Cubs Lose Minor League Pitching Coordinator, Oh, and the NLCS, and Other Bullets

I’m going to traveling home today after visiting with my brother – who came to Chicago from Texas for tonight’s NLCS game … thanks, universe – so I don’t know how much I’ll be able to get to. Might be a lighter day than usual, but you’re probably still shaking off the sads anyway.

  • Speaking of sads, it sounds like the Cubs are losing an influential organizational voice:
  • Johnson was a longtime coach at Vanderbilt (yes, he was there when David Price pitched at Vandy), and the Cubs managed to poach him back in late 2012. Obviously a bump up to big league pitching coach is a great opportunity for Johnson, and all you can do is wish him well (er, not too well, since he’ll be coaching for another team in the NL Central … ).
  • Joe Maddon discusses the end of the playoffs, the end of the season, and the validation the Cubs see this year (Cubs.com). And Cubs players discuss the year and the loss (Cubs.com).
  • Patrick Mooney sums up the “problem” of not winning it all this year when the Cubs were so close: yes, on paper, they look to be good again next year and for many years thereafter, but nothing is guaranteed. And, now, the expectations for 2016 could threaten to make the regular season a lot less fun.
  • For my part, by the way, I’m not going to let that happen: getting to the playoffs is all you can really do in a given year, and it’s exciting every time the Cubs are in a race for a playoff spot. So I don’t care how good they do or do not look coming into 2016 – if they stay in the race, I’m going to be excited about it. And then, if they make the playoffs, I’m going to try to remind myself once again that anything can happen.
  • Sahadev Sharma: eventually, every party ends.
  • Dan Haren said it was coming, and last night he confirmed that he has now retired.
  • A classy gesture by the Cubs:
  • I guess I got a little emo last night:
  • 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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