Cubs end 10-game skid behind exciting late-inning drama

I’ve had trouble recently getting up for writing about our beloved Cubs. If you’re reading this (and I hope you are) you can probably relate.  The reason behind my reluctance is not hard to pin down.

In my seventy-plus years as a Cubs fan, I have seen this many times before. The Cubs go into a spin and are totally out of contention before the All-Star Break. But for some reason this year is more painful; see what a little success can do to a person?

A badly needed win for the Cubs full of excitement

On Friday afternoon, that all changed, however briefly. Behind a masterful pitching performance by Keegan Thompson and a crucial stolen base by Jonathan Villar, the Cubs finally ended their 10-game losing streak in exciting fashion. I was quite literally on the edge of my recliner as David Robertson loaded the bases in the ninth. Leading by the slimmest of margins,1-0, the Cubs were on the verge of blowing another one.

Then a sharp ground ball is hit to little-used first baseman, P. J. Higgins. He scoops it up and narrowly beats the Braves runner to the base. I can finally breathe again. This exciting game actually ended two streaks, the Braves had won fourteen in a row, quickly closing the gap on the first-place Mets.

Time to gripe about something that’s been bothering me

Now that that’s out of the way, I can deal with an issue which has been bothering me for some time. If you go to the MLB player’s page for Christopher Morel he is listed as 5’ 11’ and 144 pounds. What? Did they use his high school freshman roster to get those figures?

I know, I know, there are other grievous errors in the basic physical statistics of many players in the league. For example, ex-Cub, Sergio Alcantra is listed as 5’9” 151 pounds. Five foot, nine inches, maybe, but 151? No way. Also, I remember when Kyle Schwarber (who has gotten red hot of late) went  through that body reshaping when he was a Cub, but the MLB stats for his size never changed.

Morel is even more egregious.

If you look at Morel compared to his teammates, he is at least as tall Contreras, and taller than Happ and Villar, who are both listed as six foot. As for his weight, he’s not bulky, but he certainly doesn’t weigh 144. My guess would be about 190. Six foot, one inch and one hundred ninety pounds, now there are some statistics for Christopher Morel I could live with.

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Like the Cubs ending their losing streak, I’m so glad I finally got that off my back. It’s been bothering me since they brought Morel up. Thanks for listening.