Mike Montgomery is a Groundball Wizard, Gary Pressy is Cal Ripken, and Other Bullets

Aug 29, 2017

There are a number of “lowest forms” out there, but among the lowest forms of human scum are those who use natural disasters as opportunities to scam for money. They’re out there. Be wary and mindful if you being generous enough to give. Try to give directly to the organization you are supporting (for example, I’m supporting the Houston Humane Society this morning – not because I care about animals more than people, but because I worry that they get a whole lot less support in these situations and there is terrible need).

Mike Montgomery was great as a starter once again last night, and although his overall numbers as a starter this year look mixed (4.05 ERA, 3.97 FIP), they are still far better than league average, and they are also skewed by that one seven-run outing against the Brewers before the break. Consider this: Montgomery has made 10 starts for the Cubs this year, and *four* of them have been at least six innings and one earned run or fewer. When he commands his wide arsenal in the zone, he is dominant.

Among pitchers with at least 50 innings as a starter this year, Montgomery’s 61.3% groundball rate is 4th best in baseball. It’s no secret where Montgomery’s bread will be buttered when he’s at his best, and in the Juiced Ball Era, groundball pitchers might be more valuable than ever.

Whether Montgomery makes another start this year will depend on a variety of factors, but the nearest one is whether Jon Lester, who threw a simulated game yesterday, is ready to return for his next start.

As for next year, I do think it’s very fair to presume Montgomery has an inside track on a rotation job, though GM Jed Hoyer is quick to caution that you don’t know how things will play out, and Montgomery has a lot of value in the role he’s handling now (CSN): “It’s been a positive year for him, and certainly we’ll consider all those factors (for) the rotation next year. But his versatility is really valuable and we talk about it all the time: It’s not going to be five starters. We have to think through it that way. And the best teams have six, seven, eight guys that can do it. And he’s definitely going to be one of those guys.”

That’s all true, of course, and it does Hoyer no good to say, “Yeah, he’s totes gonna be in the rotation, fam!” right now. But if you had to place a bet as of today … he’s totes gonna be in the rotation, fam.

Oh, and Montgomery had another hit in the game, and I’m just sayin’: Dan Vogelbach is going to need to figure out how to throw a killer curveball at this point.

The Cubs’ organist, Gary Pressy, is a treasure, and has now played at 2,500 STRAIGHT Cubs games:

Gary the GOAT. pic.twitter.com/MQhYtlAP3k

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) August 29, 2017

Can't thank you fans enough. 2500 down and many more to go! THANK YOU! -GP

— Gary Pressy (@GaryPressy) August 29, 2017

Bonus, because the eyes were on Gary last night, the camera got the PERFECT reaction shot after Javy Baez pulled off his unassisted double play:

Gary with the exactly correct reaction at the end of the second video, haha. pic.twitter.com/5BM25BKFJl

— Brett Taylor (@BleacherNation) August 29, 2017

Javy Baez and Ian Happ shared a light moment after a pop-up:

https://twitter.com/BleacherNation/status/902359231873110016

Speaking of Baez, I’m not sure I’ve seen too many of these gray shirseys around, as I’m thinking about my times at the park:

Javy Baez grey (or gray?) World Series shirsey is among the things on clearance at the MLB Shop, my friends. https://t.co/InrSPAVvJz pic.twitter.com/fo0FnyPcFf
— Brett Taylor (@BleacherNation) August 29, 2017

Kevin Pillar is utterly ridiculous in center field:

Kevin Pillar Went All “Angels in the Outfield” To Make This Ridiculous Diving Catch https://t.co/D7vHccBHVu pic.twitter.com/pOQtMl7spi

— Baseball is Fun (@flippingbats) August 29, 2017

Over at TYL, the Bears are going to be all over the wide receiver rumor mill, and the Lions just upped the price tag for franchise quarterbacks in a dramatic way.

The Echo Dot is 10% off today at Amazon, and the Deals of the Day include fancy sunglasses and a pressure washer.

written by

Brett Taylor

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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Mike Montgomery is a Groundball Wizard, Gary Pressy is Cal Ripken, and Other Bullets

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