How Quickly Baseball Spins You Around, Heyward’s Baserunning, and Other Bullets

The Wife and The Kiddos are home for the summer, starting today. In theory, my job doesn’t change, but the sounds that constantly reverberate through the erstwhile silent house certainly do. It’s an adjustment I make with a smile.

  • Baseball, man. I don’t think it’s a stretch to suggest that the Wednesday loss in San Diego, capping off an 0-fer road trip with a sweep at the hands of arguably the worst team in baseball, was the lowest point for the Cubs since some point in early 2014. Maybe even earlier than that. The Cubs dropped to two games below .500 as the calendar flipped to June, despite maintaining a core of players that had just won the World Series. Obviously that part was a saving grace, but it was clear that the team had massively underperformed, and the threat of not making the playoffs stood at it’s most significant so far this year. It was a dark time.
  • … and then the Cubs immediately swept the Cardinals at Wrigley Field for the first time since 2006, came back in all three games to do it, pulled back over .500, passed the Cardinals in the standings, and everything was hunky dory again! Heh. That’s an oversimplification, of course, but it does underscore just how wildly this sport can flip you. Even now, going forward, we could wind up looking back at this series as the moment everything turned for the Cubs … or just a nice series sweep in the sea of an otherwise forgettable season. Time will tell.
  • Turns out – meaningful or not – the Cubs had a team meeting on that Wednesday, the final day of the winless road trip (Daily Herald).
  • On the Jon Jay hit that gave the Cubs the lead last night, I still can’t decide, visually, if Jason Heyward definitely baited Dexter Fowler into the throw to third base to ensure Anthony Rizzo would score, or if he just got a little too aggressive. You can watch the play here, and he did a good job of extending the rundown long enough to ensure Rizzo could score, but if Fowler’s throw was a little bit later and Heyward were tagged out immediately, I’m not sure Rizzo would have scored – that is to say, if Heyward did that on purpose, it was an awfully risky strategy. But then again, letting Fowler get fully behind a throw coming to the plate with Rizzo running might have been risky, too. On the whole, I think Heyward probably figured being aggressive was the best bet either way: he likely ensures Rizzo scores, and if the throw goes home, he winds up on third base if Rizzo is safe.
  • (Photo by Jon Durr/Getty Images)

  • Ian Happ crushed two bombs yesterday, and Joe Maddon discussed the adjustments the young switch-hitter is working through (Cubs.com): “He’s going to continue to do a better job of knowing what to not swing at. He doesn’t have to do mechanical adjustments, he doesn’t have to spend 1,000 hours in the batting cage. It’s a focus thing. He has a good idea of the strike zone. When he really refines it here, heads up.” I am #NotAScout, clearly, because to me it does look like there’s a little bit of a mechanical adjustment needed for him to catch up to high heat, but I’m the first to admit I could be wrong about that.
  • The lack of playing time for Albert Almora is on Joe Maddon’s radar (Tribune), but the arrival of Happ and the need to put him in center field obviously changed the equation for Almora.
  • Deadspin ranked the top sports mascots because why not, and Clark the Cub shows up at 29 out of 70. Fred Bird, the Cardinals’ mascot, was last. Mr. Met took the top spot, either in spite of, or because of, his recent one-digit salute.
  • I would say this was at least 80% self-protection, but that remaining 20% was a heckuva a nice catch:
  • It’s all that dancing Edwards does. It keeps him loose, flexible, and agile!
  • Watch for 100 years, and you might never see this again:
  • If you missed anything this weekend, catch yourself up by perusing the headlines here. Lots going on.
  • Luke checked in on the draft, one week out from the start.
  • Woo hoo: Amazon’s Deal of the Day is on sports collectibles and memorabilia, which includes a bunch of signed Kris Bryant stuff, a big discount on a Cubs baseball card set, and more.
  • Also, if your pop like sports stuff (or you want to tell your kids where to shop), make sure you check out the Father’s Day Gift Guide at MLB Shop and/or at Fanatics.
  • 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.

    more cubs news

    CRAAAAAP: Cody Bellinger to the Injured List (UPDATES)

    So much for all those words of optimism and negative X-rays. After colliding with the outfield wall last night, Cody Bellinger fractured his rib (Update: It's actually TWO fractured right ribs) and will hit the injured list today. Chicago Cubs...

    Chicago Cubs Lineup: What is it, June 2023?

    CUBS LINEUP — The Chicago Cubs took Game 1 against the Houston Astros in convincing fashion last night. So tonight, they'll go for the quick series win against Spencer Arrighetti at Wrigley Field (it'd be a good idea to win...

    Bellinger Optimistic Post-Injury, Busch’s Defense, Almonte Stock Rising, Tauchman Slugging, and Other Cubs Bullets

    Ed. Note: Since this article was published, a CT scan revealed a rib fracture for Cody Bellinger, who is now on the Injured List. You can find all the details of that news in our most recent article right here....

    Cubs Outfield Prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong Coming Up

    With Cody Bellinger headed to the Injured List with a rib fracture, the Cubs are in need of another outfielder: center field prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong is coming back up to the big leagues for the second time. https://twitter.com/670TheScore/status/1783217891195625709 Crow-Armstrong, 22,...

    Is Mike Tauchman the Best Player in Baseball? An Exploration

    Hey, we're just having some early-season fun. So allow me to present the 'Mike Tauchman Is Clearly Better Than' list. As of this moment, Mike Tauchman has ... ... a higher wRC+ (151) than Pete Alonso, Fernando Tatis Jr., and...

    Cubs Farm Report | April 24, 2024: Kevin Alcántara Cannot Miss Right Now

    Name a player hotter than Kevin Alcántara right now. Go ahead, I'll wait. (He's already raking again today. Literally as I type this.) More on Alcántara's big day and the Smokies home run parade last night in today's Cubs Farm...

    Oof: Blake Snell to the Injured List Just Three Horrible Starts into His Giants Career

    Just three starts into his San Francisco Giants career, Blake Snell is heading to the injured list with a left-adductor strain. Oof. You hate to even say it — and who really knows if this was related — but early...

    It’s Gotten Impossible to Not Comment on the White Sox Making Futility History

    In 1997, I was a miserable Chicago Cubs fan. I mean, that was true a lot of the time, but I mean it in a very specific way that year: the Cubs had started the season 0-14. They had literally...

    My God, Jordan Wicks … Save Some Awesomeness for the Rest of us!

    Cubs rookie starter Jordan Wicks has been impressing us all season long with his apparent offseason transformation (which led to more velocity on his heater and movement on his slider). But last night against the Astros? That was a whole...

    Cardinals Demote Uber Prospect Jordan Walker Back to Triple-A

    On Wednesday, the St. Louis Cardinals announced that infielder José Fermín and LHP John King would be coming to join the big league squad in place of LHP Zack Thompson and ... uber outfield prospect Jordan Walker. You just hate...

    Latest News

    Cubs Outfield Prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong Coming Up

    With Cody Bellinger headed to the Injured List with a rib fracture, the Cubs are in need of another outfielder: center field prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong is coming back up to the big leagues for the second time. https://twitter.com/670TheScore/status/1783217891195625709 Crow-Armstrong, 22,...

    Jonas Valančiūnas Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Thunder – NBA Playoffs Game 2, Wednesday, April 24, 2024

    The New Orleans Pelicans play the Oklahoma City Thunder at 9:30 PM ET on Wednesday, in Game 2 of the opening round of the NBA playoffs, and one of the 3-pointer props available for this matchup requires just one trey...

    CRAAAAAP: Cody Bellinger to the Injured List (UPDATES)

    So much for all those words of optimism and negative X-rays. After colliding with the outfield wall last night, Cody Bellinger fractured his rib (Update: It's actually TWO fractured right ribs) and will hit the injured list today. Chicago Cubs...

    And Now Penei Sewell Has Signed a MASSIVE Extension With The Lions

    Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes is hard at work today! It's fitting that just a day before the 2024 NFL Draft kicks off in Detroit, the Lions have locked up two franchise, homegrown cornerstones just hours apart. This morning,...

    San Jose Sharks Fire Head Coach David Quinn

    When you finish with the worst record in the NHL, it's hard to keep your job. Even when the front office strips your roster to the bare bones, apparently. And on Wednesday, David Quinn found out the San Jose Sharks...

    Chicago Bulls Contracts: Decisions That Have to Be Made This Offseason

    While the NBA offseason will not officially start until June, it still can't hurt to familiarize ourselves with the Chicago Bulls' summer outlook. The organization finds itself at quite the crossroads, and it's not only because they disappointed fans with...

    Take a Look at the New Chicago Bears Stadium Renderings

    The Chicago Bears unveiled plans for their downtown lakefront stadium proposal on Wednesday. And as you might expect, it is very kind on the eyes: https://twitter.com/ChicagoBears/status/1783185834490888461 The Bears even gave the project a code name — The Burnham Park Project: The...

    CJ McCollum Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Thunder – NBA Playoffs Game 2, Wednesday, April 24, 2024

    CJ McCollum's New Orleans Pelicans play the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday at 9:30 PM ET in Game 2 of the opening round of the NBA playoffs, and to beat his 3-point prop, he must make four from downtown.CJ McCollum's...

    Brandon Ingram Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Thunder – NBA Playoffs Game 2, Wednesday, April 24, 2024

    The New Orleans Pelicans meet the Oklahoma City Thunder at 9:30 PM ET on Wednesday, in Game 2 of the opening round of the NBA playoffs, and one of the 3-pointer over/unders available for this matchup requires just one trey...

    Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Pelicans – NBA Playoffs Game 2, Wednesday, April 24, 2024

    To beat his 3-point prop, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander needs to make two from downtown on Wednesday, when his Oklahoma City Thunder face the New Orleans Pelicans in Game 2 of the opening round of the NBA playoffs, beginning at 9:30 PM...

    more cubs news