Cubby-Blue

Cubs Baez is inventing a new metric: "Baez Tagging".

"Pitch framing" was a thing I'd never heard of before last year.
But then I started reading about it, and... yeah.
It makes sense.
There is definite value in having a catcher who can "help" the ump call a strike for his pitcher.

Now, there's Javier Baez.
Everybody has noticed what a difference it makes when your infielder can actually tag a guy out.
Remember Starlin Castro?
I mean, he'd flub tags all the time. 
And I'd just lump it in with his "glove" and... not really think about it.
But now that I've seen Javier Baez tag people out, I can't help but think that smart baseball people have too, and it's like... another thing.
His skill at tagging is crazy good.
So much so that his tags are highlights.
Ted Berg at usatoday.com did an article the other day on Baez' impossible tag of Gorkys Hernandez.
But read it (here), because he goes into a little bit of depth about the value of that tag.
Like this: "If runner Gorkys Hernandez gets to second base successfully, he would have had a better than 60% chance of scoring a run to put the Giants ahead."

Surely Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer have already got some kind of thing in the Cubs' computer system that's measuring the skill of prospect taggers. And what the cumulative value of a guy like Javier Baez can have over the course of a season.

Because it should be a thing.

Okay... I got to listen to the Cubs whup the Brewers 7-2 on the car radio, which was fantastic.
Bob Uecker cracks me up, and it made the traffic sooo much more tolerable except for the guy in the white Toyota who appeared to be kissing his headrest. 
Whatever man.

At least we have a new Magic Number:

Cubs 3 Giants 2. Jason Heyward was game-tying and game-winning.

Semi-marathon, that last game against the Giants.
Jason Heyward hit the game-tying single to knock in Addison Russell in the bottom of the 9th.
There were still no outs and you just thought well, here comes the game winner.
But that didn't happen for about an extra half game.

Finally in the bottom of the 13th, Rizzo led off with a single, Zobrist gets him to 2nd, they walk Addison Russell for the double play and.... HEYWARD HITS A SINGLE THAT KNOCKS IN RIZZO.

Lots of stuff happened including John Lackey looking pretty good, going 5 innings and only giving up 1 earned (plus one not).
Cubs take 3 of 4 from San Francisco at Wrigley, and now it's time to bring on Milwaukee and an excellent time for me to load up the car and head back to Chicago.
See, I'm up in Wisconsin.
And for instance, I was at a supper club the other night and a woman came in and, loud enough for the whole place to hear, she said: "HOW CAN SOMEONE BE WEARING A CUBS HAT IN HERE!"
Everybody looked at me.
Of course I was wearing my hat because I'd been on a boat all day and neglected to shower before going out.
So I removed my hat to reveal hideous hat-head.
"Does this look better to you?"

Sometimes, I'm just absolutely hilarious.
At least to me.

New Magic Number:

Cubs vs Giants. Welcome back, John Lackey.

John Lackey returns to the mound today.
Whatever it was in his shoulder that made him wince the last time out, hopefully it's gone.
Because this guy is here for his playoff experience.
Going back to '02, he's pitched 127.1 innings in the playoffs with an 8-5 record and a 3.11 ERA.
In his own words, he didn't come here for a haircut.

Yesterday, here's the one Cubs stat that stood out - Team LOB: 9.
Ouch.
Left 'em loaded twice.
But how about Willson Contreras' first at bat vs Madison Bumgarner?
I think over 10 pitches ending with a double.
Just gorgeous.
And Javy Baez on the basepath, scoring from 2nd on an Arrieta bunt.
Wow.
But it ends up Cubs 2 Giants 3.

Meanwhile, in Cincinnati... the Cards lose 9-1.
A Cardinal fan texted me: "Oh I'm mad. Metheney is an idiot."
And the Cub Magic Number goes down to...


AWESOME!
Now lets just hope Lackey looks like Lackey...
Go Cubs.

Arrieta vs Bumgarner: Battle of the Power... Hitters.

Jake Arrieta vs Madison Bumgarner.
Who's gonna hit one off who?
Last time out, Jake hit the snot out of one but it went foul.
Otherwise he's got 2 homers this year while Bumgarner has 3.
They were gonna have their own home run derby at the all-star game, weren't they?
Oh.
And they might put on some kinda show on the mound, too.

Whatever, it's Labor Day Weekend and time to grill stuff.
The game's on at 1:20 so I suggest you get out the radio and go cook something!
That's what I'm doing.
Gots to run to the store!

Go Cubs!

Oh yeah, Jon Lester with the almost no-hitter yesterday.
Amazing stuff.
But I was going, "Hey dude save that for about a month!"

Cubs 5 Giants 4. Time to start the magic numbers.

It's September 2nd and our favorite team is so far in front it's just plain ridiculous.
The Chicago Cubs have a 15.5 lead over the St. Louis Cardinals, and one can't help but look at the wild card standings...
The Cubs play the Cards 6 more times and while I know Joe Maddon wants to rest people, it'll be interesting to see what he does when these teams play.
The Pirates have 6 more Cardinal games, which will be very interesting.
The Mets I won't talk about because it's somehow jinxy (don't want to mention the "i" word, but they're getting pummeled).
The Marlins were tanking but just won an important one vs the Mets.
Out west it's anybody's guess what'll happen between the Dodgers and Giants, but if Clayton Kershaw comes back at 100% (and I hope he does), then probably it's the Dodgers taking the division with the Giants as the other WC.

It was another showcase for Addison Russell and his clutch play, last night with the bat.
The killer 2-run single in the bottom of the 7th on a night when the Nube Bullpen was out in force.
Starter Mike Montgomery lasted just 4 innings and gave up 3 runs, and the pen had to shut 'em down for 5.
Which they did.
Rob Zastyrzny - I can't believe that guy has done so well. 
2 innings of nobody gets on.
Then... I really never paid attention to Joe Smith before the Cubs acquired him, and like you I thought maybe not so good.
But he must have really been dinged with his hammie, because he came off the DL last night with the crazy-moving sidearm stuff and looked kind of brilliant.
Lastly was Carl Edwards Jr. getting his first save, and looking so adult doing it.
His first pitch to Hunter Pence was an 82 MPH curve over the plate for strike one, and then a 97 MPH fastball.
Couple more pitches and it was strike 3.
Then Brandon Crawford hits a grounder to Russell, and the mustard Russell put on the ball made sure Crawford was barely in the picture when the ump put up his thumb.
And it ends with Joe Panik hitting a grounder to Kris Bryant.
Game over.
In all, 15 straight outs for the Cub Pen.
I apologize to neighbors who may have been trying to sleep, but that stuff excites me.

This Labor Day weekend is all 1:20 games: today it's Lester, Saturday Arrieta, Sunday is hopefully Lackey, and then the Brewers come to town to face Kyle Hendricks on Monday.
Could not be more fabulous.
Well, the Cards could drop a couple vs the Reds I guess...

Anyway, go Cubs.

Cubs Hendricks gave Bucs Harrison a wedgie on live tv. (gif)

You know I love doing this idea.
So you're Josh Harrison and it's the top of the 4th and you've just gotten the first hit for the Pirates off of Kyle Hendricks.
You're sooo happy.
You're the man.
You're the guy who finally broke through, because Hendricks is dealing.
And you get a little greedy.
You think hey, why not just take second base?
So you take your lead. 
You're watching Hendricks.
He winds up.
You BREAK but OH NO! NOT... HENDRICKS ISN'T THROWING HOME YOU GOTTA SCAMPER BACK TO...
aaaaaand you're out.
Right there on live tv, Kyle Hendricks just gave you a wedgie.

Hey, it happens, man.

The Cubs, behind Hendricks' masterful painting of the corners, never gave the Pirates a chance.
Well, a little hiccup with Carl Edwards, but otherwise Anthony Rizzo's 26th homer was all the Cubs needed.
That Javier Baez was standing on first when it happened made it 2 nothin'.
And it ended up 3 nothin'.

That Pirate lineup isn't a cake walk.
They have some monsters over there, and Hendricks cut through 'em like buttah.

Greatest Summer Ever.

Go Cubs.