It’s Friday, so it’s time for MLB Bullets! Also the first World Series game at Wrigley Field since 1945. I’m going to go out on a limb and say the second item is the more important one.
As has been common this week, MLB Bullets is kind of “Indians Bullets” because there is so little news outside of the World Series. I do have a few Cubs items and a few other teams.
- Will Leitch sums up what we’ve learned so far in the World Series.
- Grant Brisbee thinks the Cubs did what they needed to do in Cleveland and the Indians just have to keep trying.
- Jorge L. Ortiz says that there are storm clouds brewing for the Indians as the Series moves to Chicago.
- Mike Bauman writes that tonight’s starter Josh Tomlin is the key for the Indians to take control of the series.
- Jason Kipnis grew up in Northbrook dreaming of playing in the World Series at Wrigley Field. He’s going to get that chance, but he definitely wants the Indians to win this time. His friends and family? Still Cubs fans.
- Indians manager Terry Francona is planning on starting DH Carlos Santana in left field in game 3. I’d like to get out some tapes of Cliff Johnson playing left field at Wrigley. Francona played left field for the Cubs in 1986. I think he’d know better than me, but that sounds like a mistake to me.
- This was written before game 2, but it’s still correct. Neil Paine writes that Indians pitchers have been ridiculously good this postseason.
- Terry Francona said game 2 was so cold . . . (How cold was it?) Game 2 was so cold that Francona couldn’t go to the bathroom.
- Former Indians shortstop Tony Fernandez remembers game 7 in 1997.
- Jeff Sullivan points out that the strike zone isn’t any better in the postseason than it was during the regular season.
- The Cubs-Indians World Series is the highest-rated World Series since 2009. Even better, the MLB postseason is getting better ratings than the NFL.
- I know a lot of you aren’t going to believe this, but Fox broadcaster Joe Buck says that calling a World Series game at Wrigley Field is the highlight of his career. Well, he and John Smoltz will be the only television broadcasters to ever do that.
- Craig Calcaterra, as a neutral observer, is impressed with the job that Buck and Smoltz are doing this year.
- If you’ve been impressed with the job Alex Rodriguez is doing on the pre- and post-game shows, it’s because of the tremendous amount of preparation that Rodriguez puts into the job.
- White Sox broadcaster Hawk Harrelson is rooting for the Cubs, believe it or not.
- However, Josh Peter talks to White Sox and Cardinals fans who want the Cubs to continue to be “losers.” He could have probably talked to some Brewers fans too.
- Here’s where I get berated again for merely reporting the news. Protests and controversy intensified over the Indians use of “Chief Wahoo.”
- Sterling HolyWhiteMountain explains why Chief Wahoo is so harmful.
- If the Indians decide to change their name, Craig Calcaterra has some suggestions. He doesn’t like Spiders.
- Alvin Chang looks at the reasons why baseball is still very white.
- MLB cancelled its Dominican showcase after boycotts to protest a proposed international draft.
- Jose Fernandez and his other boating mates “had a strong smell of alcohol” when they were found dead. It is unclear who was driving the boat.
- Yoenis Cespedes will reportedly opt-out of his contract. He may still re-sign with the Mets. No surprise.
- White Sox pitcher James Shields will reportedly not opt-out of his contract. Again, no surprise.
- Ken Griffey Jr. will be on the cover of MLB: The Show 17. They were going to get Tommy La Stella, but he never showed up.
- Torey Lovullo is the favorite to be the new Diamondbacks manager.
- Astros bench coach Trey Hillman is leaving to be the new manager of the SK Wyverns. Baseball is better in Korean.
- The wife of Max Scherzer accidentally threw out his jersey from his second no-hitter.
- Craig Calcaterra says Scherzer should have his jersey framed or he should clean up his own house if he doesn’t want his wife to throw out his old jerseys.
- Mike Oz opens a pack of 1991 baseball cards with Frank Thomas. What’s cool about this is that Thomas has a story about pretty much every player in the pack.
- You probably know Don Novello better as Father Guido Sarducci. But Novello also was a regular at the Billy Goat Tavern and knew Bill Sianis. He calls Sianis a marketing genius.
- Jim Caple looks back at the “Major League” films and says they aren’t as good as you probably remember them.
- And finally, a student at Ohio University cut class to go to the World Series. His professor called that an excused absence.
And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster. Let’s win this at home this weekend.