MLBits: Weird Baseball, Cardinals Lose, Bautista Controversy, Pena Surgery, More

mlb logo feature

What an excellent start to the season for the Chicago Cubs. After outscoring the Angels 15-1 in the series, the Cubs moved to 2-0 for the first time since 1995 (which, like, seriously?!).

But that’s what happens when the offense is clicking, the starters are firing bullets and the bullpen keeps things quiet in the later innings. Times will not always be so good, Cub fans, so enjoy it entirely when you can.

For now, though, let’s move away from the Cubs and check in on some news from around the league …

  • First up is one of my favorite pieces of the day, and it comes from August Fagerstrom at FanGraphs. The title explains it all: Here’s All the Weird Baseball Things That Happened Already. One of my favorite bits of knowledge comes from the Pirates/Cardinals series, where Francisco Liriano’s final pitching line (6 IP, 3H, 0R, 5BBs, 10Ks) has never happened in the history of baseball. Also unique in history are the Texas Rangers, who became just the 46th club to win a game with just one or fewer hits. There’s plenty more in Fagerstrom’s piece, so be sure to check it out for some future baseball trivia.[adinserter block=”1″]
  • After forcing the game into extra innings five times against each other last season, the Pirates and Cardinals needed a couple more innings again on Tuesday night. This time, Jordy Mercer walked it off with a single to right field, to tilt the contest 6-5 in the Bucs’ favor. Both bullpens were excellent in this one, though, as they combined to pitch 12 innings, while giving up just one total run.
  • Did you catch the end of the Blue Jays/Rays game last night? With the bases loaded and one out in the ninth, a grounder was hit to third and so began an expected double play. But as Jose Bautista made his way from first to second, he stuck out his hand, grabbing second baseman Logan Forsythe’s back leg on the exchange. Forsythe’s throw was off the mark and the runner was safe at first … except the umpire – acting on the new takeout slide rules – identified the interference and called the double play (effectively ending the game in the Rays favor). You can read more about the play here at our sister site, Baseball is Fun.
  • After the game, however, Blue Jays Manger John Gibbons shared some questionable comments, saying, “Maybe we’ll come out wearing dresses tomorrow. Maybe that’s what everybody’s looking for.” (When reporters followed up today, Gibbons doubled down, refusing to apologize and suggesting that people lighten up.) Now, there’s no reason to start a debate or get upset over his comments, because they are obviously and unquestionably wrong. You already know this, whether that was your immediate reaction or not. This isn’t over sensitivity or annoying political correctness, this is a Major League manager that made sexist, generalizing comments about women in the context that they are weaker and/or more fragile than men. The comments were wrong and offensive, Gibbons was wrong and offensive, and that’s that. [Brett: Well said, Michael. For those who disagree, I’d just like you to walk us through Gibbons’ joke, and explain it to us. In that process, you’re going to discover quite quickly why it was embarrassingly unfunny, both from a comedic sense (OMG no way! Dudes in dresses?!? LOL!), and from respect for women sense. The Wife, who looks great in a dress, is about 50 times tougher than I am.]
  • [adinserter block=”2″]

  • The Cardinals will have to go without back-up catcher Brayan Pena for some time, as he recovers from the knee surgery he had on Tuesday. The surgery was scheduled to remove a loose piece of cartilage in his left knee, which was causing discomfort throughout the Spring. Luckily, the surgery was relatively minor (and a success), so the Cardinals are hoping Pena will be able to shorten his absence from the expected one month to something closer to two weeks. Although Pena is just a back up, starter Yadier Molina has been declining in recent years, and underwent two thumbs surgeries this offseason, himself. No matter how minor the player, losing someone for an extended period of time can be difficult.
  • And Pena isn’t it, as the Cardinals have also lost some pitching depth in starting pitcher Marco Gonzales, who will miss the beginning of the Minor League season, due to a left elbow injury (the severity of which is not yet known). Gonzales began feeling discomfort at the end of March, and has already seen a Cardinals’ team doctor. However, the diagnosis is being withheld until he gets a second opinion in two days (that’s not usually a good sign). Originally expected to start the year out in AAA and move into the big league rotation shortly thereafter, Gonzales’ timetable is now completely unknown.
  • But if you think the Cardinals have had a rough start to the season, may I turn your attention to the Arizona Diamondbacks. After signing Zack Greinke to a $200+ million deal and trading away a lot of value for Shelby Miller, the Dbacks very clearly planned on contending in 2016. However, their star center fielder A.J. Pollock was injured (and will miss several months of the season) and then Zack Greinke was lit up in his debut (4 IP, 9H, 7ER, 1BB, 2Ks and 3HRs). The next morning, however, Ken Rosenthal tweeted that Greinke was pitching that game despite having the flu, which could have caused the very un-Greinke like performance (but that was never verified). In fact, following that revelation, manager Chip Hale maintained that he had no knowledge of any such sickness, and that Greinke was simply leaving pitches up in the zone. Just a very weird story. For what it’s worth, Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez tweeted Greinke may have been tipping his pitches, and the Colorado hitters caught on quickly. [Brett: Could he, um, keep tipping his pitches for his next start – whichever lucky team that might come against?]
  • [adinserter block=”3″]

  • I know that you know the Mets have an embarrassment of riches in their starting rotation, but man has it been showing up already. Most recently, Noah Syndergaard tossed an absolute gem against the Royals, finishing 6 innings with just 3 hits, 1 walk, 9 strikeouts and 0 runs. At CBS Sports, R.J. Anderson wonders whether “Thor” will actually be the best among the Mets young crew, and if this season will be the beginning of that development. I find it hard to believe that New York has someone to challenge both Matt Harvey and Jacob DeGrom, but in Syndergaard they may truly have such a pitcher.
  • At FanGraphs, Eno Sarris projects a big season from White Sox lefty Carlos Rodon and believes that the adjustments made at the end of last season (namely, moving towards third base on the rubber) are the catalyst for his improvement. Sarris’ piece is a pretty deep dive, including graphs, charts, heat maps and much more, and it was a very enlightening read, so give it a try.
  • Over at BIF, I took a look at a play in the Yankees/Astros game that led to a protest, and caused home plate umpire Dana DeMuth to say, “Do it. Throw it into the runner’s back.” Man, have we had a interesting and contentious opening week … and I can’t get enough!
  • Oh, and Brett made me include this – in fact, he may actually be typing this very sentence right now and acting like it’s me, Michael, who is posting this tweet of his own volition:
  • written by

    Michael Cerami began covering the Chicago Cubs for Bleacher Nation as a part-time contributor in 2015. One year later, he joined Bleacher Nation full-time, covering the Chicago Cubs and Major League Baseball. Today, Michael runs Bleacher Nation, contributing as a writer (Cubs, MLB) and an editor for all sections of the site, including the Chicago Bears, Bulls, and Blackhawks, as well as MLB, NBA, NHL, and NFL. In 2019, Michael was the co-host of NBC Sports Chicago's Cubs Post-Game Show Outside the Ivy. You can find him on Twitter/X @Michael_Cerami

    more cubs news

    The Cubs Are Among the Most Returning-y Teams

    I am still mostly incapacitated at the moment, so apologies for the short shrift on such an otherwise blessed day. In between pokes and prods, I wanted to share a chart I saw that was pretty interesting, even if unsurprising:...

    Maybe the Cubs Are the Favorites in the NL Central, After All?

    ESPN was the first to throw some love the Cubs way this week, with an overwhelming majority of their writers, analysts, and editors picking the Chicago Cubs to win the NL Central in 2024. But the love doesn't end there....

    The Season Begins, Love for Morel, Counsell’s Value, and Other Cubs Bullets

    You know where you want to spend your Opening Day morning? The hospital! Suffice to say, this is not how I imagined getting HYPED for the Cubs' opener. I guess I'll just have to think about all the possible lineup...

    Cubs vs Rangers: The First Series of the Year!

    Cubs vs Rangers — THE REGULAR SEASON IS HERE! Wake up and rejoice. Later tonight, the Cubs will begin their march toward October Baseball against the (reigning World Series champion) Texas Rangers in Arlington. Justin Steele is getting the nod...

    The 2024 Chicago Cubs for Dummies

    Boom. We made it. The offseason is over, and the Cubs regular season - and those elevated expectations - begins tomorrow. But in case you slept through the winter, I'm here to catch you up on everything you need to...

    I’m Expecting More This Year, Cubs — It’s Time to Start Winning

    There's no way around it: The Chicago Cubs did *not* have the offseason we hoped they might after making Craig Counsell the highest paid manager in MLB history. Not that they did poorly, mind you. Cody Bellinger, Shota Imanaga, and...

    I Dug Deep on the Cubs 2024 Schedule (And I Like What I See)

    Finally, with Cody Bellinger in the fold, we can start focusing more seriously on the season ahead. So today, I thought we'd take a look at the Cubs 2024 schedule. You can flip through the Cubs 2024 schedule right here...

    Here’s What I’m Betting on the Cubs for Opening Day

    I get it. Sports betting isn't for everyone — like, say, the interpreter for an international baseball superstar — but some of us quite enjoy it! If you are one of those people, this article is for you. Below, I'm...

    WAKE UP, BASEBALL IS BACK

    The day has arrived. Opening Day. The most glorious day on the baseball calendar, save for the day of each Chicago Cubs World Series win, of course. See, I get to say things like that on Opening Day. Maybe the...

    Wrigley Field is Gonna Be Lit This Year (As in New Colored Lights!)

    Last year, the Cubs started using their new LED outfield lights to do a little dancing display during 'Go Cubs Go,' lighting along with the song and throwing in a W. It was very fun and I liked it. This...

    Latest News

    Diamondbacks vs. Rockies Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, March 28, 2024

    The Arizona Diamondbacks open their season as -231 favorites in a home matchup with the Colorado Rockies on Thursday at 10:10 PM ET, live on ARID.Arizona's Zac Gallen and Colorado's Kyle Freeland have been named the starters for this contest.Diamondbacks...

    Mariners vs. Red Sox Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, March 28, 2024

    The Seattle Mariners begin their season as -162 favorites in a home tilt against the Boston Red Sox on Thursday at 10:10 PM ET, live on NESN.Luis Castillo starts for Seattle while Brayan Bello is Boston's starter for the contest.Mariners...

    Guardians vs. Athletics Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, March 28, 2024

    The Cleveland Guardians start their season as road favorites (-156) in a matchup with the Oakland Athletics on Thursday at 10:07 PM ET, live on NBCS-CA from Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.Shane Bieber gets the starting nod for Cleveland while Alex Wood...

    Damian Lillard Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Pelicans – Thursday, March 28, 2024

    To beat his 3-point prop, Damian Lillard must make four from downtown on Thursday, when his Milwaukee Bucks face the New Orleans Pelicans, tipping off at 8:00 PM ET.Damian Lillard's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the PelicansDamian Lillard's over/under for three-pointers...

    Brook Lopez Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Pelicans – Thursday, March 28, 2024

    To beat his 3-point prop, Brook Lopez needs to make two from downtown on Thursday, when his Milwaukee Bucks meet the New Orleans Pelicans, starting at 8:00 PM ET.Brook Lopez's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the PelicansBrook Lopez's over/under for three-pointers...

    Giannis Antetokounmpo Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Pelicans – Thursday, March 28, 2024

    Will Giannis Antetokounmpo make just a single 3-pointer when the Milwaukee Bucks play the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday at 8:00 PM ET? If so, he'll beat his over/under for the game.Giannis Antetokounmpo's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the PelicansGiannis Antetokounmpo's...

    CJ McCollum Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Bucks – Thursday, March 28, 2024

    To beat his 3-point over/under, CJ McCollum must make four from downtown on Thursday, when his New Orleans Pelicans play the Milwaukee Bucks, beginning at 8:00 PM ET.CJ McCollum's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the BucksCJ McCollum's over/under for three-pointers in...

    Devils vs. Sabres Prediction: Live Odds, Stats, History and Picks – Friday, March 29, 2024

    The bookmakers are expecting a close game between the New Jersey Devils and Buffalo Sabres when they clash on Friday at 7:00 PM ET, with the Devils at -115 on the moneyline, and the Sabres at -105.Devils vs. Sabres Favorite,...

    Guardians vs. Athletics Probable Starting Pitchers – March 28

    The Cleveland Guardians (0-0) and the Oakland Athletics (0-0) match up on Thursday at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum for Opening Day. First pitch is at 10:07 PM ET.The Guardians will give the nod to Shane Bieber versus the Athletics and Alex...

    Mariners vs. Red Sox Probable Starting Pitchers – March 28

    The Boston Red Sox (0-0) visit the Seattle Mariners (0-0) in an Opening Day game at 10:10 PM ET on Thursday.The Mariners will give the nod to Luis Castillo against the Red Sox and Brayan Bello.Mariners vs. Red Sox Pitcher...

    more cubs news