Chicago Cleanup

Pretty disappointing to say the least. This fall will mark five years since the Chicago Cubs winning the World Series. A feat hadn't seen since 1908 at that time. That game 7 is one of the greatest games ever played. For me, it doesn't top Super Bowl 42. The way the Cubs were, they should have won at least another World Series. And last week's trades signal a bitter end to players that were catalysts to ending the drought.

Closer Craig Kimbrel was sent close by to the White Sox. That will help bolster the bullpen on the other side of Chicago. Kris Bryant goes to San Francisco. It adds another good bat to a team that has gotten out of a slump the last couple of seasons. Javy Baez goes to the New York Mets. Anything for run support to help compliment their pitching. Anthony Rizzo goes to the New York Yankees. A left handed batter could mean the difference for making the playoffs this year. I know Bryant wanted to get paid, but the Cubs weren't going to. Been a good player since coming into the league, but enough for a big contract? Something the team may regret.

Kimbrel has been lights out this year after a couple disappointing years. The Sox have a strikeout machine that can help bolster their lead in the AL Central. Rizzo has been a consistent player in hits and power. He's a free agent next year. Maybe the Cubs weren't confident in having him return. The Yankees could scoop him up for next year. First base has been a problem for at least eight years. Baez has show his potential for four seasons prior to last year. He still has something to show in terms of power. But I question whether he will fizz out during this time with the Mets. That team always has a knack for ruining stars that come from other clubs.

I think the Cubs are looking to rebuild. Not a good year for them. The NL West has the leading wild card teams and they are far behind first place Milwaukee. I don't know what their payroll is, but it's probably not enough to support all four of those players. Start fresh for 2022. See how David Ross handles the new batch of players. Washington is doing the same thing a little bit. Definitely will talk about that story as well in another blog. You do wonder about the dynasty that could have been. That question, we will never know.

Major League Baseball: April 2017

With the end of April, there have been some interesting storylines for Major League Baseball. Certain teams most expect to get a postseason spot are struggling. Some divisions are shaping up to be a tough one. Let's take a look.

The American League East is one where pretty much everybody has a fair chance at the division and potentially a wildcard spot. For the Baltimore Orioles, they have put up good numbers despite pitching problems. The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox are getting runs while having some strong pitching, especially with good bullpens. At Tampa Bay, the Rays are okay. It's a matter of how both the batting and pitching will sustain a 162 game season. Really, the Toronto Blue Jays are a shocker for struggling so much this month. While this isn't a panic mode compared to other sports, if things don't go to a winning side in May, changes are going to happen.

In the AL Central, it's close with similar stuff like the East. The Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Indians have picked up with some good pitching and decent power at the plate. Starting off strong was the Minnesota Twins, but they have fallen a little flat. Age is a factor for the Detroit Tigers, and the Kansas City Royals doesn't have much going for them. The death of Yordano Ventura doesn't help. I really can't say much on the West division. They are either hot or cold. The Houston Astros are at the top with some young players on the mound and at the plate. Power is not a problem for the Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Angels, and Seattle Mariners. Can they avoid slumps and can the pitching help carry them to a division title?

Getting into the National League, it's all a matter of what the Washington Nationals do. They look to be the East's top team and maybe of its league. They got power and great starters when healthy. The Philadelphia Phillies are a surprise, but I would wait until the end of May to see how this division looks. It is a surprise the New York Mets are in last place, but they could flick the switch to be a great team depending on the health of their pitchers. That can also be said for the Miami Marlins, but with their batting, specifically Giancarlo Stanton. Relying on a few 40 plus year old pitchers, I don't have much confidence in the Atlanta Braves.

It is tight in the NL Central with the Chicago Cubs leading the way, but barely. Can they avoid the championship hangover? Their batting and pitching is good, but it has to be better if they want to defend their title. As far as the other teams go, the Milwaukee Brewers is surprising with the run support. Like most of the AL West, can they avoid slumps? The pitching might be a problem if they can't get past other teams. Despite being in second place, pitching is also a concern if I'm the St. Louis Cardinals. If it can't carry them, it will be a long year. Not much can be said for the Cincinnati Reds. On any day, they can get the hits and runs while dominating fro the mound. Can it do that for the whole season?

San Francisco is the big storyline in the West. The Giants lost their main starter for a few months after a mediocre start to begin the season. With some good batters, someone has to step up for the starting pitching and the bullpen can't suffer another collapse. Fear is not a worry for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies. Having hot bats and surprisingly exceptional pitching has propelled these two to the top of the division. The Los Angeles Dodgers are not far away with the same kind of stuff, and they could be a first place team at the end of May. Anything can happen in this division. And the San Diego Padres are the same old, same old. They got power, but can't hit for anything and their pitching is pretty mediocre. It's another year of disappointment for the city.

Keep your eyes on the AL East and NL West. The teams could flip flop in divisional races as the year goes on. I would say the NL Central and East will see certain teams improve from where they are right now. And the West could come down to two teams at the end of September. For 2017, it will pack some big surprises.

Three Times the Charm... Stephen Piscotty

Over the course of a baseball season, you see freakish things happen. What occurred to Stephen Piscotty last night is one of those things. Unfortunately, it would end with him being evaluated for a head contusion.

Entering this season, Piscotty played part of 2015 and enjoyed a decent full season last year. He signed to a big contract with the St. Louis Cardinals to stay with them. It started midway through the game in the bottom of the 5th. Against the Chicago Cubs, Cub pitcher Jake Arrieta plunked him in the arm. He shrugged it off and went to first base. A pitch a couple batters later from Arietta gets away from the catcher Willson Contreras and Piscotty heads off to second. He slides down and gets hit again in the other arm. You would think it would end at that point, but it didn't.

A short hit leads to a few miscues from the Cubs infield to get the guy out at first. Noticing Piscotty heading for home, they throw to home and hit him in the helmet. While it gave the Cardinals a run, it was a costly one. The team got him off the field and sent him for evaluation for the head contusion. The early reports have been said that he has been evaluated for a concussion and is able to get back on the field, which won't be today because of all the thunderstorms and tornadoes occurring in the Midwest and South.

What a price to pay for last night. Usually managers worry about getting hit three times in a month, not in an inning. Thank goodness for the helmet. Some of the National League teams have gone the length of protecting faces following the wake of Giancarlo Stanton getting plunked in the face back in 2014. We have come a long way to ensure the safety of not just the players, but the fans, too. That being said, fans do have to keep eye on the action even with stuff like protective netting at home and the corners.

For as much as I hate the Cardinals, that shouldn't have happened. Hopefully, it doesn't again.