Rizzo’s Extra Effort? 2 Bunt Singles in Cubs’ Loss

May 16, 2014 @ admin → No Comments

The Chicago Cubs lost 5-3 to the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday. On the bright (?) side, Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo was 2-for-3 with a walk to raise his on-base percentage to .405. Both hits were bunts. And Rizzo did score on a Starlin Castro home run. So having your No. 3 hitter bunt for a hit is brilliant, no? Well, occasionally. And only if he is successful.

December’s Kennedy Summers is Playboy’s 2014 Playmate of the Year. Video below for those interested (and even for those who are not).

* Speaking of Rizzo and bunting, it’s not like not swinging is a big hit to his extra-base prowess. Rizzo is batting .284 (40-for-141). He has seven homers, one triple and three doubles. Meaning he has 29 singles. Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright has two doubles — in 21 at-bats. No National League first baseman with 75 or more at-bats has fewer doubles than Rizzo.

* First basemen do not bunt their way into the All-Star Game. In case any Cubs fans are harboring hopes of Rizzo playing in the Midsummer Classic.

* Speaking of the All-Star Game, if any Cub other than right-hander Jeff Samardzija is named to the NL team, it will have to be considered a successful season, no? Well, it will be a stunning upset, but “successful season?” Uh, no.

* Speaking of successful seasons, if losing is winning, then the Cubs couldn’t ask for much more. Meanwhile back in reality, the Cubs (13-26) have the fewest victories and worst winning percentage (that’s .333 for the mathematically challenged) in the major leagues. That No. 1 pick in the 2015 draft better be worth being this bad.

* Oh, and no team is more games behind in its division than the Cubs.

* In that one of the games in the Cubs-Cards series was postponed by rain, do the Cubs get to not include losing two of three in St. Louis as a lost series? Hey, they could win the makeup game (the first part of a day-night doubleheader Aug. 30) for a split, no?

* For those roller derby enthusiasts out there (and you know who you are), the Manic Attackers and the Double Crossers will be skating for the Ivy King Cup on Saturday at the UIC Pavilion. Doors open at 5 p.m. with the first match at 6 p.m. featuring last year’s Ivy King Cup champs, The Fury, against the Hell’s Belles. Following that will be the Ivy King Cup championship match at 7. Tickets are available at Ticketmaster.

* Congratulations to Kennedy Summers, a recent guest on “Sports & Torts” with co-hosts David Spada and Elliott Harris on Talkzone.com, for being named Playboy’s 2014 Playmate of the Year.

* Speaking of “Sports & Torts” (which airs on Thursdays at noon Central time), the May 15, 2014 edition is in the Talkzone vaults. Or wherever they put the podcasts. The guests on this week’s program were baseball Hall of Famer Tony Perez and the Chicago Sky’s Pokey Chatman (coach and general manager), Tree Rollins (assistant coach), Sylvia Fowles, Markeisha Gatling and Gennifer Brandon. Gatling and Brandon are rookies who made the WNBA team that opens its season Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill., against the Indiana Fever. For a replay of Thursday’s “Sports & Torts,” you can click here.

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