End of So Many Eras, Kimbrel’s Two Fastballs, Kemp Makes a Cubs Fan, and Other Cubs Bullets
Weather permitting, today will be the last game for famed, beloved, and excellent Wrigley Field organist Gary Pressy. Hopefully the Cubs get a great organist for next year, but there won’t be any “replacing” the Iron Man of organists.
Today could also be the last game at Wrigley Field (as a Cub) for Joe Maddon and many players, too. Weird, but true.
- Yesterday also marked the end of WGN broadcasts at Wrigley Field:
WGN has aired Cubs games since 1948. Today marks the final Wrigley Field telecast for the station. pic.twitter.com/tls6SfTT15
— Jordan Bastian (@MLBastian) September 21, 2019
- I mostly made my peace with the departure from WGN back when the superstation elected to become WGN America and pass on Cubs games going forward. It stunk for Cubs fans across the country – both those of us who became fans because of the reach, and new fans not yet made – but I understand in the current environment, WGN wanted to produce its own content that appeals across the country more than a Chicago baseball team.
- Still, it’s sad to see this officially mark the end of the Cubs and WGN. Marquee Sports Network has a high emotional bar to reach, even if that emotional bar was set mostly by our own place in life, rather than the production values.
- The back-to-back homers Craig Kimbrel allowed in the 9th yesterday could have been worse pitches, but they also could have been better. They were 97 and 96 mph at/above the zone, which is fine, in isolation (though Kimbrel has been at his best a couple clicks higher than that). The problem is that the Cardinals were very clearly looking dead-red fastball out of the gate, and those ones were middle – even if elevated, they were right where the barrel could do damage. Yadier Molina’s game-tying shot was really just a pop fly that caught the wind (hit expectancy: 12%), so maybe I can completely excuse that one. But the Paul DeJong blast was absolutely destroyed.
- If Kimbrel is talking about feeling good for 2020 and beyond, then I’m with him – because, for this year, it was all just wrong:
Craig Kimbrel: “I feel great right now. My last two outings, I felt great. I just didn’t get the results I wanted, the results I need to have to do my job. Moving forward, I have a good feeling I will.”
— Patrick Mooney (@PJ_Mooney) September 21, 2019
Kimbrel on game-tying, game-winning HRs allowed: pic.twitter.com/699HX22ji0
— Mark Gonzales (@MDGonzales) September 21, 2019
“I was pumped out there, I was excited, felt like I had good stuff. And then right there off the bat with two home runs. Frustrating.”https://t.co/w799uzAsdS
— Cubs Talk (@NBCSCubs) September 22, 2019
- Including that Molina blast, Cardinals had three run-producing hits yesterday that are expected to be hits 12% of the time or less. Sometimes baseball gets ya at the worst possible time.
- It’s a real shame that the Tony Kemp blast didn’t win the game, because this moment would have otherwise been such a classic:
A true Cubs fan is born. #EverybodyIn pic.twitter.com/TKOF3YLlQA
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) September 21, 2019
- Skillfully maximizing the pain:
The Cubs have lost four consecutive one-run games for the first time since April 23-26, 1972, per STATS. Chicago is now 19-26 in one-run games this season.
— Jordan Bastian (@MLBastian) September 22, 2019
- This will give you a smile:
https://twitter.com/PitchingNinja/status/1175514523916275712
- Just two more doubles, and Nick Castellanos joins truly rarified company:
Another day, another double.
67: Webb (1931)
64: Burns (1926), Medwick (1936)
63: Greenberg (1934)
62: Waner (1932)
60: Gehringer (1936)
59: Helton (2000), Klein (1930), Speaker (1923)
58: NICK CASTELLANOS (2019)— Jordan Bastian (@MLBastian) September 21, 2019
- Two years in a row, are we sure it’s a coincidence:
A September to remember. #Brewers pic.twitter.com/3hM3QX1V8W
— Mike Vassallo (@MikeVassallo13) September 22, 2019
- Great news from the Bears world:
Miss the swell news? Eddy Piñeiro is questionable for Monday. https://t.co/39gHVeeYnq pic.twitter.com/hku6vNOQhb
— Bleacher Nation Bears (@BN_Bears) September 22, 2019
