NEWSLETTER
The next season of ‘Fargo’ has been announced and will feature Juno Temple, Jon Hamm, and Jennifer Jason Leigh … oh my … I am in the bag for this.
• You already know the story, but to reiterate: Frank Schwindel’s season started abysmally, both in production and the peripherals that supported it. Finally, last month, the Cubs made the decision to send Schwindel down to Iowa to work on his timing at the plate and see if he could get right. Thanks to injuries and a COVID outbreak, the Cubs immediately had to bring Schwindel right back, before he even physically reached Iowa. Upon his return after a last-minute flight, he had a brutal game that night in San Diego. The next night, he pinch hit in the 9th and nearly hit what would’ve been a game-winning grand slam. Since then, he’s hit .277/.330/.525/132 wRC+, and generally has been the guy the Cubs would need him to be at the plate for him to keep drawing daily starts at 1B/DH.
• So what exactly happened? Why did Schwindel go from seemingly so broken to seemingly so completely fine on a dime? From Jed Hoyer, via Marquee: “It’s a good lesson for all of us. He was struggling. I think it was the right thing to do in that moment given where our roster was to send him out. But it goes to show you: Sometimes what appears to be is a slump. Guys go up and down. He probably worked on some things, fixed some things. But sometimes what you think might be mechanical is just the ups and downs of our sport. It’s great to have him back. He’s a breath of fresh air. He enjoys every day he has in the big leagues. It’s been fun to watch him catch fire.”
• For his part, Schwindel doesn’t seem to have a perfect explanation for the turnaround (you wonder about that Spring Training/early-season back injury, though). He just isn’t missing pitches right now that he was fouling off earlier in the year. His attitude remains perfect: “The way I see it is there’s no bad days in the big leagues. Obviously this was the goal to finally get here and now it’s to stay and produce. I wouldn’t trade these times for anything. Even the bad times — they’re a little tougher to deal with but it’s just another opportunity to show up and get better each day and have as much fun as I can.”
• Schwindel is also just a really good dude. We’ve heard stories about how down-to-earth and kind he is around Wrigleyville, and about how well-liked he’s always been throughout his baseball career. But there’s also what he’s trying to do to help raise awareness about a rare genetic disorder, and to bring some brightness to the life of a young fan:
Frank Schwindel’s bond with Ryker Colón began in January at a meet-and-greet event through Club 400, a nonprofit founded by a #Cubs fan.
7-year-old Ryker is one of 17 children in the world with a JAG2 gene mutation for a disease that remains unnamed: https://t.co/uaMCgeTmD8
— Meghan Montemurro (@M_Montemurro) June 7, 2022
• Our youngest also has a rare genetic disorder without a name, and, in addition to the challenges that come naturally, there is also the feeling like your family isn’t really part of a “community” of support. I’m certain this means the world to Ryker and his family. Got me some tears. I love Frank Schwindel and Club 400.
• Matt Swarmer didn’t have a name plate on his locker when he arrived in the big leagues, so Wade Miley took it upon himself to construct one for his new teammate. It said … Forrest Gump. Miley, who checked with Swarmer to make sure it was OK, said it was simply because Swarmer looks so much like the famous Tom Hanks character (I can kinda see it). “The big thing is it seemed like he had some anxiety when he got here,” Miley said, per NBC. “I just want to make him feel comfortable, at the end of the day. The days of hazing young guys, and making them uncomfortable, I think we’re probably past that. He’s a happy going guy. I just wanted to keep him in that element and make sure he understands that he belongs here and he’s one of us. We love him and he’s obviously pitching great.”
• The Cubs are offering up a free drink with early-week tickets this summer as they try to hold onto/grow attendance:
Cubs announce a special ticket offer that comes with a free drink. Small steps, but good steps. pic.twitter.com/mznJCYoPNH
— Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) June 7, 2022
• These kinds of things are small steps toward making game attendance a little more fan-friendly – and they are absolutely tied to the current state of the team and the broader economic conditions – but I hope the spirit lasts far into the next set of good years for the Cubs.
• Watch this ball come OUT of Wrigley Field:
Check out this ⚾️ travel from the mound to the street.
Just one ⚾️ flew out of Wrigley Field during @Cardinals batting practice yesterday. @ChicagoCAPS15 Officer Almedo made the catch then gave the ball away to a young fan.@CWBChicago @Cubs @BleacherNation #ballhawk #baseball pic.twitter.com/pGAdjBnz3U— Cubs Ballhawk 🐻⚾️ (@CubsBallhawk_) June 6, 2022
• Mattresses, curtains, and Anker charging gear are among your Deals of the Day at Amazon. #ad
• The Chicago TOOTBLANs:
22 baserunning outs by the Cubs leads the National League. https://t.co/kDMoEeFjF4
— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) June 6, 2022
