Today’s Reflections
An error and three unearned runs by Milwaukee almost eliminated the Brewers’ home-field advantage. Instead it gave us a fun rally from behind, the battle of bullpens to watch, and put the Brewers up two games to zero. On to Tampa.
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Free Agency/Pitching Stories:
- Jordan Campbell (Cubbies Crib): Cubs can’t afford to ignore Scott Boras’ warning about pre-MLB lockout free agency frenzy. “He may not be wrong.”
- Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation): How About Sonny Gray as a Veteran Rotation Option for the Cubs? “Fast-forward to October, and we’re on the cusp of free agency. There, Sonny Gray should be freely available, and the Cubs will have a chance to pursue the long-appreciated veteran righty.”
- Jordan Campbell (Cubbies Crib): Cubs could steal Dodgers free agent to avoid a costly Ryan Rolison gamble. “Time for the Cubs to be proactive with the bullpen.”
- Brock Beauchamp (Diamond Centric): DiamondCentric’s 2026-2027 Top Free Agents, Ranked. “We offer the top 50 free agents, but over the coming weeks, that list will continue to grow until it’s well over 100 names.”
- Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation): Jacob Misiorowski: Dominator of Batters, Teller of Tall Tales? “as we sit here at this moment, Jacob Misiorowski is one of the most impressive pitchers in recent memory.”
Assorted Stories:
- Tyler Courtney (LastWordOnSports): How Has Craig Counsell’s Time With the Cubs Worked Out? “With little playoff success, it is easy to be upset with Counsell’s time as manager.”
- Thomas Domol (North Side Baseball): It Might Not Feel Like It, But the 2026 Cubs Had a Good Season. “Perception became the North Siders’ reality this year. Expectations drove a narrative that flipped the Cubs’ 2026 campaign into a failure in the minds of many fans. A closer look reveals it wasn’t one.”
- Paul Sullivan (Chicago Tribune {$}): Column: Sausage race controversy erupts as Fox Sports ignores Milwaukee’s finest tradition during World Series. “As a proud member of the fraternity of Racing Sausages, I was dismayed to learn that Fox Sports opted to ignore the first-ever World Series Sausage Race on Friday at the former Miller Park in Milwaukee.”
- Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation): Objective Measures of Swingery, Reimagining Realignment, Brewers Are Just Good, and Other Cubs Bullets. “I see continued debate about the Yandy Diaz swing that ended Game Two, which underscores the challenge of not having a hard-and-fast objective rule for what constitutes a swing.”
- Paul Sullivan (Chicago Tribune {$}): Column: What’s up, Bud? Selig lobbies for a salary cap while we’re just trying to enjoy this World Series. “Right on schedule, notorious buzzkill Bud Selig is back to try to spoil your World Series experience.”
Food For Thought:
Pure soul and blues power: The CD “Soul Serenade” released by the German-born guitarist Gregor Hilden in intense collaboration with the American singer blues and soul singer Johnny Rogers. It represents a captivating, grooving musical travelogue through black soul and R&B. Exciting vocals, guitar played with power and feeling, a diversity of saxophone parts and a strong, yet sensitive band are what make up this group. The arts section of the Frankfurter Rundschau daily and Jazz Podium both declared Hilden to be “probably Europe’s best blues guitarist.”
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