Sunday smorgasbord: OK, so the Chicago Cubs lost a doubleheader Saturday at Wrigley Field to the Washington Nationals. On the bright (?) side, the Cubs had a day/night doubleheader. Meaning they had two crowds. Meaning more money than if it was a traditional doubleheader. Yeah, that brightness might be marginal at best — unless you are a Cubs bean counter or Ricketts family member.
* Speaking of the Cubs, minor league sensation Kris Bryant went 3-for-4 for Class AAA Iowa in a 6-0 loss to the Colorado Springs Sky Sox. Meaning it’s pretty much a certainty that he did not hit a home run. Yep, the statistical-analysis department at ElliottHarris.com is on the ball. Or maybe on something else that might be legal in Colorado for recreational purposes.
* Speaking of Cubs prospects and home runs, catcher Kyle Schwarber hit two — including a grand slam — in going 4-for-5 for Class A Kane County in a 10-2 victory against Beloit. Something says the Cubs would be willing to let him remain a catcher if he can provide offense like that every game.
* While there are some “experts” who say the Cubs should not create their own cable channel (something similar to the New York Yankees’ YES channel), the team ought to do it anyway. For programming the Cubs could have an almost endless stream of minor-league contests. For clarification, those would be games played by teams other than the one that calls Wrigley Field home.
* With their second consecutive victory and Minnesota’s fifth consecutive defeat, the White Sox moved out of last place in the American League Central, the White Sox moved out of last place in the division. OK, so it’s by only half a game. The Sox will take whatever success they can. Their winning streak — if that’s what consecutive victories can be called — is the longest current one in the division. Oh, joy!
* Because he threw 108 pitches in seven innings (in no small part because he issued five walks), Sox left-hander Chris Sale was an observer in Saturday’s 4-3 victory at Toronto. Chances are fairly good that the Blue Jays’ Sunday scheduled starter — and former Sox ace — Mark Buehrle will be able to provide a less in efficiency.
* Before anyone — with the possible exception of Miami Heat fans — becomes too thrilled about the prospect of Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh joining LeBron James in opting out of their contracts to explore free agency, those players may have acted in concert so they could free up salary cap room to attract a free agent to Miami. Not exactly music to Bulls fans’ ears, is it?
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