NEWSLETTER
The update you’ve all come here for: more info on the actual UFOs our Navy caught on video, and acknowledge they don’t know what the heck they are.
Unfortunately, the most-recently-secured reports (via FOIA requests to the Naval Safety Center) don’t really shed much more light on the most interesting incidents (these ones), and instead seem to focus solely on events that very likely just involve boring ole drones. Is that because there isn’t additional info on the most compelling events, OR IS IT BECAUSE THEY DON’T WANT YOU TO KNOW?!?!? DUN DUN DUNNNNNNNN …
• I’ve long operated on the begrudging assumption that, when his current contract is up, Theo Epstein would be leaving the Chicago Cubs. Recall, not only is Epstein in his second contract with the team, he is coming up on 10 years (the same length of time he stayed in Boston, and the length of time he said – back then – is an appropriate time to stay in one place before moving on to a new challenge). If Epstein sticks to that, the 2021 season, whatever the heck it looks like, would be his last with the Cubs. It would also be the last of the current CBA, and the last year of team control on guys like Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Javy Báez, and Kyle Schwarber. Remember “the cliff”? That’s the cliff that looms for the Cubs.
• Dave Kaplan talked about the Epstein piece of this, specifically, wondering if maybe Epstein will actually see his next challenge as not a matter of changing orgs, but of the entirely changed world:
Really enjoyed hearing @thekapman on The Rant at @realcubsinsider. Among most interesting things he said? Although Theo has always talked about the 10-years-in-one-place thing before wanting new challenge, Kap thinks next challenge might simply be stewarding the post-COVID Cubs.— Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) May 13, 2020
https://twitter.com/NBCSCubs/status/1260902681587187717
• I don’t expect this to be much of a discussion point any time soon, but “Epstein’s future” was going to be on the docket this offseason. The pandemic and its fallout and the looming CBA are all going to be reasons the Epstein thing kinda falls off the radar a bit, but ultimately, there will be conversations about lame ducks and such. Epstein and Tom Ricketts decided to take things right to the end of his previous contract before agreeing to a new one, so it’s possible nothing will even be talked about until after next season. Given how much disruption there will be in the sport and on the roster and in the organization, you would really hope to see transition plans put in place long before that, though, if Epstein is indeed going to depart. How you actually set that up right now, in the midst of such a transformative event for your sport and your organization? I have no freaking idea.
• So maybe, as Kaplan suggests, there will be a little more of a push than expected to get Epstein to stay on for at least some period of time beyond 2021 as the Cubs and MLB figure out the the post-COVID world. More than that, Kaplan is saying the Cubs should give the keys to Epstein in a way he hasn’t even had them yet: top to bottom in the org, business and baseball side, you do whatever you want. Everything is totally messed up anyway, so please, go, do whatever you think makes sense for the entirety of the organization in this new world. It’s the same organization, but it’s an entirely different challenge.
• (My response? I could see Epstein being into that kind of new challenge, but I bet you’d have to talk to him about equity in the organization for it to make sense. I also question how you could even negotiate something like this any time soon, given the financial disruption hitting the sport. There’s also the simple possibility that Epstein, a super-smart, super-ambitious, super-thoughtful guy might want to do something entirely different with his life, regardless of any offer/idea from the Cubs.)
• Kris Bryant, (virtual) race car driver:
• Fun thought experiment here from Jordan Bastian and Len Kasper:
Their Cubs resumes include:
• 91 All-Star nods
• 26 Gold Gloves
• 8 MVPs
• 3 Rookie of the Years
• 3 batting titles
• 2 Cy Youngs
10 are HoF'ers. But how did @LenKasper and I go about divvying them up in a sandlot-style draft for one dream game?https://t.co/1rAcVCDL1F— Jordan Bastian (@MLBastian) May 13, 2020
• I gotta agree here:
Conspicuous by their absence…
-John Baker pitching a scoreless inning and then scoring the game winning run
-David Ross pitching a 1-2-3 inning and then homering as a pitcher
-GREATEST RELIEF PITCHER OF ALL TIME
-Ben Zobrist striking out Yadi https://t.co/2Ov9TOnPLU pic.twitter.com/Ic9LB4FM66— Uncle Jeff (@ebsoftball) May 13, 2020
• The times are truly dark. I am agreeing with a Cardinal:
I miss rain delays…I miss getting jammed in cold weather..i miss batting gloves…I miss long replay reviews that don’t get overturned even though he was safe.. I miss umpires..I miss long flights at 3 am after a tough loss… I miss the shift.. i do.. I miss it all…— Matt Carpenter (@MattCarp13) May 13, 2020
• Whole lotta Black and Decker tools on sale today at Amazon. #ad
• Adbert Alzolay throwing:
I know ⚾️ you’re gonna be back soon . #keepworking pic.twitter.com/X7agk9p9b0
— Adbert Alzolay (@adbert29) May 13, 2020
• Thank you for this, Corey:
— Corey Freedman (@CFCubsRelated) May 13, 2020
— Corey Freedman (@CFCubsRelated) May 13, 2020
— Corey Freedman (@CFCubsRelated) May 13, 2020
