Cubs Lore and Michael Kopech

August 18, 2018

The seventh game of the 2016 World Series will always be the best game in the Cubs history. However, there are other memorable games. I wasn’t around in 1938 for Gabby Harnett’s Homer in the Gloamin’ but I do remember the Sandberg game. It was 1984 where the Cubs would reach the post season for the first time in thirty-nine years. It was a wild and windy Saturday afternoon and a back and forth game. The Cardinals were ahead by one run in the ninth inning. They brought in Bruce Sutter, a future Hall of Fame reliever, to close out the game. Sandberg tied the game with a lead- off homer. The Cardinals scored two runs in the top of the 10^th. With two outs Sandberg faced Sutter again and hit a two-run homer to even the score. The Cubs ended up winning 12-11. Sandberg went 5 for 6 with two home runs and seven RBI.

Why do I post this? The David Bote game. Last weekend against the Washington Nationals the Cubs were on the verge of being shut for the second time in two days. Losing 3-0 heading into the bottom of the ninth, the Cubs load the bases with two outs. In a scenario that players young and old of dream of, David Bote hits a Grand Slam to win the game. Next up were two meaningless games against the Milwaukee Brewers. The Cubs were shut out in the first game and won the second, scoring eight runs

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Will the real Jon Lester please stand up? As of late he has been very good and equally as bad.  This is not what you want in your number one starter. He did throw six scoreless innings in the Cubs 1-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates. The way Cole Hamels is going, maybe he should be your number one? He has been nothing short of spectacular, throwing seven scoreless innings in another 1-0 Cub victory. They followed this losing two games scoring only one run in each.

In the last nine games the Cubs have been shut out twice and scored only one run in four other games.  You can’t win if you don’t score any runs. You’re not going to win many games scoring one run. The Cubs pitching may be very good, but if the bats go silent (like last year against the Dodgers), there could be some agonizing moments before they get to the playoffs. Despite all this the Cubs are 3 1/2 ahead and still five in the loss column.

Glory be! The White Sox bring up top prospect Michael Kopech who will start Tuesday. I know there are going to be comparisons to Chris Sale. Sale is the best pitcher in baseball from April-July, then he stumbles and gets knocked around, putting himself out of contention for the Cy Young Award. My hope is that Kopech is more like Justin Verlander. Where is Eloy Jimenez?

If there is something worse than the White Sox, it must be the Kansas City Royals. Five and five in their last ten, it looks as if the White Sox may win more than fifty games. That’s nothing to be proud of, but not as bad as the Royals or the Baltimore Orioles. The White Sox should bring up Jimenez and move Nicky Delmonico to third and bench Sanchez and his .303 on base percentage and no power. That would be a nice upgrade.

Carlos Rodon is worth the price of admission. Since regaining his strength after surgery he has been lights out. He is a number one pitcher and what you need to lead a young pitching staff. Maybe the other youngsters, who are having as expected their ups and downs, will figure it out for next year. Maybe then the White Sox can earn some R. E. S. P. E. C. T. Sorry, couldn’t resist an Aretha reference.