The divisional races have all but wound down and the playoff teams are nearly set.
Of course, as I’m sure you already know, the Cubs were the latest team to clinch their division and the Twins managed to lock in an unexpected Wild Card spot, too. The Cardinals were eliminated by the Cubs altogether last night, and the Red Sox have a magic number of just 1 to clinch the AL East.
The Brewers, meanwhile, picked up a half game on the Rockies yesterday and are just two games back with three to go. The Rockies get the Dodgers for the last series and the Brewers get the Cardinals. It’s … possible.
But there’s plenty more going on around baseball, so let’s check in on some news from around the league …
You already know that there were more home runs in baseball this season than any other year in the history of the sport, but did you know the same was true for strikeouts? At the end of Wednesday night, the 2017 season witnessed 39,168 Major League strikeouts, which overcame the previous record of 38,982 … set last year. Which broke the record set the year before. (And you can do that dance for 10 straight seasons.) Yep, homers and strikeouts are WAY up throughout the league, as many have jumped on the dingers or bust bandwagon.
The Marlins sale has been approved:
Per source, owners have APPROVED Marlins sale. Derek Jeter/Bruce Sherman will be Marlins' new owners, pending closing next week.
Now it’s time to see how involved the new owners will be (my early sense is that they seem VERY involved, which isn’t necessarily a good thing) and how big of a role Derek Jeter, in particular, will take – rumors previously suggested he wanted to be the President of Baseball Operations, which … I don’t know.
Speaking of owners being very involved, this is precisely why it can be a very, very bad idea:
But current Cubs catcher Alex Avila, for one example, wasn’t as lucky back in 2011 when a foul ball off his face mask literally generated sparks and he was left in the game. Avila has dealt with concussions throughout his career, and it’s becoming clearer and clearer that this isn’t an issue limited to football or hockey.
Remember Cubs third base prospect Christian Villanueva? He was always known for having a great glove, but could never quite hit his way into the Majors with the Cubs (especially because of Kris Bryant’s presence). Well, after hitting .296/.369/.528 in Triple-A this season after being let go by the Cubs (by FAR his best performance at that level), he’s gotten off to a hot start with the Padres. In his first ten big league games, Villanueva is slashing .333/.333/.778 with FOUR home runs. That’s quite a start, and I wish him the best.
Giants starter Matt Cain, who turns 33 on Sunday, will be retiring at the end of the year. And with that retirement, he’ll also become just the fourth player in franchise history to play his whole career with the Giants while also playing at least 10 seasons in the Majors. That’s always fun to see. Cain had quite a career with some title moments (a perfect game in 2012, 2.10 ERA through eight postseason starts, and starts for the clinching game in all three series during the Giants 2012 run), but he’ll be hanging it up at the end of the year after injuries and ineffectiveness took their toll.
Joon Lee writes about why bobbleheads usually look so terrible over at Bleacher Report, and recalls a story of how the Sacramento River Cats’ 2013 Barry Zito bobblehead not only looked nothing like the star left-handed pitcher, but also … his glove was on the wrong hand. *Yikes*. Apparently, when alerted to the mistake, the marketing department suggested no one would notice. But *Double Yikes* they did. However, not all bobbleheads are created equal (or so I’m learning). In fact, a few teams are exceptionally good at making promotional bobbleheads, combining improved life-like-ness and far more creativity into their work. Honestly, I didn’t think I’d read a whole piece about bobbleheads, but it’s really quite interesting stuff.
Giancarlo Stanton crushed homers number 58 and 59 last night, and here was the second one of the evening:
Here's Giancarlo obliterating homer number 59 on the year, his second of the night. pic.twitter.com/LaEPJ3NIme
And with that blast he’s officially in the top ten for most homers in a single season (he’s actually tied with Babe Ruth’s 1921 season). And, of course, he’s just two shy of Roger Maris’ 61 homers, which is something for which Stanton had previously suggested he was shooting.
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
It's Mother's Day. I'm hanging with the family. I don't feel like being as pissed off as a game like that threatened to make me. So I am QUITE relieved by that 10th inning (and the fact that the Cubs...
I'll just presume he was sending this one out for mom. And I'll also presume that the knee is indeed feeling good. Home run number nine on the season for Christopher Morel: https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1789713524052087082
CUBS LINEUP — The Cubs have played thirteen series so far this season, and this is already their eighth rubber match. Let's see if Kyle Hendricks and the Cubs can bring this one in. Chicago Cubs Lineup: Nico Hoerner, SS...
No surprises here, as the decision to start Kyle Hendricks this afternoon against the Pirates was made yesterday, but the news has officially hit the wire, and here it is. Kyle Hendricks Activated Kyle Hendricks is returning from his short...
Happy Mother's Day to the mothers among you, and to the mothers in my life! I'll be doing some extra family stuff today, so I'm gonna cruise through these Bullets ... Up front, because this was certainly the thing most...
The Sunday TBD has been D'd, and it's going to be Kyle Hendricks coming back an outing early. Instead of making another rehab start at Iowa, Hendricks is going to be activated from the IL to rejoin the rotation tomorrow:...
The Cubs came within 90 feet of keeping that ridiculous game going. No dice. Stupid game. Early on, it just kinda seemed like the Cubs might lose a perfectly normal - bad, but normal - game. Justin Steele did not...
CUBS LINEUP — After a little tease yesterday, Seiya Suzuki is actually, officially in the Cubs lineup today. And he'll be greeted with a tough matchup against the top pitching prospect in Major League Baseball. Welcome back! Chicago Cubs Lineup:...
Today the Chicago Cubs placed reliever Yency Almonte on the Injured List with a right shoulder strain. Jose Cuas has been recalled from Iowa to take his place in the bullpen. Almonte, together with Mark Leiter Jr., had been performing...
How did I not know that the Aurora Borealis was going to be visible last night?!?!? I woke up this morning to all these awesome pictures from friends and other people in the area, and I'm MISERABLE ABOUT IT. With...
It's Mother's Day. I'm hanging with the family. I don't feel like being as pissed off as a game like that threatened to make me. So I am QUITE relieved by that 10th inning (and the fact that the Cubs...
At 8:00 PM ET on Sunday, in Game 4 of the second round of the NBA playoffs, it'll be the Denver Nuggets against the Minnesota Timberwolves, with Nikola Jokic needing two trifectas to beat his 3-pointer over/under.Nikola Jokic's Three-Pointer Prop...
At 8:00 PM ET on Sunday, in Game 4 of the second round of the NBA playoffs, it'll be the Denver Nuggets versus the Minnesota Timberwolves, with Michael Porter Jr. needing three trifectas to beat his 3-pointer over/under.Michael Porter Jr.'s...
At 8:00 PM ET on Sunday, in Game 4 of the second round of the NBA playoffs, it'll be the Minnesota Timberwolves against the Denver Nuggets, with Anthony Edwards needing three trifectas to beat his 3-pointer over/under.Anthony Edwards' Three-Pointer Prop...
Jamal Murray needs to make two 3-pointers to beat his over/under when the Denver Nuggets face the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday at 8:00 PM ET, in Game 4 of the second round of the NBA playoffs.Jamal Murray's Three-Pointer Prop Odds...
At 8:00 PM ET on Sunday, in Game 4 of the second round of the NBA playoffs, it'll be the Minnesota Timberwolves against the Denver Nuggets, with Karl-Anthony Towns needing two treys to beat his 3-pointer prop.Karl-Anthony Towns' Three-Pointer Prop...
Player prop betting options for Anthony Edwards, Nikola Jokic and others are available in the Minnesota Timberwolves-Denver Nuggets matchup at Target Center on Sunday (starting at 8:00 PM ET).How to Watch Timberwolves vs. NuggetsDate: Sunday, May 12, 2024Time: 8:00 PM...
I'll just presume he was sending this one out for mom. And I'll also presume that the knee is indeed feeling good. Home run number nine on the season for Christopher Morel: https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1789713524052087082
I was rounding up this morning's set of Bears Bullets when I saw this note from the Chicago Tribune's Dan Wiederer on rookie wide receiver Rome Odunze sitting out Saturday's practice with hamstring tightness and I knew I had to...
No surprises here, as the decision to start Kyle Hendricks this afternoon against the Pirates was made yesterday, but the news has officially hit the wire, and here it is. Kyle Hendricks Activated Kyle Hendricks is returning from his short...
NEWSLETTER
