So my court baseball game came and went … and my team didn’t do so great. We lost 14-5 after going down big early. I did hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the 9th with two outs for the #fakerally, but it didn’t amount to much. Oh well, better luck next year. Until that time, though, here’s some news from around the league…
The Tampa Bay Rays are utilizing a strategy we’ve surmised that the Cubs’ coaches and front office have discussed and employed a lot this year: limiting the number of times their starters face opposing hitters. You know the theory: Hitters tend to fare much better the third time up against a pitcher, so limiting that exposure should help dampen the damage. In 2014, for example, hitters had a .681 OPS the first time up against a starter, a .708 OPS the second time and a .749 OPS the third time up against the same pitcher. Although the Rays’ strategy comes in for some high praise, the Cubs are left out of the conversation entirely. Shrug. Most likely, the bullpen’s early season struggles overshadowed the effectiveness of that strategy. I like competitive advantages, anyway.
After pitching just 22 innings in 2015, this happened:
Dylan bundy has been shut down, likely for the year. Buck wouldn't elaborate on shoulder troubles w Bundy but said no surgery.
According to Bundy, he has a calcium build up in the back of his right shoulder. After meeting with Dr. James Andrews, Bundy was told he will not need surgery, but that he won’t pitch any time soon. The worst part (for the Orioles, that is) is that Bundy is out of options after this season. That means that he’ll have to be kept on the 25-man roster in 2016, or will be subjected to waivers, where he’d presumably get claimed quickly.
Angels’ General Manager Jerry Dipoto and manager Mike Scioscia appear to be in a bit of a tiff, which stretches all the way back to 2012. The source of the displeasure? Scioscia’s resistance to data prepared by Dipoto and his staff. This is actually a very interesting read; the argument between data and feel, doesn’t seem to be going away quite yet, this being just the latest example. For what it’s worth, Scioscia has the ability to opt out of his contract at the end of 2015. (Update this morning: Dipoto may have packed up his things and left. (UPDATE to the UPDATE: He’s reportedly stepped down.))
[Fine Brett, I’ll include this] Hawk Harrelson displayed a random act of kindness by cheering up a White Sox fan who became “visibly upset” after missing a Melky Cabrera home run catch in the stands. Hawk, being the swell guy that he [probably] is, noticed the fan’s distress, invited her into the broadcast booth during the game, gave her a game ball and gave her tickets to the next White Sox-Tigers game. Okay, fine, that is pretty nice.
The Royals are still doing quite well in All-Star voting, according to the latest update:
Yep, Omar Infante with his .553 OPS (47 wRC+) is still leading Jose Altuve with his .751 OPS and 105 wRC+ and Jason Kipnis with his .934 OPS (164 wRC+). The All-Star Game voting is dumb.
Pablo Sandoval hit a pitch he had no business even trying to reach, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t impressive (if misguided).
The Winter Meetings are over, and although that always means something of an exhale for me after four days of very late nights and trying to grind through the day, this year's installment doesn't have the benefit of ... anything...
When I sat down this morning to start writing, I realized I was just kind of piling up some stray after-the-meetings thoughts ... Transactionally, the Chicago Cubs did nothing this week at the Winter Meetings, other than picking up a...
Well, for the second time in his career, Jeimer Candelario is leaving the Chicago Cubs for another team. Only this time, he's headed to one of their division rivals: The Cincinnati Reds. Mark Feinsand has the scoop: https://twitter.com/Feinsand/status/1732637582410784947?s=20 The Cubs,...
Oh, this is so good. This isn't just "good for the social media manager of a baseball team" good. This is full on excellent comedy execution. The official Yankees' Twitter/X account just landed an all-time burn — one that's both...
Although he's not necessarily in that top tier of available starting pitchers this offseason, lefty Eduardo Rodriguez could be a very good number three in many rotations. He would, for example, be a noticeable upgrade for the Cincinnati Reds' rotation....
It was picking back up last night, but the steam behind a Juan Soto trade to the Yankees seems to be quite robust right now. To such an extent that it sounds like it's going to happen today: https://twitter.com/JackCurryYES/status/1732407284616008136 https://twitter.com/JonHeyman/status/1732443123043741883...
There will be more to say about the Winter Meetings, and the Juan Soto deal is still likely to be completed eventually ... but man alive, that was absolutely the worst and most boring and awful Winter Meetings ever. Just...
Late last night, Joel Sherman reported that the Orioles were "seriously engaged" with free agent reliever (and former Cubs closer) Craig Kimbrel. And this morning, it seems those talks have progressed to "close to a deal" status, which, from Ken...
The 2023 MLB Rule 5 Draft has arrived, and I'll be tracking any Cubs-impact-related picks down below. For the uninitiated, the Rule 5 Draft is an opportunity for teams to poach players from other organizations that meet certain criteria. The Draft comes...
Sorry to make today pearl clutching about exorbitant prices day, but I have one to add to the ever-exploding Yoshinobu Yamamoto expectations and the apparent high price the Yankees are paying to acquire Juan Soto from the Padres. This one...
My apologies if this week's Bears Bullets are coming out a little later than you'd like. Getting back into the swing of things after the Bears bye hasn't been easy. Much like the players, yours truly can use a little...
Despite not suiting up on Wednesday night, Zach LaVine stole the show. The Chicago Bulls announced that the two-time All-Star will stay in street clothes for an extra 3-4 weeks due to his right foot injury. We gave our instant...
Robbie Gould, long held as the gold-standard of Chicago Bears kickers, announced his retirement from the NFL in social media posts via Instagram and The Players' Tribune. https://twitter.com/PlayersTribune/status/1732772131254014309 Gould dives deep in his retirement post at The Players' Tribune. And,...
According to a report by The Athletic's Katie Strang and Kalyn Kahler, a former Jacksonville Jaguars employee is accused of stealing more than $22 million from the franchise from 2019 to 2023 by exploiting the team's virtual credit card program....
It was almost a month ago that Carolina Panthers' tight end Hayden Hurts entered the league's concussion protocol. Hurst took a big hit against the Chicago Bears on Thursday Night Football in Week 10, and he has been sidelined since....
[lasso ref="draftkings-promo-1" id="299003" link_id="896437"]Will DeVante Parker get into the end zone when the New England Patriots and the Pittsburgh Steelers come together in Week 14 on Thursday at 8:15 PM ET? In the piece below, we dive into his anytime...
Will Brook Lopez make two 3-pointers when the Milwaukee Bucks play the Indiana Pacers on Thursday at 5:00 PM ET? If so, he'll beat his prop for the game.Brook Lopez's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the PacersBrook Lopez's over/under for three-pointers...
The Indiana Pacers play the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday at 5:00 PM ET, and if the Pacers' Myles Turner drains two 3-pointers, he'll beat his over/under.Myles Turner's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the BucksMyles Turner's over/under for three-pointers in this game:...
The Indiana Pacers meet the Milwaukee Bucks at 5:00 PM ET on Thursday, and one of the 3-pointer props available for this matchup requires five trifectas from Tyrese Haliburton.Tyrese Haliburton's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the BucksTyrese Haliburton's over/under for three-pointers...
Will Giannis Antetokounmpo make just a single 3-pointer when the Milwaukee Bucks face the Indiana Pacers on Thursday at 5:00 PM ET? If so, he'll beat his prop for the game.Giannis Antetokounmpo's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the PacersGiannis Antetokounmpo's over/under...
So my court baseball game came and went … and my team didn’t do so great. We lost 14-5 after going down big early. I did hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the 9th with two outs for the #fakerally, but it didn’t amount to much. Oh well, better luck next year. Until that time, though, here’s some news from around the league…
