Cubby-Blue

Cub fan still can't talk about it.

This is gonna be a looong time recovering.
I mean, given all the circumstances (most notably the lack of $$ ownership is willing to spend), making changes was the only way to go.
I knew that.
For a really long time now.
And still, it felt so fast and unexpected.
You ever see a movie called "Joe Black"?
Brad Pitt movie, and I remember it because it was one of the first to have such a shocking, realistic car wreck in it.
Scene has stuck with me forever.

That's what it felt like.

I still can't talk about who went for who and what did the Cubs get back.
Don't really want to yet.
But here are a couple quotes that I'll never forget.
August, 2014, Anthony Rizzo said, "If we're going to do anything in the near future, we need to take care of our division first. Because that's how you stay in the race. And you want to be contending this time next year."
Contending next year?
You heard Cubs say things like that before, but in the context of 2014... it had a new feeling to it.
For the first time, you paid attention because it felt real.
And here was a kid who just spoke up like he was the guy who should.
The Captain.
And Kris Bryant.
When he first came to the Cubs and people were like... he's too tall for 3rd base. 
Would he consider a different position?
And he said that he was a baseball player, not a 3rd baseman.
The hottest prospect the Cubs ever had, a star already, and he was still team first.
I don't need to tell you how rare that is.
Javy Baez... I know I just put a word of caution about this little dustup with the Reds, but now?
I already miss whatever it was he yelled at Amir Garrett.
Guy has an irreplaceable spirit.
Plus, now it's normal for people to talk about tagging as if it's a special skill.
Nobody ever thought about it before El Mago.

He hit his first homer for the Mets last night.
Anthony Rizzo's got 2 for the Yankees.
Kris Bryant had to take a day to fly across the country after finding out he was traded to San Francisco while standing in a dugout in Washington.
We never got to say good bye.
I'm sure that they'll get a tremendous reaction whenever their new teams come to town, and maybe that'll help.
Because right now I keep looking at the Cubs lineup and thinking what the hell, WHERE ARE OUR GUYS?

Now look.
I spoke way more than I thought.
Whatever.
Like I said, this'll take some time.

The Cubs are a different team now.

 

Here are paintings of Javy Baez...

... and Kris Bryant.

I got nothin'.
I need a month. 

Anthony Rizzo traded to the Yanks. Sad day.

 

I knew trades were gonna happen.
Right?
I spent days getting my head together just for this.
And still...

This'll make sense in a minute.

My son got me this coffee grinder.
It's a really cool one, and I've been using it ever since.
But on the second morning of using it, I... poured water into the pot to boil, got the grinder out, poured some beans into my measuring thing, and then when I poured the beans into the grinder, I didn't realize I'd left the top on.
It's clear plastic.
It was brand new, with no scratches or anything on it.
Plus, no-caffeine means groggy.
I just didn't see it.
So the beans appeared to be bouncing off an invisible force shield, and they scattered all over the counter.


In those few seconds before I figured out what was going on, I lost my grip on this earth.
Nothing made sense.
Beam me up, Scotty, I don't know where I am.

And that's exactly how it felt when I saw the text from my buddy: "Just said on The Score... done deal. Rizzo to the Yanks."

I guess I was prepared for Kris Bryant, for sure Kimbrel, not so much Javy Baez, but Anthony Rizzo was sort of... I just didn't believe he'd be departing.
It was so shocking.
I can't yet talk about who the Cubs got in the deal.
There's still 4 more hours til the Trade Deadline is up, and any damn thing can happen, so...
Just gonna spend the day in shock and grief mode.
Catch up on the deets later.
The linked YouTube vid is a bunch of paintings I've done of Rizzo over the years.

Chafin traded to A's.

Of course this one was gonna happen.
Andrew Chafin dealt to Oakland for AAA outfielder Greg Deichmann and low-A righty pitcher Daniel Palencia.
You can read more about them at Trade Rumors, but the general talk is this is a pretty good deal for the future Cubs.
But you and I are so gonna miss Chafin's excellent/reliable arm, crazy-funny outlook on life, and that 'stache.
A genuine baseball character, the kind you really don't see at all any more.
Anyway, 4 days to go now so just be ready.
And I'm gonna say this out loud just because it's in my brain.
At this point in this particular season, the value of Craig Kimbrel may be more to other teams than the value of Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo or Javy Baez.
I expect the Cubs to get a legitimate haul for Kimbrel.
But should any of The Core go, well... in addition to being just sad about it, I also expect to be underwhelmed with the return.
Just sayin'.
Be ready for that so it doesn't slap you too hard. 

What else?
The Cubs got a pretty great 6-5 W last night vs the Reds.
Kyle Hendricks was not himself, more student that professor, gave up 5 runs on 9 hits in 4.1.
Couple dingers.
But then Morgan/Brothers/Thompson/Kimbrel shut it down.
Anthony Rizzo and Willson Contreras hit homers, but the big hit of the night was Javy Baez's.
With Patrick Wisdom, Ian Happ and Nico Hoerner on and 1 out in the bottom of the 9th, Baez pinch hit the first pitch he saw over the Red center fielder's head.
Hit it off historically angry Amir Garrett.
Then Javy did some serious celebrating on the way to first.
Very entertaining and feels great short term, but Garrett... that guy's liable to throw at people.
Hopefully we don't see that tonight.
Cubs vs Reds. Wrigley at 7:05. 
Adbert Alzolay.
It would be really great if Alzolay started stringing together some nice, controlled, less homer-givey-uppy starts for the rest of the season so he can come into next year with momentum. 

Okay here's the trade map, sure to get busier this week.


Go Cubs.