By Marty Gangler
Okay, people. I hate to break it to you, but we may be really close to the best part of this season. This stretch run now should be just great to watch as fans. Just think about it.
Once the Cubs clinch this thing, the games will feel different, kind of meaningless actually. There will be super wacky lineups and kids coming up from the minors when the rosters expand in September and all of that.
Uncle Joe is going to sift through the roster to get the best combo of players for the playoffs. And they would already have the clinched the division – so it just won’t matter.
And then once we all get to the playoffs, that is where the hand-wringing and pacing, drinking, cursing, etc., really begins.
And while that is certainly interesting and entertaining, you can’t really call it “fun.”
So it won’t really be fun after they clinch and it won’t really be fun in the playoffs themselves. That means this is it. Now. This is going to be the best the season gets. The games still matter and even if they lose a couple it’s really OK. So it’s just freewheeling fun time and it’s going to end soon, people.
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The Week in Review: The Cubs went 4-2 for the week, taking three from the hapless Padres and losing two (heartbreakers) of three to the Dodgers. Boy, did the Cubs look like five times better than that Padres team, yuck.
The Week in Preview: The boys in blue come home for three against the Pirates and four against the Giants. Expect another 5-2 week for the Cubs. They are pitching too good right now for much to go wrong. But that can go away in a hurry, except it shouldn’t in this case. What?
Musical Outfielders: And no, we aren’t talking about Matt Szczur playing the French horn. The big news is that Jason Heyward is back to playing again after he was benched and after Uncle Joe said he wasn’t going to bench him, and then benched him. Heyward responded by looking decent this week – not great, but decent. As for left field, Jorge Soler got three starts, Kris Bryant got two, and Ben Zobrist got one.
Weird thing about this whole moving everyone around deal is that Bryant will win the MVP as a third baseman and not play much of third in the playoffs, as the Cubs’ best lineup is probably Baez at third and Bryant in left.
Joe’s probably known this since last season, and has moved the chess pieces around to make it happen in the playoffs without anyone thinking anything different about it.
Former Annoying Cub of the Week: Milton Bradley was a Cub in 2009. Despite having a fun name that makes people think about the fun bard games you played as a kid, he was a real turd of a person. Last we heard, he was still appealing his domestic violence convictions.
Current Annoying Cub of the Week: Time to go down the line a bit and call out Miggy Montero. Miggy isn’t going to make my hate list anytime soon (though you never know) but he has super underperformed this season. He’s the third-highest paid dude on the roster at $14 million. And what he’s capable of doing for getting paid that much is kinda getting annoying. I mean, the Cubs’ fourth-highest salary this season is Edwin Jackson, who isn’t even on the team anymore. But in fairness to Edwin, he at least helped the Cubs win a game this week by pitching horribly (or normally?) against them. Which is a bit more than what Miggy can say lately.
Mad(don) Scientist: The onesies are back!
Has Big Poppa Joe jumped the shark? Seems like he’s losing a bit off the ol’ fastball and the ridiculousness. Although, he could just be busy selling all sorts of his own t-shirts. OK, sure, it’s like for charity and all (right?) but enough. And it’s really not all that clever.
Kubs Kalender: It’s Wine Cork Sunglasses Night at the ballpark this Tuesday as the Cubs take on the Pirates. You know, I’ve heard of beer goggles, but not wine glasses – um, I mean, wine cork sunglasses.
Beachwood Sabermetrics: A complex algorithm performed by The Cub Factor staff using all historical data made available by Major League Baseball has determined that the Padres are terrible.
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Marty Gangler is The Cub Factor. He welcomes your comments.
Posted on August 29, 2016