Today is Thursday March 13th and I’ll be honest guys. I’m grinding on the blog today. I really am.
We got a huge Brother Rice basketball game tonight in the state semi-finals against St. Patrick’s High School at 6:30pm.
We got Illinois vs. Iowa.
I need to pick up some Culver’s for my old lady and if I’m lucky, I’ll have time to stop for a couple beers at the salon with my local pals. Might even hit a couple pitching wedges.
For now though I want to mentally focus on a couple of very small things around the Cubs.
Right now as I type this, they’re in Japan getting ready for an exhibition against a local NPB club. They’re out touring the country and taking in the culture and all that bullshit with their family, which is actually really nice. I hope everyone out there is enjoying themselves.
In the closing days before Opening Day, there really won’t be that much juicy stuff to talk about other than just how excited we are for first pitch.
With that in mind, here’s some notable notes for the club:
Lance Lynn Wasn’t Bad Last Year
I know we talked already about Lance Lynn in the 2pm but I want to follow up with some statistical observations from 2024:
- He was terrible in 2023 then bounced back to have an averagely productive 2024 with a 3.84 ERA in 23 starts and 117 innings to the tune of a 109 ERA+
- 109 ERA+ means he was 9% better than your average starting pitcher
- It’s in line with his career mark of 111, so if the Cubs add that, then I kinda like the move to be the #5
- He’s similar to Javier Assad with a better fastball and way more experience. But they’re both similar in how they don’t really mess around with their pitch counts as reflected in their walk and strikeout data
He was atrocious in 2023 but that’s also because he was on the White Sox and they were fuckin TRASH, so I’m not inclined to hold that against him.
I’m just saying I think it’s one or the other, and if it’s the 2024 version then I would rather have that guy to start the year than Jordan Wicks, Ben Brown, or Colin Rea. Especially while Assad is still rehabbing.
If Lance Lynn is good, then he stays until the wheels fall off.
If he sucks, then we go with one of the other guys, who should be extra motivated by the fact that a veteran came in at the 11th hour and took one of their starting spots.
So all things considered, this shouldn’t be a terrible move.
Jameson Taillon Is That Guy
TOKYO — Cubs pitcher Jameson Taillon knew there was a Pokemon Center near the team hotel in Tokyo, but he wanted to do more digging.
To expand his collection — which already includes a binder of a couple hundred of “the hits,” about 20 PSA-graded slabs and 1,000 to 2,000 bulk cards sitting on his nightstand —Taillon wants to visit a local hobby shop. Some Pokemon cards are only released in Japan, and the art can differ from American cards. Any of his teammates are invited to join him on his quest.
“That’s the motherland,” Taillon said in a conversation with the Sun-Times.
I can be a weirdo about things but this is just different to me.
Makes me gag a little bit.
Jameson Taillon is our massive Texan right handed pitcher. He’s supposed to have a bowling ball sinker and be our veteran bulldog that fearlessly pounds the strike zone. He’s supposed to have a presence with some kind of authority in a staff of soft tossing lefties.
Nobody’s saying needs to be Nolan Ryan but at the same time you would expect him to have a little edge. A little bite.
Instead he’s chasing down Blastoise in the hotel lobby in his Pikachu pajams and I hate it.
Let me repeat: I HATE IT.
Don Drysdale would be looking for hookers.
Bob Feller would have a fuckin drink.
Jameson Taillon’s over here with his collector’s notebook trying for a holograph exclusive and it makes me want to leave him in Tokyo. Trade him to Hiroshima for a light hitting shortstop prospect and call it a day.
Pokemon.
You puss.
NO THANKS
“Seiya takes a Samurai Sword to the shin and will be out 6-8 weeks with a lacerated femur”
It’s a cute social media post but no fuckin thanks guys.
SHOTA BOW
I told you guys.
It’s a thin day start to finish. One of the thinnest in recent memories.
So let’s close with this.
It’s nice having Shota on the Cubs because he keeps things loose and light. He’s always laughing and smiling and being a goofy Japanese dude and that’s awesome. It makes me smile and feel good about life.
So thank you Shota.
On behalf of Cubs fans everywhere, we’re excited to see you go 9 scoreless to open the season.
Although weak, these are your news and notes for March 13th.
Drive home safe.