Iceblink

Looked up the pbp - it was a catcher: Braeden Schlehuber. Schlehuber even sounds like it should be a brand of some kind of extra viscous liquid.

Video of some Smokies defense tonight: Plays by Johnson, Almora, Villanueva, and Russell.

Schwarber's homer: http://www.milb.com/multimedia/vpp.jsp?content_id=33701685&partnerId=as_mlb_20140614_26005396&sid=milb

The end of the no-no. WTG Jokisch: http://www.milb.com/multimedia/vpp.jsp?content_id=29479849&sid=milb

Baez's RBI single, scoring Scczzrruurr: http://www.milb.com/multimedia/vpp.jsp?content_id=29466883&sid=milb I saw the little hitch at the top where the bat pointed back toward the pitcher and thought "too loopy"...and then there was a blur where I assume the bat was supposed to be and the ball was in left field.

I suspect that by "final stage" he means 99.9% almost-there-but-may-take-hours-more-and-other-teams-are-still-involved-and-ohmygod-how-did-we-survive-before-twitter.

For what it's worth - I'd be really surprised if it's 5 for 1: Ben Devine ‏@Chicago_NFL_NBA 12m Matt Garza to the Rangers is 99.9% done. Finishing medical records right now. Cubs get Olt, CJ Edwards, Neil Ramirez & 2 more.

I chuckled, too. But...I guess they're only 4.5 out. The more the merrier. If we wind up with Olt and throw in arms, I'll be a sad panda.

Agree he's redundant. I would say 3B isn't a premium defensive position. If your choices at 3B are plus defense/average bat or plus bat/average defense, you take the bat 10 times out of 10. If he's striking out around 30% of the time in AA as a 23/24 year old, that doesn't bode well for his ability to hit big league pitching.

luke jackson PROS throws hard, strikes out lots of guys CONS walks lots of guys, suffers from early 2010s white man tool hair/hat malady mike olt PROS looks like a power hitting third baseman, used to hit like a power hitting third baseman CONS currently hits like [expletive] neil ramirez PROS currently striking out everyone in aa CONS is 24 in aa, is in aa because last year he was sort of a disaster at aaa, first name won out over last name and therefore is white ON THE WHOLE this would be okay i guess because i really don't think we are considering re-signing garza at all, but it would be nice if there was one prospect here without an "uhhh, this will need to change completely for him to be a real major leaguer" red flag attached. One of Olt's cons should be that he's about 6 weeks from being 25 and struggling in AAA. If this is really the return for 'the best trading chip of this deadline' then I'd just as soon re-sign Garza. Jackson is still pretty young (though about to be 22 in A ball), but unless Olt really did have magic eye surgery, he and Ramirez could just as easily be AAAA guys to join the Des Moines shuttle.

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/blog/eye-on-baseball/22370240/video-walkoff-homer-japanstyle-starring-matt-murton Jinja power. Glad to see the redhead still doing well.

Went and looked up the probable pitchers and Cubs have Berken, Volstat, and Wood. I think we'll be fine Our hitters also look like they've checked out, so you're probably right. And I read the schedule wrong...Colorado's playing Arizona. We could wrap up pick 2 tonight.

Two games (reverse) ahead of Colorado with 3 to play. Our 3 are at home against the Astros, their 3 are on the road at LA. Not cool.

I'm resisting starting up one of my reverse pennant race threads because it jinxed us last time. We rocketed up the standings, much to my dismay. We can do this. Screw Minny and Colorado - I want to set our sights on the Astros, even if they're hell-bent on having a negative payroll.