Outside the Confines: Clothes make the team

Let me just say that those of you who are here, reading this article, you are true Cubs fans. Many would just tune out with a team on a losing streak like this one and watch basketball, hockey or soccer. Or maybe just watch a movie. But you are the ones that are going to stick with the Cubs in good times and bad. You’ve seen rainy days like these before and you know they never last. You are the true Cubs fan.

Or you’re just surfing around on the internet and clicked on this story because you’re bored or lost. Take your pick.

We all root for laundry, after all.

• It’s nice that the big controversy in baseball at the moment is a fierce debate over the new Giants alternate “City Connect” jerseys, which were unveiled this week.
• They were not greeted warmly by Giants fans.
• Dave Tobener explains why the Giants new uniforms are “hideous.”
• Grant Brisbee has a list of problems with the Giants’ “City Connect” outfits. (The Athletic sub. req.)
• Joon Lee ranks all the City Connect jerseys that have been released already. I really do not think the Cubs’ should be ranked last. Certainly not below Boston, but Lee is a BoSox guy.
• Now on to the play on the field. The Yankees are struggling at the moment and Buster Olney asks what might have been an unthinkable question until recently; Does general manager Brian Cashman still have the right vision to lead the Yankees into the future? (ESPN+ sub. req.) Cashman has been running the Yankees for 24 years and has never had a losing season.
• The struggles of pitchers Gerrit Cole and Aroldis Chapman have been a big reason for the Yankees struggles this year. Mike Axisa notes that the struggles of the two pitchers coincides with MLB’s crackdown on foreign substances.
• Jay Jaffe looks at the decline of Chapman and notes that Chapman’s failures are dragging the entire team down.
• Bradford Doolittle has some first-half surprises, disappointments and predictions for the second half.
• Michael Clair has some deals made this past winter that are paying off this summer.
• Mark Feinsand has the primary need of every contender going into the trade deadline.
• One trade happened as the Brewers acquired first baseman Rowdy Tellez from the Blue Jays for pitcher Trevor Richards and a minor league pitcher.
• Time for the butcher’s bill as the White Sox have lost catcher Yasmani Grandal for 4 to 6 weeks with a knee injury.
• Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon strained his hamstring and went on the IL for the third time this season.
• Carmen Ciardiello examines what the numbers say about whether pitchers should “waste” a pitch on an 0-2 count.
• Justin Choi looks at why the Rays’ unique approach at the plate is working.
• Former Mets owner Fred Wilpon still owns SNY, the Mets’ broadcast network. He’s trying to sell SNY, but he’s having a lot of trouble finding a buyer.
• Shohei Ohtani is going to pitch and hit in the upcoming All-Star Game, but he’s not the first one to achieve that honor. Negro League star Martin Dihigo achieved that feat in the Negro Leagues’ version of the All-Star Game.
• White Sox outfielder Billy Hamilton made a spectacular diving catch and ended up slipping and sliding through the rain and mud.
• Once again, Reds slugger Nick Castellanos interrupted a solemn moment on a TV broadcast with a deep drive to left field.
• And finally, it’s been 20 years since Ichiro Suzuki’s rookie season with the Mariners. So The Athletic went and talked to his teammates and coaches to get the hilarious untold stories about what Ichiro is really like. (The Athletic sub. req.) Also to the Mariners team chef, who reveals the recipe for Ichi wings.

And tomorrow has got to be a better day than today, Buster.