Irrelevant Dude

I'm a moron. I haven't seen him pitch in so long that I thought he was a lefty.

That's gotta be the shoulder for Ohtani, right? I don't see how it could have been the elbow or wrist based on the replays. So I guess best case scenario is only a dislocated shoulder, which still would mean he's done for the series... And it probably isn't great for his long term prognosis as a pitcher either.

Let's say there is a hypothetical fantasy world where the Cubs are in on Soto, and Jed is able to come up with the best offer, but the Yankees are in the ballpark. If you are Soto, where do you want to spend the next 10-15 years? Do you take the money to play for the Cubs, or do you take a little less to stay with the Yankees, considering: A) Which team is going to be willing to consistently surround you with players to give the best chance of multiple World Series rings? (Yankees) B) His offensive numbers will almost certainly be better at Yankee Stadium than Wrigley. He is going to be a Hall of Famer regardless, but how important are those statistics to him? Especially if there are opt outs involved, is he better off padding his power numbers with the short right field porch in New York? C) He is already familiar with the Yankees. It's difficult to speculate on any individual player's decision making process, but if it's me I'm not going to the Cubs unless they absolutely blow the Yankees offer out of the water (which won't happen). Obviously this whole hypothetical scenario is unrealistic to begin with, but even in the best case scenario where the Cubs are given the green light from Tom and aggressively pursue Soto, the possibilities of him actually coming here are grim.

Somehow not targeting...

Not the outcome I wanted, but great game. This series is going to be a battle.

FOX doesn't have K zone on their batter view and I love it.

622M for Soto is an oddly specific number to end up at, but let's do it. By the time he gets to the back half of that deal where his performance is a serious concern (33-34 and over?), that $40M/year isn't going to hurt nearly as much as it does in 2024 dollars. Pay the man.

I watched most of the first three quarters tonight. I think I've had enough Bulls basketball for this year.

Has anyone heard anything at all about Marquee and Comcast? With all the focus on CHSN, it has been crickets about Marquee even though the contract was rumored to be up at the end of the season.

This year's Season Ticket Holder gifts are here! Good thing the Cubs got the StubHub sponsorship on both sides and didn't have to spend the $10 per Season Ticket Holder out of their own pockets. Gotta tighten those belts with the luxury tax bill incoming. That's "reclaimed wood" from the Wrigley Field roof by the way, dating back to 1928. What's that you say??? It looks like it was just cut off a brand new 1x4 from Home Depot? Well, there's no way to authenticate it, so you just have to take the Cubs word for it.

As much as I hate seeing the Yankees win, I'm rooting for them and it isn't even close. Anyone but the Dodgers.

Just when you think you have seen it all... A coach clumsily dropping the challenge flag prevents him from throwing it onto the field before the snap, and the play ends up going for a touchdown.

But that is absolutely a knock against the front office. There is no excuse for a large market team like the Cubs with their resources and money available to spend under the luxury tax to not be a serious contender for Soto. Now, if they make a monster offer and still get outbid by the Yankees, what can you do? But if the Cubs aren't even in the picture, that is a problem.

Juan Soto obliterates a 3 run home run in the 10th to give the Yankees the lead (and likely the series). Oh, but he's too expensive and might hurt the team in 7 years. I'm sure Mike Tauchman can perform just as well.

Mike Ditka turned 85 yesterday. That's a guy I never would have expected to still be around at 80, let alone 85.

The uniforms were outstanding. The entire package today (CBS coverage, throwback uniforms, and the victory over Michigan) was a great look for the program.

Nebraska no less. Is Indiana really that good?

I don't think you can expect someone to simultaneously DH and improve defensively at catcher. He needs to be getting game experience. Are there any other examples of guys with limited Minor League catching experience who have started as a DH in MLB and became a full-time catcher later?

I'm coming around to the idea of giving Ballasteros significantly more time in AAA and giving him every opportunity to develop as a Catcher. If that means he stays in Iowa for another year plus, that is ok. Even though his bat may be ready, he is young enough to allow him the time he needs to develop defensively. There is just too much value in being able to plug a plus bat with power into the Catcher position, even if it takes a little longer to get there.

I'm not sure, but it still feels like Comcast has most of the leverage right now. At some point, I think CHSN has to cave to whatever proposal Comcast has on the table if they want to survive as a network.

The Virginia Tony Bennett retirement is a big story, and a case of a coach finally saying out loud what everyone already knows... The system is horribly broken. I don't feel bad for the guy. He has made tens of millions of dollars and has many options open to him should he decide to continue working. But I don't envy the job of a college coach in the current landscape of college athletics. It is a nearly impossible job, trying to win games while also managing a bunch of teenagers and attempting to keep them all happy enough so they won't leave the program, while also having to coordinate with NIL and re-recruit the entire team every offseason. I can see how someone would say "This just isn't fun anymore." Major changes need to be made, but how quickly will it happen? Will this be the start of a serious conversation to completely revamp the model for college athletics, or will it drag on for years before seeing any meaningful improvements?

I think it was pretty clear on August 1 that the playoffs were extremely unlikely.

Come on OLine. Why are they getting to Caleb on every pass play?

Yikes. Caleb hit the wrong button on that throw. After Roschon Johnson didn't get the first down because Braxton Jones was in his way lying on the ground.

Great touchdown followed by an awful kickoff.