Today’s Reflections
Ah! Doesn’t that feel a WHOLE lot better?! (At least before last night.)
……….
Oh, sorry. Deep reflection.
Since I don’t live in Chicago, I can throw this out there — just think how good the Cubs (and Ian Happ) would be if the Cubs could move Wrigley Field to Pittsburgh!!! Amirite? Hmph. I didn’t think I would be.
I wanted to give a shoutout to Colin Rea. While he did give up a home run, and then an infield single that scored after he left the game, Rea did a solid job of keeping the Cubs
in the game, scattering four hits and three walks while striking out five. And give one to Hoby Milner, Caleb Thielbar and Trent Thornton as well as they combined for 3.2 innings of scoreless relief.
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Let’s enjoy the wins from Wednesday and Thursday (while PCA does Javy):
- Jared Greenspan (MLB.com): Think he knew? PCA demands challenge after wild dive — and he’s right. “How confident was PCA? Well, he started doling out high-fives to everyone and anyone on the dugout steps ….. (and) as he hopped down the length of the dugout.”
- Field Level Media (Deadspin): Ian Happ, Cubs down Paul Skenes, Pirates for series split. “Ian Happ continued to shine in his hometown, collecting three hits, including a two-run homer (Thursday).”
- Gordon Edes (Chicago Sun-Times): Pete Crow-Armstrong’s antics steal show in Cubs’ victory, “PCA ran a double gauntlet in the dugout — first after he was called out at the plate, then again after he was called safe on review — after scoring in the ninth inning against the Pirates.”
- Meghan Montemurro (Chicago Tribune {$}): ‘It’s been a grind’: Chicago Cubs offense showing signs of life after salvaging series split with 7-2 win. “The Cubs (31-26) still struggled with runners in scoring position, going 2-for-10 and leaving eight on base, but they did enough to come away with the win.”
- Sean Sears (Chicago Cubs On SI): Another Big Ian Happ Night Helps Cubs Split Series with Pirates – 3 Takeaways. “Cubs’ Ian Happ and Pete Crow-Armstrong provide key insurance runs to secure 7-2 win.”
- Andy Backstrom (Yahoo! Sports): Paul Skenes strikes out 10, including 7 of first 8 batters, but Pirates’ defense falters in loss to Cubs. “Skenes rebounded after back-to-back outings that didn’t meet his standard; however, without much support versus Chicago on Thursday, he took another loss.”
- Michael Canter (Cubs Insider): The Rundown: Cubs Break Long Losing Streak, Counsell Catching Shrapnel from Local Media. “Craig Counsell, who has mostly remained immune to big media tough love, looked relieved in his postgame interview, though the barbarians are now at the gate.”
- John Perrotto (Daily Herald {$}): Cubs snap 10-game losing streak as Ian Happ has 3-run homer, 5 RBI in 10-4 win over Pirates. “Chicago is just the second team in major-league history to have two 10-game winning streaks and a 10-game losing streak in the same season, along with the 2017 Los Angeles Dodgers.”
- Jeremy Tecktiel (North Side Baseball): Ben Brown Has A New Job Title: Worm Killer. “Injuries forced him back into the rotation, and so far that looks like a big win for both the Cubs and Ben Brown”
And now other Cubs’ Musings:
- Sean Sears (Chicago Cubs On SI): Are the Cubs Back on Track? What Went Right Against the Pirates. “The Cubs’ offense is finally showing signs of life as they head to St. Louis.”
- Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation): Checking in on the Cubs Bullpen – Do We Like How Things Have Started to Sort Themselves? “We’re approaching the end of May, and, historically that’s when the Cubs seem to have a good sense of their bullpen group. Not only the names on the call sheet, but also their general roles. Do the Cubs have that sense now?”
- Carson Wolf (Just Baseball): 3 Things the Cubs Need To Improve To Turn Things Around. “The Cubs have collapsed after a red-hot start. Here are three areas they need to improve to get back on track.”
- Dan Fappiano (Clutch Points): Cubs’ Craig Counsell drops honest admission after defeating Paul Skenes, Pirates. “Craig Counsell knew defeating reigning Cy Young winner Paul Skenes would be hard. And yet, the Cubs still won 7-2.”
- Brandon Glick (Cubbies Crib): Cubs could benefit from odd Orioles’ roster management that ousted successful bullpen arm. “Albert Suárez is a deeply flawed pitcher who can help the Cubs stay afloat.”
- Rich Eberwein (Cubbies Crib): Alex Bregman said the very thing Ian Happ refused to admit about Cubs’ recent struggles. “It’s a key difference between the two.”
- Tommy Erbe (On Tap Sports Net): Matthew Boyd To Begin Rehab Assignment, Nearing Cubs Return. “In a rare case of good pitching news for the Chicago Cubs, Matthew Boyd will begin his rehab assignment this weekend.”
- Rodney Tuppel (Sporting News): 10 unforgettable moments in Cubs-Cardinals rivalry history. “3. The Sandberg Game becomes baseball history.”
- Joe Greenberg (The Athletic {$}): The Cubs’ hitters made this mess. Now it’s their turn to clean it up. “Did ol’ Sam Sianis give the Cubs one for the road with his passing?”
- Sahadev Sharma (The Athletic {$}): Dansby Swanson’s fix for May slump is to ‘create a better way for me to actually see the ball’. “As Dansby Swanson tried to explain what he was working on, he understood it almost sounded ridiculous.”
- Jordan Campbell (Cubbies Crib): Royals may have just handed the Cubs a needed lifeline for thinned out rotation. “There’s a correct idea there, you just have to find it.”
- Evan Altman (Cubs Insider): Cubs Need to Rewrite Book After Seeing Increased Number of Breaking Balls. “The Cubs feel kind of like a bizarro version of the Indians from ”Major League”. They’re almost as if Pedro Cerrano was a team unto himself, as opponents figured out that the key to beating them was to throw more breaking balls.“
- Mike Petriello (MLB.com): How many breaking balls?! The way teams are pitching Cubs is historic. “It’s not exactly a secret that for the last decade or so, fastball usage across the Majors has trended down. ….. Simply saying “the Cubs are seeing a lot more breaking balls right now” isn’t good enough without context, since pretty much every batter is as well. They’re seeing a lot more breaking balls. A lot.“
- Field Level Media (Deadspin): After ending 10-game skid, Cubs face tall task vs. Paul Skenes, Pirates. “The Chicago Cubs finally cured some of their ills by snapping their longest losing streak in almost four years on Wednesday. But on Thursday night, the Cubs will face Pirates ace and reigning National League Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes.”
- Paranjoy Goswami (Total Pro Sports): MLB Rumors: Chicago Cubs Emerge As No.1 Fit For Tarik Skubal. “An MLB insider names the Chicago Cubs as the foremost contenders to acquire Tarik Skubal from the Detroit Tigers at the trade deadline.”
Food For Thought:
There’s an old railroad bed behind Genesee Johnny’s parents’ property in Rush. The tracks were hauled away long ago, now it’s just a power line access road through the suburban wilderness. A nice, cleared path for miles, where he can walk the dog. At railroad marker 216, Genesee Johnny says, is a bluff overlooking a pond. He’s all alone. No people. Just trees and animals. And songs come to him. This is the bulk of the Rochester bluesman’s album, “Saturday in Paradise.” Introspective. Contemplative. Nice guitar work.
As he entered his 40s, and with his wife doing well with her own mental-health therapy business, there’s something that’s been on the mind of Genesee Johnny for a while. The time is now or never to fully pursue that music dream. “I might be sixty-something years old before I can start,” he says. “I might not even live that long. I might as well go for it.”
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