NEWSLETTER
I expressed some concern about the Cubs’ third base situation this morning in the Bullets, and although those concerns remain, I don’t want to ignore that there was a whole lot of fun in Patrick Wisdom’s rookie season with the Cubs. The guy hit dingers at a 50-homer clip. Maybe he can keep it up, maybe he can’t, but that’s a crazy year for a guy who kept not getting a shot.
Very few hitters can hit the ball as hard as he can on the trajectory he can – it’s the source of his greatest strength, but also that big hole at the top of the zone – and you definitely want to see what a guy like that can do if he’s given a little more time to adjust back to the big league pitching that adjusted to him in August and September (yes, even at age 30). Tricky balance there between acknowledging the most likely outcome – and preparing for it with a good platoon-mate – while giving Wisdom a genuine chance. I don’t want to be too glib about it, because it’s not a super easy thing to handle. Just at least get someone with serious lefty pop for the bench who can maybe man the corners?
Anyway, in the spirit of enjoying the best part of Wisdom’s game – his Cubs rookie record 28 homers – I was trolling around YouTube and found a video of all 28. Enjoy the power. This actually was a lot of fun to re-watch:
