Happy John Baker Day! On this day three years ago, the Cubs’ then-back-up catcher wound up pitching a scoreless 16th inning, and then scoring the winning run in the bottom of the 16th inning. It is the stuff of legend.
It also generated one of my favorite Cubs images of all-time, as Baker thrust his arm up in celebration while sliding across home plate:
A post shared by Brett Taylor (@bleachernation) on
The Cubs lost the game, so it feels a little less enjoyable, but man, that Javy Baez homer was SO JAVY. He swung all out, met the pitch completely, and obliterated it:
Although he looked p.o.’d in the moment, Ryan Braun had respect for Jason Heyward after the latter robbed him on an incredible catch (MLB.com): “I don’t think anybody else catches that ball. High fly balls, guys have an opportunity to get to, but it was a line drive. I hit the ball hard. Clearly it would have been a home run, and he made an incredible catch. There’s a reason he’s won some Gold Gloves out there and continues to be one of the best defensive outfielders in baseball.”
Baseball America did a great job spotlighting a little-discussed provision in the new CBA that costs the biggest spenders 10 spots in the draft. I’m not quite sure why this has blown up as a “nobody knew it” kind of thing right now, as it was discussed when the CBA came out, but in any case, it’s a good reminder that going past the luxury tax limit – and, in this case, going WAY past it ($237 million for 2018) – will have baseball-related consequences in this new CBA era. The Cubs are not likely to be at risk for this penalty any time soon, but it’s worth checking out the rules to make sure you’re apprised of the consequences.
A great video on the Hall of Fame, and the Cubs enshrined there:
Over the next four years, MLB will move 13 regular season series to international sites. The Cubs haven’t yet been identified as one of the teams participating, but it’s certainly possible. Good for the game, yes, but it’ll probably be a short-term disadvantage for the teams involved, given the extra travel.
A very scary moment in last night’s D-Backs/Cardinals game, when pitcher Robbie Ray took a liner off the head and was carted off the field. After tests at the hospital, it looks like he’s going to be OK.
It’s Hall of Fame weekend, and dang if this isn’t a fantastic shot:
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