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If it’s any consolation to Chicago Cubs fans (and the guess considerably analyzed assessment is that it is not), Jason Hammel did not win his debut for the Oakland A’s on Wednesday night. Hammel allowed two earned runs in five innings in a 5-2 loss to the Giants in San Francisco. That’s about as close to a short-term positive as there is for Cubs fans.
Video below of Argentine model Yamila Diaz.
* Let the record show the Cubs are 0-6 since the July 4 trade of Hammel and Jeff Samardzija to Oakland. The A’s are 4-1. Samardzija, who is scheduled to pitch Friday at Seattle, is 1-0. A Samardzija victory would mean the Cubs would have to play .500 ball (2-2) to match that total by the All-Star Game break that comes after Sunday’s contests. The Cubs are playing .422 ball (which means, if that pace continues, they would finish 68-94 for the season).
* Speaking of Cubs losses, their latest came Wednesday 4-1 at Cincinnati. Cubs manager Rick Renteria was ejected for the fifth time in his rookie season. Can’t blame him for not wanting to watch. Then again, summer is a great time for re-runs. Especially when your team isn’t scoring enough or your pitchers are giving up too many runs.
* Oh, look. Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo hit his third homer in four days and is leading the voting for the final spot on the National League All-Star team. He has 20 homers, 49 runs batted in, a .280 batting average, .387 on-base percentage and .512 slugging percentage. His wins above replacement is 2.4.
* Speaking of first basemen, a friendly reminder that Jose Abreu of the White Sox is the best one in Chicago. He hit his 28th home run Wednesday. He has 70 RBI, a .284 batting average, .333 on-base percentage and .627 slugging percentage. His WAR is 2.8.
* Speaking of vote leaders, Chris Sale of the Chicago White Sox is in that spot for the American League. He allowed one run on four hits in 7 2/3 innings against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. He struck out six and walked no one. Of 107 pitches he threw, 80 were strikes. And the White Sox lost 5-4 when Boston ralled for three runs in the eighth and two in the ninth. Feel free to compare and contrast the plight of Cubs and White Sox fans.
* Don Cooper is a much better White Sox pitching coach when Sale is on the mound.
* Robin Ventura is a much better White Sox manager when he doesn’t have to go to the bullpen.
* Speaking of the Red Sox, they designated catcher A.J Pierzynski for assignment. White Sox fans yearning to have him back behind the plate may do so at their own — of being frustrated (as if that’s generally not part of a Sox fan’s DNA). The chances of Pierzynski replacing Tyler Flowers as White Sox catcher seem far less likely than Pierzynski ending up in the team’s — or somebody’s — broadcast booth.
* If it’s Thursday (which seems likely in that yesterday was Wednesday — provided that you are reading this on July 10, 2014, or a subsequent Thursday), then it is time for the weekly edition of “Sports & Torts” with co-hosts David Spada and Elliott Harris at noon Central time on Talkzone.com. The guests this week are former coach Frank Kush and Pro Football Hall of Fame offensive tackle Anthony Munoz. Did you know Kush was a 5-foot-7, 150-pound lineman at Michigan State before rising to prominence as the coach at Arizona State? Did you know Munoz also was a pretty good pitcher at Southern Cal? You know now. The program also will be available on podcast later Thursday at the Talkzone.com web site.
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