Cubs News & Notes
The Cubs won a game last night and it was LOVELY. Some might even say it was just what the doctor ordered. After dropping 5 straight and enduring vague injuries to the best player (KB) and reliever (Morrow), the idea of getting swept in back-to-back road series was very real. Thanks to Lester and Baez, the bleeding has stopped temporarily with 2 games left on this road trip. As it stands, the Cubs are 2.5 games out of first to Milwaukee, which sucks but not nearly as much as Milwaukee getting outscored by the Cubs this year 36-16. If you want to scare me, you’ll have to do better than 3-8 head-to-head. Let’s get to the notes:
Kris Bryant is on the disabled list and that will never ever be okay with me. Like it’s uncomfortable how much more concerned I am with his health than my own, but that’s not the point. The point is KB is on the DL with a kinda sore shoulder and now people are saying that’s why he’s hit 1 homerun with a .707 OPS in June. For obvious reasons this is not good at all and there is no amount of cautious optimism from team officials that will make me think otherwise. Until Kris Bryant is back in the lineup swatting lasers into the bleachers like the fucking worldwide sex icon he is, I will be pacing nervously. You are welcome to join me.
I still fuck. – Kris
On the bright side, you’d rather have KB out now addressing the injury than playing through pain. He’s got plenty of time to rest the 1st half if necessary and then possibly consider doing some mild Performance Enhancing Drugs to tighten up the shoulder ligaments for the second half. Nothing crazy. Just a few injections and some light conditioning should do the trick.
Speaking of steroids, it’s basically the PED equivalent to have Baez fill in at another position for an injured teammate. Guy loves a good cuck. Last year he slashed .282/.331/.490 in the 41 games he replaced Addison from August-September. There’s just something about Javy playing someone else’s spot that brings out the best in him, and it’s pretty much the only reason I am keeping my composure in the short-term about KB’s injury. It’s Javy at his absolute best. A true swiss army knife.
Jon Lester is fucking dealing this year and it’s about time someone pats that old salty veteran on his big ass for a job well done. The Cubs are 13-3 when he takes the mound which is only the second best team record for a starting pitcher behind Severino’s dominance for the Yankees at 15-2. Looking DEEPER you will find Lester is getting about 6 runs a start so maybe my boner isn’t as stiff as I’d like. Whatever. The Jon Lester we watched last night had a cutter and sinker working to both sides of the plate. He doesn’t throw 95 anymore. But if you’re going to make the ball sink with either run or cut (for LHP’s run = moves away from right handed hitters, cut = moves in on right handed hitters) c o n s i s t e n t l y then you’re going to have c o n s i s t e n t success.
I’m still good at pitching. – Jon Lester
Interesting enough, Lester’s pitched to a 2.18 ERA this year despite drastic changes in batted ball results. This where the blog could go down a rabbit hole with numbers and percentages. It won’t. I’ll just say he’s getting more grounders, surrendering less homers, getting more contact on balls outside the zone and finally, he’s throwing his changeup about twice as much in 2018 than he did in 2015-2017. It’s the evolution of a marvelous pitcher dialed-in to the 4th Quarter of his career. It’s beautiful.
Addison Russell is hitting .323 in June with an .811 OPS. He’s striking out less because he’s being more aggressive if that makes sense. Not every hitter needs to take 3 pitches to get their pitch to hit. Some just need to grip it and rip it, and with more confidence early in the count, you find guys like Addison Russell making much better swings early in the AB. Specifically, Russell was averaging 4.2 pitcher/plate appearance in April & May of 2018. In June it dipped to 3.7 which is a reflection of Russell being active earlier in the count, which is when he’s at his best.
His hairline is a different story. Regression like you read about:
Tom Ricketts made more money this week selling his Willmette mansion for a cool $2.5 million. That’s a lot of money (maybe not in Willmette) and it’s good to know Uncle Tom is reinvesting most of it in the community to the tune of building a $17,000,000 mansion just down the road. More importantly, can we give Tom credit for fixing up Wrigley before doing his own house? Kind of a savage move for Mrs. Ricketts. Like excuse me honey you’ll get your new kitchen and 10 guest beds when Cubs’ fans get their new Wrigleyville. Just a real billionaire power move. This is an owner I will never not support with 100% of my emotional juice.
Finally, Rest In Peace to long-time Cubs employee Yosh Kawano.
Yosh began working for the Cubs in 1935 I repeat NINETEEN THIRTY FIVE. 9 years before the Allied forces took the beaches of Normandy. 50 years before the ’85 Bears. 69 years before Barstool Sports took flight. He was closer to the Emancipation Proclamation than he was Net Neutrality. He lived through 37 managers, 12 GM’s and extensive Army combat missions in New Guinea and the Philippines. When the Cubs sold to the Tribune in ’81, Kawano was explicitly named in the purchase agreement to guarantee employment for life. His job? He was the clubhouse attendant. The guy responsible for making the clubhouse feel like a country club, and he did the job for 65 straight years. Raise a glass or tip your cap or whatever because Yosh deserves your respect in eternity. Go Yosh. Go Cubs.