue to do, for me). What I am not doing is ridiculing the pitchers or players who care about the pitcher W/L stat. In the most sincere way, I say: whatever floats their boat. I understand that the stat “matters” to players, and, so it’s OK for them to care about it. I don’t want to see it impacting in-game decisions or the health of a player, obviously, but, other than that, go for it.
… but in 10 years, I want to see this stat go the way of the dodo. And I’ll continue to do my part.
It’s not that uncommon for guys to say the right things upon being demoted, but I’m not sure I’ve seen someone have quite the attitude that Ryan Kalish has about his diminished playing time, and his option to Iowa yesterday: “I just know I need to play,” Kalish told Cubs.com. “I haven’t played in so long, and playing time now has been a little sparse. It makes sense. I didn’t expect to be here at this point. I’m ready to go get my playing time, work on my game and get back [as soon as possible] …. I’m at a point where it’s almost redevelopment that I have to do. I’m going to go work on my game, and we’ll see what happens. I’m confident I’ll be back at some point.” Kalish is clearly a great makeup guy, and he’s already worked so hard just to get back to playing at all, so maybe it shouldn’t be a surprise that he’s got a great attitude about this. I hope he works out the kinks, and plays his way into a long-term – albeit probably complementary – role with the Cubs.
Arizona Phil reports at TCR that reliever Kyuji Fujikawa has thrown three times in the last week in extended Spring Training games. You may recall that Fujikawa was very close to returning to the bigs (June 2013 Tommy John surgery) several weeks ago, way ahead of schedule, when he had something of a setback. If he’s throwing three times in a week now, though, he could be getting close to a rehab assignment. Because he was injured most of last year, and has been rehabbing since his surgery, we’ve still never really gotten a good look at what he has to offer. If he’s healthy, odds are, he’s probably pretty darn good (which would make the Cubs’ bullpen borderline excellent).
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.
Whew. That game was kinda dumb, but I tell you, the ending sure was fun. And also weird! So, to set the stage, the Pirates and Cubs' offenses could do nothing all day long. The game was still 0-0 in...
This guy. What do I even say? I was already kinda buzzy when Brennen Davis homered again - a grand slam - for the fifth time in six games, and sixth time in eight games. THAT IS RIDICULOUS. https://twitter.com/IowaCubs/status/1791967453888598441 Truly...
What matters most is that the Cubs won the game. And it was a fun ending, too. So I'm happy. But I also do feel a little frustrated - or concerned might be the better word - as I'm sure...
CUBS LINEUP — Losing to the Braves (and then Jared Jones and Paul Skenes), when you have 10 people on the IL, including your entire middle infield, is not really that concerning to me. It sucks and banking losses is...
When the Chicago Cubs traded Jake Slaughter to the Seattle Mariners for reliever Tyson Miller, they needed to open a spot on both the active roster and the 40-man roster. They did that in one move by designating reliever Richard...
First, a quick update I kept out of the headline: Nico Hoerner is not in the Cubs lineup today, as he continues to deal with left hamstring tightness. The Cubs have now blown past the maximum IL backdate optimization, which...
Sports Saturday around the Taylor household, so it's time to run all over to soccer fields and baseball fields and dance centers. First, Cubs Bullets ... Kyle Hendricks may not have made a load of terrible pitches in yesterday's game...
For six hitless, profoundly dominant innings, Paul Skenes today looked like the best pitching prospect I've seen since maybe Stephen Strasburg. The other two who came to mind as I watched were Matt Harvey and Jose Fernandez. Those three, when...
Elly De La Cruz continues to dazzle and the Yankees want Juan Soto in New York for the rest of his career. That and more in today's MLB Notes! Elly De La Cruz's Four Steal Night Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly...
The Iowa Cubs mashed four home runs and scored 10 runs, as Cade Horton made his best start at Triple-A on Thursday. That and more in today's Cubs Farm Report. Cubs Farm Report | May 17, 2024 Triple-A Iowa Cubs...
The Philadelphia Phillies (32-14), with Aaron Nola on the mound and trying to sweep the series, host the Washington Nationals (20-23) who will counter with Trevor Williams, at 1:35 PM ET on Sunday.The article below will provide you with everything...
Looking for a series sweep, Gunnar Henderson and the Baltimore Orioles (28-14) play the Seattle Mariners (24-21) on Sunday at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, with first pitch scheduled for 1:35 PM ET.Keep reading to see how to watch the...
On Sunday, looking for a series sweep, Jose Ramirez and the Cleveland Guardians (28-17) face Ryan Jeffers and the Minnesota Twins (24-20), with first pitch scheduled for 1:40 PM ET at Progressive Field.Keep scrolling to find out all the details...
Christopher Morel and the Chicago Cubs (26-21) host Connor Joe and the Pittsburgh Pirates (21-26) on Sunday, with first pitch at 2:20 PM ET.Find out how to watch the Chicago-Pittsburgh matchup below.When is Cubs vs. Pirates and when does it...
The New York Knicks and the Indiana Pacers take the court in a decisive Game 7 of the second round of the NBA Playoffs. The Knicks are favored by 2.5 points in the contest, which will be broadcast on ABC...
This guy. What do I even say? I was already kinda buzzy when Brennen Davis homered again - a grand slam - for the fifth time in six games, and sixth time in eight games. THAT IS RIDICULOUS. https://twitter.com/IowaCubs/status/1791967453888598441 Truly...
Juan Soto and the New York Yankees (32-15) host the Chicago White Sox (14-32) on Sunday, with first pitch at 1:35 PM ET, and the Yankees looking for a series sweep.Keep reading to find out how to watch the New...
Isaac Paredes and the Tampa Bay Rays (24-22) visit Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the Toronto Blue Jays (19-24) at 1:37 PM ET on Sunday.If you're intending to watch this game, keep reading for streaming and TV options for the Tampa...
The Miami Marlins (14-32), led by Bryan De La Cruz and aiming for a series sweep, host Pete Alonso and the New York Mets (20-24) at 1:40 PM ET on Sunday.The article below will provide you with everything you need...
The San Francisco Giants (21-25), with Jordan Hicks on the hill and aiming to sweep the series, host the Colorado Rockies (15-29) who will counter with Dakota Hudson, at 4:05 PM ET on Sunday.If you're trying to watch this game,...
NEWSLETTER
I was flipping through my Amazon Prime last night, looking for something to watch before bed, and I noticed ‘The Sopranos.’ I thought to myself, but that’s an HBO show … what’s it doing on Prime, for free? Dug into it, and it turns out that HBO and Amazon just worked a deal where Amazon Prime is getting a whole bunch of HBO shows in its collection. Since I am an ardent supporter of all things Amazon Prime, and I also have each of ‘The Sopranos,’ ‘Six Feet Under,’ and ‘The Wire’ in my list of top five shows all-time (all of which are now free on Prime), this presented a perfect opportunity for me to tell you to sign up for a free trial of Prime. Yes, I get a referral fee if you sign up, but I would totally tell you do it anyway, if for no other reason than to watch those three shows immediately (don’t start with ‘The Wire’ – it’s the “toughest” of the three to “get,” but easily the most rewarding … save it). You also get the other main Prime benefit: free two-day shipping on pretty much everything you order. We use that *a lot.*
