July 30, 2021
1. It’s a sad, nostalgic day for Cubs fans
Real tears were shed today, and yesterday, and this newsletter has been hard to put together, so I’ll keep it brief.
Anthony Rizzo was my favorite Cub of all time. Favorite baseball player. Favorite athlete. And he won it all, that night in Cleveland. I was blessed enough to be there to see it happen.
He caught the last out. He scored the winning run. And even caught the last out of the pennant, too. As the dream of my entire childhood came true.
We will miss you, we might cry a little more, and we will always remember the greatest baseball story of a lifetime.
Love, Brendan J. Donley and Cubs fans everywhere.
Here was his dad, as he left Wrigley Field with an idea that I know will happen someday: a statue outside the ballpark, right next to Ernie Banks — this generation’s Mr. Cub with the ball that won the World Series in his back pocket.
2. The rest of the Cubs wonder era has now been traded too
Javy Baez to the Mets, and Kris Bryant to the Giants.
Goodbye, our Javy. We will miss you dearly. And will forever be grateful for the joy and wonder of a lifetime. Thank you.
And then, KB. Number 17. The guy who gloved the ball and threw across the diamond, slipping to his knees with a grin on his face, for the final out of the World Series, and the forever end of a curse’s torment.
Kris, we love you, we thank you — and Godspeed.
3. In other trade news, A LOT OF TRADES HAPPENED TODAY
First, recapping the few others from yesterday:
And then today, one of the biggest trade deadline days in years, and easily one of the wildest ever — if you’ve missed any of the news, here were some of the names moved:
4. The Dodgers are out of control in the talent department
Four Cy Young winners and three MVPs will have appeared for them this season, and their infield now has another All-Star named Turner.
5. Back to baseball baseball: Brad Miller hit a walk-off grand slam
The spectacular grand finale to an unreal comeback win by the Phillies, and they’re right back to .500, in this still-winnable NL East:
6. Miguel Cabrera hit two HRs to move closer to #500
It might just happen this season, after all — three left to go.
7. Anthony Rizzo might just dominate at Yankee Stadium
The short porch has found its number one guy.
8. Defensive play of the night: Jose Iglesias
9. The Rays completely blew out the Yankees last night
Or was it the Bucs, we could say, dominating the NY Giants?
The culmination of the wildness came from a most unlikely figure, a grand slam from the great Brett Phillips:
10. Starlin Castro is released by the Nationals
Unpleasant situation, and a swift decision by Nats brass:
11. Bob Nightengale has yet another awful blunder
The fact that he keeps getting away with it, no consequences, is the eighth wonder of the world.
This time around, he got fooled by a fake Jeff Passan account, simply putting zero effort into verifying any part of it — as another chapter is written in one of the finer, deep cut appreciation pieces of being a baseball fan, the train wreck of gaffes that come regularly out of the mind, the mouth and the Twitter feed of Mr. Bob Nightengale.
12. And lastly: The Mets’ middle infield has 2016 written all over it
Teammates for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic. Competing shortstops in the World Series. And Cub fans might at least have playoff baseball to enjoy, with each of our beloved stars.
If you know a Cubs fan, give them a hug tonight.
