Cubs Look to Future (Standard Operating Procedure)

September 25, 2014 @ admin → No Comments

Thursday thoughts (or what passes for them around here): Cubs win! Cubs win! Cubs win! One game Wednesday night against the St. Louis Cardinals with right-hander Jake Arrieta the star with a two-run triple in a 3-1 victory. The Cubs concluded their Wrigley Field schedule with a 41-40 record. It’s the first time since 2009 the Cubs have posted a winning home record. Oh, joy! If that’s not cause for unbridled optimism, then what possibly could be? A better road record perhaps. A better spot than last place in the National League Central perhaps. But, hey, if you want to be enthused, go right ahead. And don’t forget to check back a year or so from now to see how close to winning a World Series the Cubs might be.

A photo of Kindly Myers because … just because.

* Speaking of the postseason, if it’s any consolation to Cubs fans (and the guess here is that it actually might be to some), former Cubs second baseman Darwin Barney made a nifty play going to his left and throwing out the runner for the final out of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 9-1 victory vs. visiting San Francisco to clinch the National League West title. Yeah, not a lot of consolation, is there?

* Speaking of the Cubs, rookie shortstop Javier Baez went 0-for-4. On the bright (?) side, he struck out only twice. Meaning he has struck out 90 times in 199 at-bats. Meaning he strikes out 45 percent of his at-bats. Cubs catcher Welington Castillo struck out three times to give him 101 for the season (377 at-bats).

* Speaking of Cubs strikeouts, the big question for the team’s final series of the season at Milwaukee is whether Mike Olt will have a chance to bat. He needs only one more strikeout for 100. Such decisions are why Rick Renteria is the manager.

* Speaking of strikeouts, White Sox left-hander Chris Sale had 10 against the Tigers in Detroit. He also allowed one run and threw 101 pitches before he exited after six innings of what would become a 6-1 loss. His 2.17 earned-run average figures to end up as the American League’s best. If he ever can figure a way to limit his pitch count and last longer in games, the Sox might be able to win games like Wednesday’s rather than lose them.

* Speaking of the Sox winning games, they close out their season with four games at home against Kansas City with the Royals still having a chance at the American League Central title and with the Sox still having a chance at a winning home record. The Sox are 39-38 at U.S. Cellular Field. Meaning they need to at least split the four-game series to post a winning home record. As if that is going to satisfy Sox fans who next season will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of the team’s last World Series crown.

Sad to say, there will be no cheerleaders on Thursday’s “Sports & Torts.”

* If it’s Thursday (and the chances of that seem pretty good because yesterday was Thursday — provided that today is Sept. 25, 2014, or a subsequent Thursday), then it is time for another edition of “Sports & Torts,” co-hosted by David Spada and Elliott Harris on Talkzone.com at noon Central time. The highly acclaimed interview program (well, it’s held in such high esteem in the Spada and Harris households as well as reportedly elsewhere) features two guests on this week’s show: former college football coaches Tom Osborne (Nebraska) and Doug Dickey (Tennessee and Florida). The show also will be available later Thursday — and presumably forever (or close to it) — on the Talkzone.com web site.

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Here is where to go for a daily dose of non-gratuitous video (thanks to the excellent efforts of the editorial and video departments at ElliottHarris.com):