By Marty Gangler
Can we all just pretend that the trip to New York was nothing but a weird dream? Can we just go along with our baseball lives as if none of that happened?
You know, like that one weekend where you went to New York with your friend and you did all that stuff that you aren’t proud of. Sure, you didn’t maim or kill anyone, but it did get a little dicey a few times. And your poor buddy Ken. I don’t think he’s ever been the same. Ah, Ken, that was just not good. But we can just forget about that, okay? Why can’t we all do that?
Let’s just focus on the games against the Reds. Because that makes everyone happy. Like after that weekend in New York when you really got your act together. You got a new job and you got into a healthy relationship for once.
I mean, that might have been a blessing in disguise if you think about it. Well, except for the whole Ken deal. That guy. Man. But he’s kinda doing better these days. The night sweats aren’t as regular and the screaming has stopped.
But I guess we can’t just “forget” that it all happened. We all share that dark secret about what happened in New York.
And unfortunately, the Reds will not be in the playoffs anytime soon. The Mets just might. So this is a little scary.
Fortunately, the Cubs still have two series’ against the Reds pending this season, and only one left with the Mets. Hopefully they get their crap together and get that foul taste out of everyone’s mouths by winning a few against the Mets in a few weeks. But in the meantime, the Cubs keep leaning toward being a very good team when they initially were looking to be more like a historically great team. Still, very good is not too bad.
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Week in Review: The Cubs went 4-4 for the week (and a day) as they beat the hapless Red four times and looked pretty hapless themselves losing four to the Met. Some people might say that going .500 for the week is fine considering it’s a long season and all of that. But there is losing and there is losing like they did in New York, and those losses feel like they should count for more than just one each in the standings.
Week in Preview: The boys in blue stay home for two more with the Reds and then get a makeup game with the Braves at home before hitting the road for three against the Pirates. No games against the Mets.
Musical Outfielders: And no aren’t talking about Matt Szczur playing the French horn. Kris Bryant got two games in left before he got knocked out of the game after a collision (his second of the day) with Albert Almora Jr. on Monday. I guess the words “I got it” are as hard to say as “We beat the Mets” for the Cubs these days. Willson Contreras got four starts in left and Matt Szczur got the other two. So the shuffling continues in left for the Cubs. I want to say that Willson should get a lot of looks out there moving forward but how in the world could I know? He wasn’t even an option like three weeks ago.
Former Annoying Cub of the Week: Former closer Carlos Marmol is a free agent. Carlos has really made his way around the league in the past few years, but much like the strike zone, he can’t really find a place to land. He is not missed.
Current Annoying Cub of the Week: Once again it’s Chris Coghlan. Chris has been sent to the DL with a rib deal. So I guess you would think I might be happy about this. Now, I would never cheer for someone to be injured, but am I happy someone else will be on the Cubs in place of Chris Coghlan? Yes. Does that make me a bad guy? Before you answer, you should know he batted .151 for June. And let the record show that it’s not really a personal issue I have with Chris, it’s just that I think the Cubs could do better. So I kind of feel like every dad of a daughter.
Mad(don) Scientist: Big Poppa Joe has a run for his money after seeing this pic today. Seems the Phillies like to play dress-up as well.
Kubs Kalender: Fans attending the Cubs-Reds game on Tuesday will receive an Anthony Rizzo “Tarp Catch” Bobblehead. I think the cooler play would have been to have a doll of him lying in the seats.
Beachwood Sabermetrics: A complex algorithm performed by The Cub Factor staff using all historical data made available by Major League Baseball has determined that I’ve never liked the Mets.
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Marty Gangler is The Cub Factor. He welcomes your comments.
Posted on July 4, 2016