Wasn’t Godzilla always waaaaay bigger than King Kong? I know nothing about the new movie, and I understand the two historic monsters have faced each other in other flicks over the years. But am I crazy, or weren’t they traditionally on very different size scales?
• By the final FanGraphs projections before the season begins, the Cubs are projected to be … pretty bad:
FanGraphs projects the Cubs to finish third in the NL Central.
Are you buying that? pic.twitter.com/0sI1sWYkvB
— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) March 31, 2021
• Only ten teams in baseball are projected for a worse record than the Cubs at FanGraphs, and all but five of those teams are within five wins of the Cubs. In other words, by these projections, the on-paper Cubs are clearly better than only the Pirates, Rockies, Orioles, Rangers, and Tigers.
• The variance on the Cubs, as we’ve said, is extremely high, so it’s not as if a terrible record like that would surprise me. But similarly, because of all the bounce-back potential and the possibility that the rotation winds up sneaky good, a 90+ win season wouldn’t shock me either. I’ve been less interested in the standings projections this year for that reason – it’s really hard to peg what these Cubs will be, given that we know not only is that variance high, we also know it could be exacerbated to the downside if they sell off in July.
• Bounce back, Javy, please and thanks:
.@dougglanville is very smart.
He thinks Javy Báez is going to bounce back in 2021. pic.twitter.com/CJbip7kK8z
— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) March 31, 2021
• Sara Sanchez took a walk around Wrigley Field to survey the state of things in advance of the Opener, and it just remains a very odd time right now. At least Wrigley Field is still wonderful:
My latest shares scenes from around the ballpark as Wrigley Field gets ready to welcome fans back on Opening Day. https://t.co/hlNWxswvOI
— Sara Sanchez (@BCB_Sara) March 30, 2021
• Not that there aren’t some ope moments around the park right now:
This is awkward. pic.twitter.com/qHFvQHUOBJ
— Danny Rockett (@SonRanto) March 30, 2021
• As for the neighborhood as a whole, it’s gone a year and a half without baseball fans – and the added vibrance and revenue that brings – and Scott Powers and Patrick Mooney wrote about how things are. Even as some fans come back, it’s dire for the many businesses in the area:
Nice of @PJ_Mooney to ask me to help with this Cubs story. I caught up with alderman Tom Tunney and actor Joel Murray to discuss Wrigleyville. Mooney talked to many other people. Our story: https://t.co/L6m9ZDYPja
— Scott Powers (@ByScottPowers) March 30, 2021
• Reading that piece, I’m kinda getting emotional. I love going to games at Wrigley Field and watching the Cubs play baseball. But so much of the experience for me has always been about the people I was with – people I already knew, people I was just meeting in the bleachers – and how we’d go to a Wrigleyville bar or restaurant before the game, then we’d go watch the game together, and then we’d go to a bar after the game (usually with a suddenly larger group of new friends). I miss that experience so much. And it pains me to know, even as fans return to games, the reality is that particular experience won’t be back for a while yet.
• But, hey, I just got my first dose of the vaccine yesterday, with the second scheduled for April 20. So when you see me in Wrigleyville in May, you KNOW I will be up for beers and high fives and hugs. We have to get back to that life at some point. Soon. I need it.
• Big time this:
To all the minor league players who finally get to report to camp and start playing ball again for the first time in 18 months, many for the first time as professionals, I wish you the best of luck. Kick ass, have fun, and know that you've got a ton of support.
— Evan Altman (@DEvanAltman) March 31, 2021
• Are you kidding me with this pitch:
https://twitter.com/PitchingNinja/status/1377094384869548032
• Now I will ONLY capitalize the P:
loanDepot discloses tonight that the P in park will no longer be capitalized when Marlins Park becomes loanDepot park. (I kid not.) I don't know what they'll do to you if you capitalize the P, but I wouldn't recommend it: https://t.co/5uFyFCGcP3
— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) March 31, 2021