On Saturday, some dingbat hit my car (parked on Waveland) and left without leaving a note or even getting out of his car. Fortunately, two wonderful, beautiful passersby saw the collision, snapped photos of his car (and mine), and left notes with their phone numbers under my wiper blade.
So to Andy and Jon, thank you. You guys rock. To the dingbat, click here.
Here’s some news from around the league …
Yesterday, the St. Louis Cardinals entered the bottom of the ninth inning down a run against the Brewers, but Yadier Molina (of course) got a rally started that eventually led to a tie game, extra innings, and … new closer Greg Holland’s 2018 debut. Unfortunately, Holland, who was forced to start the season late because he didn’t sign with the Cardinals until Opening Day, got things started with a walk to Travis Shaw, and then another walk to Domingo Santana. Eric Sogard followed that up with a sac bunt, moving the runners to second and third with one out, before Holland intentionally walked Manny Pina to load the bases. The next batter, Orlando Arcia, came to the plate with a below average 6.7% career walk rate … and walked to force in the go-ahead run. The Cardinals were unable to answer in the bottom half of the inning, so the Brewers won. That’s a rough start for Holland. You can read more about it at Cardinals.com.
Before we move on, I want to point out that Cardinals first baseman Jose Martinez collided with Brewers center fielder Lorenzo Cain during a bang-bang play at first base last night, and both players were forced to exit (Cain’s foot stepped on Martinez’s ankle). Both players are apparently day-to-day, but that seems like a win (especially for Martinez), given how nasty/painful the collision looked.
Oh, one more thing about the Cardinals:
I didn't see Wainwright throw at all tonight, so I have no idea how he *looked,* visually.
But his inning-by-inning four-seam velo data is… concerning, one might say. Me, for example.
Adam Wainwright is likely nearing the end of his career. I wonder if the Cardinals will move him into the bullpen sooner than later and recall Jack Flaherty, who had a nice 5.0 IP, 9 K, 1 BB, 1 ER performance in his place on April 3.
At Yahoo Sports, Jeff Passan pens an open apology to Shohei Ohtani for getting it wrong about him in Spring Training. Basically, after talking to a number of scouts, Passan was convinced Ohtani’s transition to the big leagues was not going to go *nearly* as smoothly as it has, but he is happy to admit that he was wrong. Well, sorta. The flaws the scouts saw with Ohtani’s swing were real and would’ve been a problem, but Ohtani was able to adjust on the fly (quickly and effectively … in a new country and league) and change his swing just enough to adjust. And the final product, well, you know how good he’s been:
The Cincinnati Reds (2-7) have not gotten off to a great start this season, and I fear things are about to get a little worse. According to MLB.com, they’ve put third baseman Eugenio Suarez (fractured right thumb) and outfielder Scott Schebler (sore right elbow) on the 10-day disabled list. No one was picking them for a surprise season anyway, but starting slow and losing two starters simultaneously is not a recipe for success. And, of course, Suarez just recently signed a seven-year/$66M extension last month. Obviously a fractured thumb doesn’t strike you as a long-term injury, but losing him right away must sting a bit for fans.
Although, Votto hasn’t turned things on yet: .257/.308/.257 (53 wRC+). I’m not worried, though. The guy’s a hitter.
Oh, Marlins:
Tonight's crowd of 7,003 in Miami was the second-smallest in any normal MLB game this decade. The first game on this list was in Williamsport, Pa. The next three were moved from Houston to St. Petersburg, Fla., at the last moment because of Hurricane Harvey. pic.twitter.com/lqn0H5BdDT
When I see things like this, I’m reminded that part of Jeter’s sale pitch to potential investors was a continued *growth* in attendance, even after shipping away, you know, all their good players. Poor Marlins fans. So far, the new boss seems a lot like the old boss.
Speaking of the last incompetent owner – remember how Jeff Loria was supposed to share part of the profits from the sale of the team with the city that paid for his stadium, but then claimed, despite selling for almost 1 BILLION more than he paid for it, there were no profits? Well, the city is taking him to court over that (which we already knew), but here’s where things get even weirder. The new ownership group, which is not in the crosshairs of the lawsuit, but is obviously an important part of the case, is claiming that the Marlins are actually corporate citizens of the British Virgin Islands, not the U.S., so that a federally-appointed arbitrator, not a judge in the U.S. Court system, would preside over the case. It’s all very strange.
For more law-related fun, a tech company is suing MLB Advanced Media, alleging that they stole it’s pitch tracking system, PITCHf/x, changing its name and integrating it into Statcast under another name.
According to Forbes, the Yankees are getting excellent TV ratings on their “YES” network, including some of the highest ratings in the past six years. That’s good news for the Cubs, who are hoping to set up their own TV Network (probably as we speak) to air games starting in 2020.
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
A significant update on Justin Steele came from Craig Counsell tonight after the Cubs extra innings loss in Texas. In short: Yes, a stint on the Injured List is likely for Justin Steele. But we still don't know how severe...
It took exactly one day for the Cubs' ace to sustain what may be a significant injury, for their closer to blow a save, for the umpires to significantly impact the outcome of a critical play (this time in the...
That was absolutely incredible. To all the little kids out there, when your coach tells you to never stop running, this is why. Rookie Cubs 1B Michael Busch (the guy the Cubs got from the Dodgers this offseason to be...
*SHORT COURTS: It's Time To Bring The Home Court, Home! Looking for a unique way to celebrate your athlete or team before you peruse the FIRST CHICAGO CUBS LINEUP of the Year? Don't miss out! For just one more week...
I am still mostly incapacitated at the moment, so apologies for the short shrift on such an otherwise blessed day. In between pokes and prods, I wanted to share a chart I saw that was pretty interesting, even if unsurprising:...
ESPN was the first to throw some love the Cubs way this week, with an overwhelming majority of their writers, analysts, and editors picking the Chicago Cubs to win the NL Central in 2024. But the love doesn't end there....
You know where you want to spend your Opening Day morning? The hospital! Suffice to say, this is not how I imagined getting HYPED for the Cubs' opener. I guess I'll just have to think about all the possible lineup...
Cubs vs Rangers — THE REGULAR SEASON IS HERE! Wake up and rejoice. Later tonight, the Cubs will begin their march toward October Baseball against the (reigning World Series champion) Texas Rangers in Arlington. Justin Steele is getting the nod...
Boom. We made it. The offseason is over, and the Cubs regular season - and those elevated expectations - begins tomorrow. But in case you slept through the winter, I'm here to catch you up on everything you need to...
There's no way around it: The Chicago Cubs did *not* have the offseason we hoped they might after making Craig Counsell the highest paid manager in MLB history. Not that they did poorly, mind you. Cody Bellinger, Shota Imanaga, and...
The Toronto Blue Jays (1-0) go on the road at Tropicana Field against the Tampa Bay Rays (0-1) at 6:50 PM ET on Friday.The Rays will look to Aaron Civale against the Blue Jays and Chris Bassitt.Rays vs. Blue Jays...
The Pittsburgh Pirates (1-0) play on Friday at LoanDepot park against the Miami Marlins (0-1). The contest begins at 7:10 PM ET.The Marlins will look to Andrew Jacob Puk against the Pirates and Martin Perez.Marlins vs. Pirates Pitcher Matchup and...
We have a couple of number-one seeds in March Madness action tonight including Houston (32-4) as the Cougars take on Duke (26-8). Check out the odds and more for Duke vs Houston which tips off tonight at 9:39 pm ET...
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers enjoyed a successful 2023 season, capturing their third straight NFC South title and pushing the Detroit Lions in a thrilling Divisional Round matchup. This strong showing translates to a relatively stable roster with few glaring weaknesses...
March Madness matchups bring us a great battle tonight as 11-seed NC State battles 2-seed Marquette. Check out the odds, stats, and more for NC State vs Marquette which tips off at 7:09 pm ET tonight. NC State vs Marquette...
Today's NBA schedule has 12 quality competitions in store. Among those games is the Minnesota Timberwolves playing the Denver Nuggets.NBA prop bets for today's games are available, so if you're interested in placing a bet or building a parlay, you'll...
There were some great performances last night including a 30-point win by the UConn Huskies sending them to the Elite Eight. Are they the betting favorite to win March Madness? What team is sitting on top of the odds to...
The No. 1 seed UConn Huskies (34-3) are 8.5-point favorites to advance to the Final Four when they play the No. 3 seed Illinois Fighting Illini (29-8) in the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight on Saturday at TD Garden, airing on...
The No. 4 seed Alabama Crimson Tide (24-11) and No. 6 seed Clemson Tigers (24-11) will both be vying for a spot in the NCAA Tournament Final Four when they meet on Saturday at Crypto.com Arena, tipping off at 8:49...
The No. 1 seed UConn Huskies (34-3) will take on the No. 3 seed Illinois Fighting Illini (29-8) in the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight on Saturday at TD Garden, airing on TBS starting at 6:09 PM ET.UConn won its previous...