Case Should Be Closed on Marmol as Closer

Monday meanderings: Carlos Marmol. Blown save. Cubs lose. The words go so well (well, “well” might not be the best adverb from a Cubs fan perspective) together. Nothing quite like giving up a three-run, walkoff home run to give the New York Mets a 4-3 victory Sunday (June 16). And Marmol has shown he is nothing quite like a closer. It’s as simple as 1-2-3. Which happens to be his number of blown saves this season.

Miss Connecticut Erin Brady was named Miss USA 2013 on Sunday,

* All the whining on social media — and elsewhere — probably won’t change the view of Cubs management. Just as it won’t change the status of Marmol as trade bait. Which means no matter how much the Cubs might like to part ways with Marmol, they won’t be giving him away. And no team in its right mind is going to offer much, if anything, for him.

* Next up for the Cubs are the Cardinals starting Monday in St. Louis. The Cardinals have baseball’s best record. If it’s any consolation to Cubs fans (and the guess here is that it is not), the Cards lost a weekend series to the Miami Marlins whose record is even worse than the Cubs’. Keep hope alive? That might be tough to do in St. Loo.

* Elsewhere in the world of ignominious (whatever that means) performances, the White Sox lost to the Astros 5-4. The Sox have lost four n a row with the last three against the Astros. If it’s any consolation to Sox fans (and the guess here is that it is not), the Astros did not sweep the series. Well, not yet. The teams play Monday night.

* Perhaps lost in the Sox loss was infielder Jeff Keppinger drawing his fourth walk of the season (in 212 at-bats that don’t include walks). Meaning it’s conceivable he could reach double digits in bases on balls by season’s end. Sox slugger Adam Dunn struck out three times to give him 83 for the season. Meaning it’s conceivable he could reach triple digits by the All-Star Game and 200 by season’s end.

* Voting began Sunday for the WNBA All-Star game that will be July 27 in Connecticut. To cast a vote, you can go to wnba.com. You will have to register to vote. Voting end July 14. The starters will be announced during the July 18 ESPN2 telecast of the Phoenix Mercury-Los Angeles Sparks games. Reserves will be announced during the July 23 telecast of the New York Liberty-Indiana Fever game. You humble correspondent will go out on a limb and say Chicago Sky rookie Elena Delle Donne will be on the East squad.

* Speaking of the Sky and the all-star contest, a Sky player was the MVP of the previous WNBA all-star game. And that would be … Swin Cash. Playing for the Seattle Storm and the West. She had 21 points and 12 rebounds in a 118-113 loss in 2011 (there was no contest in 2012 because of the Olympic Games). Cash and Lisa Leslie are the only players to be two-time all-star MVPs.

* Speaking of the Sky, the team did not have much in the way of all-star performances early (or late, to think of it) in Sunday’s game at Atlanta. The Dream took leads of 16-2 and 21-4. The Sky tied the game at 56 before Atlanta finished the third quarter leading 66-57 in an eventual 88-74 Dream victory. Delle Donne scored a career-high 25 points for the Sky (4-2). Reserve guard Allie Quigley added 14 points, all in the first half. Angel McCoughtry led Atlanta (6-1) with 23 points. On the bright (???) side, the Sky is undefeated at home. On the less bright side, the Sky isn’t home until June 26 (two more road games before then).

* Speaking of winning at home, the Miami Heat needs to do so for two games after losing Game 5 of the NBA Finals to the host San Antonio Spurs 114-104. The Spurs lead 3-2 in the best-of-seven series. Manu Ginobili started for the first time this season and had 24 points and 10 assists. You might say he played like a Manu possessed.

* You have to wonder whether Miss Connecticut Erin Brady being named Miss USA 2013 on Sunday might shift momentum to the Boston Bruins, who host Game 3 of the Stanley Cup finals against the Blackhawks on Monday. Especially with the series tied 1-1. OK, maybe you don’t have to wonder. But you might wonder whether the mere mention of that suffices as reason to run her photo (and a reminder: There is no need to justify running such images around here, as long as your humble correspondent is in charge.

Thanks to the efforts of Nicole Moneer (one of this site’s favorite females), there are video interviews from the weekend’s NPC Junior Nationals in Rosemont, Ill. Among her work are interviews with Vera Mallet (figure champion), Carly Lobato fitness champ), Erica Blockman (physique champion) and Yasmin Ali (bikini champion):

I have not figured out how to avoid having text run alongside these videos rather than underneath.

And here is where we go for our daily dose of non-gratuitous video (as determined by the editorial and video departments at elliottharris.com that have a generous definition of “gratuitous). And speaking of generous, included in today’s effort is video from Ramona Valerie Alb — plus others:

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