Middle Buffalo

I don't see many games, but when I look at the highlights, the biggest problem I have with Benetti is his lack of excitement on HR calls. It's not the exclamation at the end (although his call ultimately isn't very good), it's that he doesn't seem to be able to distinguish that a ball might have a chance to go out. He's monotone until the ball is in the stands.

Head to the Wrigley troughs. They're unavoidable.

My simple text to Cubs fan friends: eLoy

In an ideal world, show up 10 minutes late and work 10 minutes late to cover for it. No problem. Unfortunately, unions make it impossible to manage something like this. If management has a relaxed policy for being on time, some people will decide it's ok to show up 15 minutes late, or 20, or 35. What's the breaking point? If management decides to discipline the employee who is 35 minutes late, the employee and union will ask what was done to the people who were 20 minutes late. Why the disparity in treatment? Fact is, a company has to have and has to enforce an attendance policy. If Jack's boss made it clear that he was supposed to be at work at 8 - not 2 minutes earlier or later, then that's the rule. It's Jack's obligation to be there at 8. FYI - I was as in a Union for 24 years, so I'm not anti-union, but they can do just as much harm as good for office morale because they often end up protecting the worst employees.

I probably should have said "It's just nice..." to counter his point. Either way, I haven't been this excited about our future for quite a while.

It really is nice to have a reason to pay close attention to this team again. The rebuild is bearing some exciting young players with more to come. After 5 or 6 years of futility, this is refreshing.

Giolito's HS coach'll fix 'im.

Eloy & Gio are products of the rebuild/tank.

Best late round picks in history. https://www.mlb.com/news/best-late-round-picks-in-draft-history Hopefully the Sox can find some guys like these today.

Wow is right. Jumpin Jim Brunzell and B. Brian Blair would be proud of that drop kick.

Unbelievable - I still get email updates from Classmates.com. One of the early social media sites. I never paid for it, but I added my name and school info to it 15 years ago. Every few months I get a random email from it saying someone visited my profile. I can't image anyone is still going to there. They must only be operating because people signed up for auto pay and never stopped.

If you believe in the power of marketing and advertising, it's easy to argue the Cubs benefit greatly from the free publicity they get. Win or lose, the papers cover them, the local sports shows their highlights, and they are talked about on local radio. It's a bit of chicken or egg. Are people not interested in the Sox, so they aren't covered by the media? Or, is the lack of coverage the reason people supposedly aren't interested? The Blackhawks might be a good comparison. For so long, they were an afterthought. Home games not on tv, not covered on radio shows, and very little about them in the paper. Then Rocky took over, they hired McDonough, media coverage increased, home games on tv, etc. Of course, getting better helped, but there was a noticeable change in the perception prior to them winning. Not having a regular beat writer or someone local to talk about the Sox really hurts them.

Maddon protested yesterday's game against the Nats because of Sean Doolittle's double toe tap delivery. Maddon is so unlikeable. I agree with Doolittle's assessment of Maddon . "Sometimes he has to remind people how smart he is." https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/cubs/joe-maddon-goes-after-sean-doolittles-delivery-thats-exactly-what-i-was-told-carl-cant-do

Add in the Cubs winning the division in '84, the explosion of cable tv, and WGN being part of the national cable package...

How is the bat toss any more inflammatory than guys who hit doubles and then have some elaborate gesture that they make to the guys in the dugout? I know I've seen teams doing this in recent years. I think the Cubs were doing it a few years ago.