In a normal year, today would be all frenetic and crazy and I’d have trouble putting together these Bullets because the Trade Deadline was coming in a few hours. This year, today figures to be frenetic and crazy and I’ll have trouble putting together these Bullets because another team has positive COVID tests throwing more of the season into upheaval. I have no idea what happens now after positive test(s) on the Cardinals. But I have to power through these Bullets in the meantime …
• When you think about the possible competition this year, Nico Hoerner really does have a pretty good shot at winning Rookie of the Year if the season is completed:
https://twitter.com/BaseballAmerica/status/1288972688933949441
• Currently, Hoerner’s slash line is a very exaggerated version of himself, down to the super high batting average and OBP that is actually slightly lower thanks to no walks yet and a sac fly: .389/.368/.444.
• It isn’t retroactive, obviously, but we’ll just assume the Astros were all suspended and stripped of their title and what-have-you:
Commissioner Rob Manfred can suspend players without pay or service time for electronic sign stealing, per new rules agreed to by MLB and the MLBPA https://t.co/1GZ4G7k7RI
— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) July 30, 2020
• Joe West had to leave yesterday’s game after being struck by a bat behind home plate, but it wound up keeping him out for only a few innings – he got stitched up and eventually came back to umpire at third base.
• If this included all players with at least six batted ball events, then David Bote would be right up there near the top, too:
MLB Average Exit Velocity Leaderboard (Qualified)
1. Eloy Jimenez: 99.4 MPH
2. Jorge Soler: 99.0 MPH…
9. Javy Baez: 96.1 MPH
11. Ian Happ: 95.9 MPH
18. Kris Bryant: 94.7 MPH
20. Willson Contreras: 94.6 MPH— Michael Cerami (@Michael_Cerami) July 30, 2020
• The Cubs also have the 4th highest hard contact rate in the Majors so far this year, though the top four teams (Cubs, Yankees, Padres, Angels) are all clustered together around 50%.
• Some background on the greatest home run in Wrigley Field history:
.@ChicagoCubsPA gets an exclusive story on @miggymont26's NLCS grand slam.
Watch their full conversation in a new episode of Catching Up, presented by @grainger. ▶️ https://t.co/5EXUAOLe83 pic.twitter.com/Hg8GUBuIML
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) July 30, 2020
• Chargers, solar charging stations, portable gyms (yup, that’s a thing), and more are your Deals of the Day at Amazon. #ad
• Old friend:
screw your stinkin’ gate pic.twitter.com/3jgsNz2rHE
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) July 31, 2020
• Happy bunt-aversary:
– The Cubs came back from a 6-0 deficit
– Travis Wood played left field
– Jon Lester walked it off4 years ago, the Cubs delivered one of the most memorable games in 2016! pic.twitter.com/5TLDr9n36E
— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) July 31, 2020
Four years ago today, Jon Lester and Jason Heyward gave us the walk-off bunt. pic.twitter.com/DBVyMEbkol
— Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) July 31, 2020
• Not sure if the game will actually happen, but watching this time lapse is still pretty awesome:
MLB at Field of Dreams is becoming a reality.
(MLB x @GEICO) pic.twitter.com/5RcNZRTn3l
— MLB (@MLB) July 30, 2020