I saw the new Stephen Spielberg movie, “Ready: Player One” over the weekend, and it was pretty good. Having read the book, though, I didn’t love how much was left out, but I get it. They could’ve either made it a trilogy and annoyed movie-goers who are sick of franchises, or made it a one-off (like they did) and annoy the book-readers.
Maybe there really is no winning – just like the Cubs. (OH BURN!).
I drafted Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen in my fantasy baseball league last week, so naturally his fastball velocity has been down this season and he has an 18.00 ERA and a blown save through his first 2.0 IP. According to Jansen, he’s perfectly healthy, but is working through some mechanical stuff. Given the long playoff stretch last year (and what we saw happen to the Cubs in the first half of 2017), and the fact that he’s always pitching into the playoffs, it’s not too surprising to see Jansen struggle with his mechanics/velocity/results. Let’s just hope his then-Dodgers bullpen-mate (and current Cubs closer), Brandon Morrow, doesn’t follow suit.
(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Nationals second baseman Daniel Murphy ran on the field for the first time since his microfracture knee surgery last October, but his return to the team is still a ways off. If you recall, Murphy had fielded some grounders and hit off a tee in Spring Training, but was ultimately slowed way down and hung back in Florida to continue his rehab, as the Nationals started their season. According to the Washington Post, Murphy won’t be ready to play until late-April at the earliest, and even if he is ready by then, he’ll need a significant rehab assignment, given that he missed Spring Training, too. The Nationals are sufficiently loaded that missing a month-plus of Murphy probably won’t dent their NL East chances, though.
You know, I thought the Cubs were going to end up with Tyson Ross as a reclamation project one of these winters, but they went with Brett Anderson last year after Ross chose the Rangers, and then went with Drew Smyly this time around, while Ross returned to the Padres on a Minor League contract. And it’s probably a fine thing, because Ross would’ve been back too early for the Cubs:
Tyson Ross is here, which means he'll be activated tomorrow to start.
Ross is trying to come back from thoracic outlet syndrome surgery, a rarity. Best of luck to him, and maybe being back with his original team will help.
This was a fantastic and meaningful moment – I love when baseball gives us those:
What a moment. Astros coach Rich Dauer was given a 3% chance to survive after suffering an acute subdural hematoma during the team's World Series parade.
He beat the odds and threw out the first pitch tonight after getting his ring. pic.twitter.com/rWn1qYN9Q1
From Deadspin: “When Dauer initially felt unwell during the parade, team trainers thought that he was likely simply dehydrated. While he was being transported to the hospital, things began to look more serious, and the coach was ultimately diagnosed with an acute subdural hematoma. Doctors estimated that Dauer, who is now retired, had just a 3 percent chance of surviving the surgery. But he pulled through and has since recovered nicely.”
At FiveThirtyEight, Michael Salfino writes about the nearly unbelievable increase in above average fastballs (124% increase in fastballs traveling over 95 MPH since 2011!) … and the equally unbelievable improvement hitters have shown against those pitches. I suppose some of that can be player improvement that comes with experience, but you have to wonder if smart front offices saw the fastball velocity ticking up and increasingly targeted players who could already better handle the heat.
Speaking of which, do you know who’s throwing the hardest this season? It’s not Aroldis Chapman or Luis Severino … it’s Jordan Hicks. According to FanGraphs, the young Cardinals righty has thrown the five fastest pitches this season, and six of the top ten. So far, his top speed has been 101.6 MPH. I wonder if Chapman will catch up.
Miss Dexter Fowler? Well, this won’t help. After starting his season with an 0-13 skid, Fowler tweeted, “I will get a hit.” thirteen times in a row on Twitter … and immediately broke the hitless streak in his second at-bat of the Cardinals’ next game. Naturally, given Fowler’s success, other hitless players followed suit:
I will get a hit. I will get a hit. I will get a hit. I will get a hit. I will get a hit. I will get a hit. I will get a hit. I will get a hit. I will get a hit. I will get a hit. I will get a hit. I will get a hit. I will get a hit. I will get a hit.
My turn: I will get a hit. I will get a hit. I will get a hit. I will get a hit. I will get a hit. I will get a hit. I will get a hit. I will get a hit. I will get a hit. I will get a hit. I will get a hit. I will get a hit. I will get a hit. https://t.co/tKVzv9SSM5
Jose Ramirez went 0-3 last night, but did wind up walking twice, and Josh Reddick went 1-2 with two walks!
So … The Cubs will win tonight. The Cubs will win tonight. The Cubs will win tonight. The Cubs will win tonight. The Cubs will win tonight. The Cubs will win tonight. The Cubs will win tonight. The Cubs will win tonight. The Cubs will win tonight. The Cubs will win tonight. The Cubs will win tonight. The Cubs will win tonight. The Cubs will win tonight.
Or at least this:
Cubs with RISP: “I will get a hit. I will get a hit. I will get a hit. I will get a hit. I will get a hit. I will get a hit. I will get a hit. I will get a hit. I will get a hit. I will get a hit. I will get a hit. I will get a hit. I will get a hit.”
Bill Baer followed up on the Twins’ whining that Orioles catcher Chance Sisco laid down a bunt in the 9th inning of a shutout (the Orioles were *losing* mind you), and Brian Dozier doubled down on his complaints. You can read all about it at NBC Sports. I don’t mean to dismiss this story, because it’s obviously interesting, but I’m not using any more fake computer ink on such a bad opinion. If your team is losing in the ninth and there’s not a no-hitter or perfect game going on, then you get on base HOWEVER you can. Period. If the game is close enough for the other team to shift on you, then bunt all you want.
Jared Diamond had some fun with the Royals/Tigers unusually short game today:
But I’m gonna go out on a limb and say that Manfred is probably hoping that games *do* go long this year, like they have been for the past half-decade or however long, so that he can more easily impose his more robust pace-of-play initiatives next season. Remember, he walked back A LOT of those desired changes just before the season, effectively giving the Players Association one more chance to prove they can self-police the pace. I’m not sure that they will, but we’ll see. Obviously, fewer changes to the game is better than the alternative, but if they’re needed, they’re needed.
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
Sammy Sosa was back in Chicago this past weekend for, among other things, a Club 400 fundraiser in support of Cubs fans in need. It was just Sosa's second visit to Chicago since 2007, but encouragingly, both of those visits...
With the regular season in the rearview, the 2025 MLB Draft Lottery Odds are now fully set, as well as the spot where the Chicago Cubs will be picking after the first round. The Cubs this year finished with the...
The sweeps yesterday almost left us without a playoff game today. But the Mets did some Metsing and the Brewers evened up that series. Now they play a decisive game three tonight at 6:08pm CT on ESPN. Going back a...
The 2024 MLB playoffs opened up yesterday with four Wild Card series games, the outcomes of which were generally pleasing to me … Tigers 5, Astros 2 – Detroit Wins Series 2-0 For the first time in EIGHT YEARS, the...
Although more established Chicago Cubs prospects are going to get the bulk of the after-season attention for the big years they had, I still think about how incredible Cam Smith's pro debut was. The 21-year-old Florida State third baseman, who...
I do not care about details or nuance. I am choosing to believe this means Vlad Guerrero Jr. is on the trade block and DESPERATELY wants to get out of Toronto. TAKE OFFENSE: https://twitter.com/CBSSportsMLB/status/1841529053834105164 https://twitter.com/bnicholsonsmith/status/1841497396989120963 HOW DARE YOU?! Vladito, you...
Although the MLB offseason doesn't officially begin until five days after the World Series comes to an end, we did hit a couple of key offseason landmarks this week. Yesterday, Jed Hoyer delivered the annual end-of-season press conference. And today,...
One of the more consequential moments in the coming offseason for the Chicago Cubs is more or less going to be entirely out of their control. Shortly after the end of the World Series, Cody Bellinger can walk back into...
The nice thing about the playoffs is just having meaningful baseball games perpetually on in the background in the family room. We can kinda look in, look out, watch when free, focus on other things when not. I don't have...
The 2024 MLB playoffs opened up yesterday with four Wild Card series games, the outcomes of which were generally pleasing to me ... Tigers 3, Astros 1 - Detroit Leads Series 1-0 American League Triple Crown-winning pitcher (that's a thing,...
In Week 5 (Sunday at 8:20 PM ET), wide receiver George Pickens and the Pittsburgh Steelers will face the Dallas Cowboys, who have the 20th-ranked pass defense in the NFL (209.5 yards allowed per game).Is Pickens worth starting in fantasy...
Running back Bucky Irving is looking at a matchup versus the 25th-ranked rushing defense in the NFL (145.5 yards allowed per game) in Week 5, when his Tampa Bay Buccaneers play the Atlanta Falcons, Thursday at 8:15 PM ET.Is Irving...
In Week 5 (Sunday at 1:00 PM ET), TE Tommy Tremble and the Carolina Panthers will play the Chicago Bears, who have the eighth-ranked pass defense in the league (174.5 yards allowed per game).Should Tremble be a player that you...
Tight end Jake Ferguson has a matchup against the eighth-ranked pass defense in the NFL (174.5 yards conceded per game) in Week 5, when his Dallas Cowboys play the Pittsburgh Steelers, Sunday at 8:20 PM ET.With his upcoming tilt versus...
Chuba Hubbard and the Carolina Panthers will face the Chicago Bears and their 18th-ranked rushing defense (121 yards conceded per game) in Week 5, on Sunday at 1:00 PM ET.With his upcoming matchup against the Bears this week, should Hubbard...
New Orleans Saints WR Chris Olave will match up with the 23rd-ranked pass defense of the Kansas City Chiefs (227.8 yards allowed per game) in Week 5, at 8:15 PM ET on Monday.Should Olave be a player that you insert...
In Week 5 (Sunday at 4:05 PM ET), RB Zamir White and the Las Vegas Raiders will meet the Denver Broncos, who have the 12th-ranked run defense in the league (110.5 yards allowed per game).Is White's game versus the Broncos...
Rachaad White and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will play the Atlanta Falcons and their 25th-ranked run defense (145.5 yards allowed per game) in Week 5, on Thursday at 8:15 PM ET.Is White worth starting in fantasy this week? Keep scrolling...
Rashid Shaheed and the New Orleans Saints will meet the Kansas City Chiefs and their 23rd-ranked passing defense (227.8 yards conceded per game) in Week 5, on Monday at 8:15 PM ET.When setting your fantasy football lineup this week, is...
In Week 5 (Sunday at 4:25 PM ET), wideout Wan'Dale Robinson and the New York Giants will face the Seattle Seahawks, who have the seventh-ranked pass defense in the NFL (167.5 yards allowed per game).When setting your fantasy football lineup...
NEWSLETTER
