When you were little, and when I was little, there was a kid.
Probably not as talented as Javy Baez, but still there was a kid, somewhere in your kid universe, who was just better than everybody at everything.
That kid was the one who said "Gimme the ball" and everybody in your kid universe said "Okay".
The one who played all the sports including baseball, which happens during track season, so the track coach had to beg him (and got him) to run the hundred during state competition.
Or maybe the triple jump.
So of course I'm biased, but we may be looking at that kid right now, only his kid universe actually is the universe universe.
A single, double, homer and grand salami.
5 runs batted in.
On the same day Kris Bryant goes on the DL and the level of despair in the head's of Cub Fans was up to eleven, Javier Baez saved the day.
Not only with his bat, and not only with his glove, but with his head.
Did you see The Double Play?
With Cody Bellinger on third, Puig hits a ball to Baez who's playing there because Bryant's shoulder.
He throws home, Bellinger's now in a rundown, Contreras runs Bellinger almost all the way back to third before tossing to Baez who tags him out.
While that's happening, Puig is going to first and Javy sees that he rounded towards second.
So like... it's almost not fair.
It's National Geographic footage.
Puig is the fly on the branch and Baez is that chameleon who's tongue comes out of nowhere and makes the fly disappear.
So far, my favorite play of 2018.
And if you've been a Cub Fan for as long as I have, there is not a single past Cub you can think of and say, "Yeah, Baez reminds me of that guy."
Before he's done, we may say that about any player ever.
I fell asleep.
I bet you do this too.
I fell asleep in bed and my phone is on the nightstand.
And I wake up at 3AM and immediately put on my glasses and reach for the phone and turn it on and it's so bright I can't see anything for a couple minutes.
And then I can make out the score, and then I see there are videos to watch, and then I stay awake til about 5 because who can sleep after that so I give up and get up.
It's a beautiful day even with the thick layer of gray outside.
Okay, you know what would be really really nice?
I would like to see Kyle Hendricks remember who he is.
That guy who out-pitched Clayton Kershaw to clinch the NL Championship.
That would be really really nice.
And you.
You should feel great today.
Enjoy it.
ps: the painting - inspired by "Gimme the ball."