This is not only a blast from the Cubs past, but the view of bleacher fans shows hairstyles and dress styles for what could be said to be “average” fans in the mid-1980s.
Honestly, the fans you see don’t look that much different from what you’d see in the bleachers today. It is sobering for me, personally, to realize that everyone you see in this photo is at least in their 60s now, possibly older.
Anyway.
The photo is a little bit washed out, so the numbers on the board aren’t that easy to read. I put it through Photoshop, did a little bit of adjustment on the brightness and contrast and got this closeup view of the scoreboard:
It’s 3:45 and we’re in the top of the third inning, so this is a game that likely began at 3:05. There are no NITE GAME indicators on any of the other games, so this would at first glance appear to be a Sunday afternoon, possibly in the Cubs’ NL East title year of 1984.
This is where you go wrong with assumptions. The batter is Garry Templeton, so the Cubs are playing the Padres. (Yes, the city names are still a bit blurry, but Templeton was a Padre from 1982-91, so it’s got to be the Padres. We also know it has to be in the 1983-85 time frame, because that’s when those beer ads were on the board.
But I looked through all the Cubs/Padres 1984 games — including the two NLCS games — and nothing matched the Cubs having a 4-0 lead in the top of the third, having scored two runs in each of the first two innings.
Instead, this game was played Tuesday, July 9, 1985, in front of 33,085 on what’s clearly a gorgeous summer day at Wrigley. The pair of two-run innings were both courtesy of Ryne Sandberg — he hit two-run homers in each of the first two innings. Not an easy thing to do, incidentally! The Cubs got a couple more runners on base in the first after Sandberg homered with Billy Hatcher on base. Then in the second, a groundout was followed by a single by Steve Trout and a fly ball by Hatcher before Sandberg homered again.
In the top of the third, Bruce Bochy, then the Padres catcher, grounded out. That brought up Templeton, which is what we see on the board. There’s one out and one strike on Templeton. He eventually grounded to third base in this at-bat.
The Cubs won the game 7-3. Sandberg went 3-for-5 with three runs scored, including the pair of two-run homers. Hatcher, who later went on to have good years in Houston and Cincinnati after the Cubs ill-advisedly traded him for Jerry Mumphrey, went 3-for-4. Trout threw seven strong innings and got the win.
There were some night games on this day so I’m not sure why NITE GAME was not shown on the board. After this win the Cubs were 43-38, in fourth place but just 5.5 games behind the first-place Cardinals, theoretically still in the NL East race. But pitching injuries killed that team and they went just 34-46 the rest of the way and finished fourth at 77-84, 23.5 games out of first place.
Just another little slice of life from Wrigley Field, more than 40 years ago.
TORONTO, ON - JUNE 08: Adolis García #53 of the Philadelphia Phillies hits a 2-run home run in the second inning during a game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on June 8, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) | Getty Images
I recently came across this post on X which listed the players the Phillies have signed to one-year contracts over the past few seasons.
Every one-year MLB Free Agent Contract given out by the Phillies since Dave Dombrowski took over as President of Baseball Options:
Craig Kimbrel 1 Year, $10 Million Corey Knebel 1 Year, $10 Million Max Kepler 1 Year, $10 Million Adolis Garcia 1 Year, $10 Million Jordan Romano 1… pic.twitter.com/3SjioOfa0i
There’s a saying that “there’s no such thing as a bad one-year contract,” but that list seems to work against that belief. To be fair, most of those guys weren’t signed to be major contributors, and they did find some usable bench players (Brad Miller, Johan Camargo) over the years. But there were some players – particularly relievers – who they expected to be at least semi-major contributors. Sadly, the best season out of any of them was Craig Kimbrel. (Kimbrel was actually very good for much of the year before he collapsed late in the season and the playoffs.)
As it turns out, there’s usually a reason why players sign for one-year deals. If there was a lot of optimism regarding how good these players were going to be, they would likely be attracting multi-year offers.
Looking ahead to the 2027 season, the Phillies once again have some holes to fill, and they only have so much money to fill them. Many fans are dreaming of filling one of the outfield spots with a free agent like Seiya Suzuki or Randy Arozarena.
The Phillies are prioritizing the outfield this offseason, with free agents Seiya Suzuki and Randy Arozarena both on their radar, per @JimBowdenGMpic.twitter.com/jJu3v6Gwds
I expect the Phillies to be in the mix for those players, but so will a lot of teams, and it isn’t clear if the Phillies can make the best offer. Unless you’re the Dodgers, teams generally can’t have high priced players at every position. While the pending player lockout might change the financial outlook for the Phillies, it doesn’t seem likely that they’ll be able to simply outspend themselves out of their current fringe of contention status.
The Phillies also might not want to lock themselves into yet another multi-year contract for a player’s decline phase. Sometimes those deals work out, but it isn’t hard to imagine one of them turning into Nick Castellanos 2.0.
The best alternative, of course, is to start developing young players to fill those holes. Wouldn’t it be nice if the Phillies could emulate the World Champion Brewers and call up a Cooper Pratt or Jackson Chourio? But based on the state of the minor leagues, the Phillies do not have many players who they can project to be regular contributors next year. (They REALLY need Aidan Miller to hit!)
Therefore, it shouldn’t come as a surprise if the Phillies have to once again turn to a few one-year contracts to fill out their starting lineup, bench, and bullpen. Maybe they get lucky this time around and can find players who actually provide good value. But it seems like more often than not, what they’ll end up with is the next Adolis Garcia or Jordan Romano.
As Erick Fedde and Kyle Teel celebrated the White Sox clinching the AL Wild Card series, fans could take a breath and relax following a day of superstitious rituals. | (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
I didn’t move.
Not when Sam Antonacci doubled to open the second game of the American League Wild Card series against the Houston Astros. Not when Kyle Teel singled him home. And certainly not when Andrew Benintendi delivered a two-run single that helped the Chicago White Sox build a four-run lead before the Astros could record their second out.
There I sat, practically frozen in place, convinced that the slightest movement might somehow bring Chicago’s offensive outburst to an abrupt end.
Never mind that I was hundreds of miles from Daikin Park in Houston. Never mind that the White Sox players had absolutely no idea who I was, what I was wearing or whether I had gotten up to use the bathroom. And never mind that my position on the couch had precisely zero influence on a baseball traveling toward home plate at nearly 100 mph.
The White Sox were scoring. I wasn’t moving.
It wasn’t until Tristan Peters singled home Chicago’s fourth run and the inning finally ended that I allowed myself to get comfortable again.
Welcome to the wonderfully irrational world of sports superstitions, where otherwise reasonable adults become convinced that a lucky jersey, a particular snack or the precise arrangement of living room furniture might determine whether their favorite team wins or loses.
And apparently, I’m not alone.
A little luck never hurt anyone
My postseason wardrobe consisted of White Sox jerseys.
Every game. No exceptions.
When football season arrives, the situation becomes considerably more complicated. I pay attention to whether my team (either the Chicago Bears or Jacksonville Jaguars) is playing at home or on the road, choosing my jersey accordingly. I try to eat the same foods, snack at the same times and sit in the same location.
It’s definitely easy for my wife. Honestly, she probably thinks it’s a little obnoxious.
Sometimes a particular shirt becomes lucky. Other times, a hat gets blamed for a loss.
I understand how ridiculous this sounds.
I also know that if the White Sox had continued scoring every time I remained motionless during the playoffs, there’s a good chance someone would have needed to bring me dinner.
But the impulse to create rituals around sporting events isn’t unusual. A 2018 study published in Sport Management Review examined how superstitions influence the experience of watching sports. Researchers found that these behaviors were associated with fans’ emotional states during games and that more superstitious fans were more likely to attribute outcomes to outside influences such as fate or officiating.
In other words, fans aren’t necessarily trying to control a baseball game. They’re trying to control how helpless they feel while watching one.
A separate study published in Frontiers in Psychology in 2021 interviewed 24 soccer fans in Israel and identified two important elements of their superstitions: timing and location. Some fans performed rituals at specific moments. Others attached significance to where they watched games or sat inside stadiums. Researchers concluded that these behaviors could help fans manage the uncertainty and stress associated with sporting events.
That sounds suspiciously familiar. Especially the part about not moving.
The unwritten rules of being a fan
Superstitions aren’t exclusive to baseball.
Football fans develop routines around kickoff times, lucky clothing and where they sit. Some refuse to watch field-goal attempts. Others avoid speaking during important plays.
Hockey fans have their own rituals, sometimes refusing to celebrate a lead too early or changing where they stand during a power play.
Basketball fans might stay in the same chair during a shooting streak, wear a lucky shirt or refuse to discuss a possible victory before the final buzzer.
The details differ, but the underlying idea is remarkably consistent: Something good happened while I was doing this, therefore, I must keep doing this.
Of course, that logic has one enormous problem: Correlation isn’t causation.
A White Sox home run doesn’t happen because I happen to be wearing a black jersey instead of a white one. A missed field goal isn’t the result of someone opening a bag of potato chips at the wrong moment.
And yet, when the stakes increase, so does the temptation to believe.
In a 2006 study published in the Journal of Applied Social Psychology, researchers found that elite athletes were more committed to their rituals when the importance of the competition and the uncertainty surrounding its outcome increased. The research focused on athletes rather than spectators, but the emotional connection isn’t difficult to recognize.
A meaningless baseball game in May might not require any special preparation.
But Game 7 of the World Series? Suddenly, every article of clothing becomes a potential competitive advantage.
Baseball’s original creatures of habit
If fans are superstitious, baseball players have been perfecting the practice for generations.
Hall-of-Famer Wade Boggs famously followed an elaborate routine that included eating chicken before games, taking batting practice at specific times and following carefully established habits throughout the day. Boggs, who finished his career with 3,010 hits and a .328 batting average, believed luck played a meaningful role in his success.
In an August 2025 interview on MLB’s The Road to Cooperstown podcast, Boggs reflected on the importance of those rituals.
“I’ve always said I’d rather be lucky than good,” Boggs told MLB.com.
That might be one of the most revealing statements ever made about baseball superstition.
Boggs was unquestionably good. He won five batting titles, earned 12 All-Star selections and became one of the greatest contact hitters of his generation. But even with all that ability, he wanted every possible advantage, real or imagined.
Other players have taken their routines to even greater extremes.
Former major league pitcher Turk Wendell became known for brushing his teeth between innings, chewing black licorice and observing a collection of unusual habits throughout his career. Hall-of-Famer Larry Walker was famously attached to the number three, incorporating it into his uniform number and other aspects of his routine. And former Chicago Cubs outfielder Moisés Alou was among the players who openly discussed unconventional habits involving his hands and batting preparation.
Baseball has always been filled with characters whose rituals might seem strange anywhere outside a clubhouse.
But are modern players any different? Not necessarily.
A 2025 study published in the Journal of Sports Sciences examined superstitious rituals among athletes through interviews and focus groups involving 30 participants. Researchers identified connections between rituals, confidence, anxiety and the perceived importance of competition.
A more recent systematic review, examining 27 studies, likewise found that superstitious behavior remains common in sports.
There isn’t sufficient evidence to say today’s major leaguers are more or less superstitious than players from 20 or 50 years ago.
What seems clear is that the desire for routine hasn’t disappeared simply because the game has become more analytical. Baseball now measures everything from spin rate and launch angle to bat speed and the movement of a pitch. But there still isn’t a statistic capable of explaining why a player feels more comfortable wearing the same socks during a winning streak.
October brings out the believers
And that brings us to the final four teams who were in the running for the 2026 World Series.
Every pitch matters. Every baserunner creates anxiety. Every questionable managerial decision threatens to send thousands of people searching for something, anything that they can control.
In Cleveland, fans had endured a championship drought dating to 1948. That’s 78 years of waiting for another World Series title. Milwaukee had never won a World Series, despite reaching the Fall Classic in 1982. Tampa Bay had reached the World Series twice, in 2008 and 2020, without winning a championship. And Los Angeles, with a considerably more recent history of postseason success, entered this year’s championship series attempting to defend its title again and pull off a rare threepeat.
Once the pennants were won, we were guaranteed to have a first-time World Series winner, but the franchise histories weren’t quite parallel.
The city of Milwaukee had experienced a title, albeit under the Braves moniker and nearly 70 years ago. The Brewers fan base hadn’t even seen a pennant for 44 years.
The Rays had been there twice, but couldn’t finish the job.
Can the Rays finish what previous teams couldn’t?
There is no reliable evidence that either fan base is more superstitious than the other. But with a World Series championship on the line, it’s difficult to imagine that every lucky shirt, preferred viewing location and carefully maintained game-day routine didn’t get put to the test.
And if Milwaukee started its run of four wins in five games to win it all while a fan happened to be sitting in an uncomfortable position? I suspect that person remained there for quite some time.
Does any of it really matter?
Here’s where I have to acknowledge something.
I don’t genuinely believe that the White Sox lost to Cleveland in the ALDS because I wore the wrong jersey.
I don’t believe that getting up to refill my drink caused a strikeout.
And I certainly don’t believe that a team of professional athletes needs me to remain motionless on my couch to score runs.
At least, that’s what I tell myself.
The scientific explanation is more compelling than the supernatural one. Superstitions give people a sense of control in situations where they have almost none.
For athletes, rituals may help establish a familiar routine, regulate emotions and improve confidence. For fans, the benefit can be psychological rather than competitive. Research suggests that superstitious behaviors can influence how spectators experience games, even without influencing what happens on the field.
There’s also something wonderfully communal about it: Sports fans recognize these behaviors in one another.
We understand why someone refuses to wash a jersey during a winning streak. We might laugh at a friend who insists on eating the same meal before every game, but we’ll probably ask what was on the menu after the team wins.
We know it doesn’t make sense, but we do it anyway.
Perhaps that’s because being a sports fan has never been entirely rational. We invest enormous amounts of time, money and emotional energy into teams whose success we cannot control. We celebrate victories as though we contributed to them, and mourn defeats as though we personally failed. We develop attachments to players we’ve never met and stadiums we may never visit.
And somewhere along the way, we convince ourselves that a little luck might make the difference.
The White Sox season ended despite my carefully selected jerseys and game-day routines.
I could take that as proof that superstitions don’t work. I could abandon the rituals, sit wherever I want and wear whatever happens to be clean.
But when the White Sox return to the field next spring, I’ll probably reach into the closet for the same jersey. I’ll settle into my usual spot. And if Chicago starts scoring runs?
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 17: (L-R) Darryl Strawberry, Keith Hernandez, and Sal Licata speak onstage during the SNY's Baseball Night in New York Live panel at Fanatics Fest NYC 2026 at Jacob Javits Center on July 17, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for Fanatics) | Getty Images for Fanatics
Meet the Mets
Reactions continue to pour in regarding the mass layoffs at SNY that were announced on Friday. “The real reason I’m sick to my stomach is because there are a lot of superb people who are great at what they do,” Sal Licata said on a livestream on Friday. “I’ve worked at a lot of places over the years, part-time and things like that, and none of them compare to SNY.” He added that if it were up to him, he would have stayed there his entire career.
“It’s overall AWFUL for the people most-affected but, after nearly 7 years there, I was lucky enough to work with pretty much everybody & am confident the cream will rise to the top,” Michelle Margaux tweeted.
“We all know the unfortunate realities of a changing industry, but that doesn’t make days like yesterday any easier,” wrote Steve Gelbs, also on Twitter. “So many of those affected weren’t just colleagues. They weren’t even just friends. They were family. Incredibly talented, creative people I’ve long admired who made this job feel like anything but work.”
“Hadn’t been here long, but felt right away that SNY was a special place where people cared about their work, prioritized joy in a cynical industry, and loved baseball the way their audience does and deserves. I know those of us left will continue to do that. But I’m heartbroken,” tweeted SNY MLB Insider Chelsea Janes.
Around the National League East
Paul Casella of MLB.com ran down the best and worst case scenarios for each member of the Phillies’ projected 2027 starting rotation.
The Nationals’ extension of Jacob Young potentially muddies the future for Dylan Crews in DC, writes Sam Sallick at Federal Baseball.
Jessica Camerato of MLB.com examined three Nationals pitchers who could be key to the team’s success next season.
Around Major League Baseball
Pete Crow-Armstrong and Cody Bellinger were named the Platinum Gold Glove winners in the National League and American League, respectively.
Mike Petriello of MLB.com ranked all 30 MLB rosters as they stand right now heading into free agency. The Mets came in at number 6.
The Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate Scranton/Wilkes-Barre has rebranded itself from the RailRiders to the Highlanders in a nod to the Yankees’ original name when they relocated from Baltimore.
Five retired umpires (Joe West, Tom Hallion, Gerry Davis, Larry Vanover and Jerry Layne) are suing over their MLB retirement plan, saying they are owed additional money.
The federal trial of Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz continued on Friday, as a government witness testified that the inside information he used to bet on Clase’s pitches dried up after the gambling scandal involving Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter, which increased scrutiny on gambling in the sport.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 26: David Peterson #23 of the New York Mets in action during the game against the Cincinnati Reds at Citi Field on May 26, 2026 in the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images) | Getty Images
David Peterson entered 2026 as the longest tenured New York Met. Over the course of the offseason leading up to the 2026 season, so many of Peterson’s former compatriots either were dealt away or signed elsewhere. Thus, David Peterson was the last man standing who went back to the prior ownership group. Peterson was looking to get back on track after a dismal second half of 2025, which came immediately after an All-Star first half of 2025. And with free agency looming at the end of the season, it was imperative that Peterson play well enough to be able to get a nice payday in his first chance at the open market.
Unfortunately for David Peterson and for the New York Mets, he wasn’t able to recapture any past glory, instead falling further from his top form of 2024 and the first half of 2025. His first start was 5.1 innings of scoreless baseball against the Pittsburgh Pirates, and after that everything went downhill. In 16 games with the Mets in 2026 (half of those starts), he had a 6.09 ERA in 68 innings, striking out 63 while walking 30 batters. He had a 1.647 WHIP, with a 10.9 H9 and a 67 ERA+, all career worsts. He was worth -1.0 bWAR, which was also a career worst and was an incredible freefall from the two seasons before.
The Mets didn’t lack for wanting or trying to fix Peterson. They moved him to and from the bullpen, trying to find a role that would suit him and the changes to make that could fix him. And as the team went deeper and deeper into their own free-fall, it felt more and more imperative to find a way to plug as many of the holes as possible, whether that was by fix or by removing.
For Peterson, it ended up being the latter. On June 25th, Peterson was traded to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for minor league first baseman Cole Mathis. Thus went the longest tenured Met, and started what would become a major sell-off for the Mets ahead of the trade deadline. With the Cubs, Peterson was able to recover a little bit, appearing in 16 games with Chicago (15 of them starts) with a 3.70 ERA with a 1.369 WHIP and a 114 ERA+, and rebounding with 0.9 bWAR which brought him back up to just -0.1 bWAR over the course of the whole season.
After just over six seasons with the Mets, Peterson ended with a New York career 4.31 ERA, 677 strikeouts, a 94 ERA+ and 5.9 bWAR. Beyond that, he collected several accolades and big moments with the Mets. He was both an All-Star and Gold Glove finalist in 2025. He was a big part of the Mets 2024 playoff and postseason run, recording a save in Game 3 of the Wild Card series to send the Mets to the NLDS and got a win in Game 4 of the NLDS against the Phillies. He was the first lefty to throw a complete game shutout with the Mets since Steven Matz, throwing one against the Nationals in June 2025. Even with the inconsistencies and the disappointments, there were also some triumphant moments in Peterson’s time with the Mets.
Now, after a somewhat bounceback second half with the Cubs, Peterson enters free agency for the first time in his career. It will be a crazed free agency with most of it probably happening before the inevitable lockout amid CBA negotiations in December. Peterson might end up getting less money or less suitors because of it, and a potential reunion with the Mets seems highly unlikely. So, unfortunately for David Peterson and the Mets, the final memories of David Peterson in a Mets uniform will be marred with the frustration and misery of a failure of a Mets season where David Peterson was one of many not-insignificant problems that plagued the Mets.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - OCTOBER 04: Ty France #25 of the San Diego Padres hits an RBI single against the Milwaukee Brewers during the seventh inning in game two of the National League Division Series at American Family Field on October 04, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Happy Sunday everybody! Here’s roughly half a tablespoon of links. Not a lot of links, but quite a lot of cayenne powder. Much to think about.
In Mariners news…
Genuinely grateful to this post by the MLB Instagram account for reminding me of that Lázaro homerun.
Around the league…
Ty France is hoping that his major bounce back last season will finally net him a big payday in the upcoming free agent scramble.
New testimony in the case against Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz alleges that the inside information bettors would receive stopped being available in 2024 after the scandal surrounding Ippei Mizuhara prompted heavier scrutiny.
SCOTTSDALE, AZ - NOVEMBER 07: Alex McCoy #11 of the Peoria Javelinas bats during the 2026 Arizona Fall League Home Run Derby at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on Saturday, November 7, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Jill Weisleder/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The San Diego Padres farmhand, who has been playing for the Peoria Javelinas during the Arizona Fall League, gave the fans in attendance something to cheer for and gave the Friar Faithful something to hope for. Alex McCoy, the 6-5, 260-pound outfielder hit a 503-foot home run in the first round of the AFL Home Run Derby held at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick in Scottsdale, Ariz. on Saturday night.
Alex McCoy (@Padres No. 26 prospect) drills one 503 feet to get things off to an electric start in the @MLBazFallLeague HR derby!
McCoy’s blast was one of seven first-round home runs hit by the right hander, but he was knocked out of the derby in that round by the eventual champion, Aaron Parker of the Toronto Blue Jays organization, 12-7. For McCoy, his appearance at the AFL Home Run Derby resulted in yet another headline home run from the AFL this season. The slugger has been drawing attention from fans of the Padres and baseball alike for his ability to hit the long ball.
The question for McCoy is whether or not his power can translate at the MLB level. Admittedly, he is still aways off from being called up to Petco Park, but after San Diego sent James Wood, another power-hitting outfielder, to the Washington Nationals in the Juan Soto trade, it would be nice to see a homegrown power-hitter rise through the ranks to make his MLB debut with the Padres. The knock on McCoy is his number of strikeouts, but that is to be expected with any young slugger. The hope is that the coaches throughout the San Diego minor league system can help him make adjustments so he can make his debut sooner than later.
The AFL Fall Stars Game will be played tonight at 5 pm PST.
Padres News:
Ty France had an impressive season in his return to the Padres but did he impress Lincoln Zdunich of Gaslamp Ball? Read what grade France earned for his 2026 performance, here.
MIAMI, FLORIDA - MARCH 14: Teruaki Sato #7 of Team Japan hits a double during the third inning against Team Venezuela at the 2026 World Baseball Classic at loanDepot park on March 14, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images) | Getty Images
They have tried. Truly, they have tried to make inroads into the Japanese free agent market, but the Phillies have yet to land the plane. They threw gobs of money at Yoshinobu Yamamoto, only for him to turn them down. They offered laurels to Roki Sasaki, only for him to join the Dodgers.
Now, they are at it again.
We know that Teruaki Sato is likely the biggest fish the team is looking to snag to help with their outfield, but they’ve also been linked to 18 year old pitcher Shoki Oda. They’re likely going to be rumored to be sniffing around Seiya Suzuki, though he wouldn’t really count for this exercise as he’s already been playing in MLB for a while now. Yet signing him could help lure others from across the Pacific to sign with Philadelphia.
It begs the question: is this finally the year the team is successful in bringing a Japanese free agent to Philly? They might not get a better chance at doing so.
ST. LOUIS, MO - AUGUST 29: Michael King #34 of the San Diego Padres and Kyle Higashioka #20 look on prior to the game between the San Diego Padres and the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium on Thursday, August 29, 2024 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Joe Puetz/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
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As the reality of no baseball comes closer everyday, I still choose to live a life of ignorance and act like it is business as usual in regards to the current MLB offseason. Until December 1, most of my discussions will remain based on that narrative and a focus on 162 game season in 2027. This means I continue to focus on the spots that Chaim Bloom could take a moderately aggressive approach and see significant improvement in the win column.
At the current juncture of the offseason, I have fear that Chaim will “run it back” because of how much success many of the youngsters had. As mentioned before, I have set a 77-win baseline for Bloom now, even with the understanding that the win total does not tell the whole story of a season. This has caused my tone to be more pessimistic than I truly feel, but my standards have been raised and I expect to see a step forward made not just on the field, but in the front office.
I continue to do my best to explain viewpoints from multiple perspectives: what I would do, what they should/could do, what they will do. Currently, I think they will make decisions that keeps the big league team similar to what we saw in 2026, and if that is the case, I will be slightly disappointed and wish for more out of Bloom.
Cardinals aggressiveness, or lack thereof, will set the tone for 2027
Due to the lack of MLB news during the early winter, the conversation around the Cardinals continues to center around third base, center field, and the pitching staff. After running with the Alec Bohm possibility far longer than palatable, it seems most of the fan consensus is that the team will stick to the status quo and keep a third base platoon with Blaze Jordan leading the way.
If that is the move, I am fine with that due to my belief that Blaze could do enough to hold onto the position for a year and allow the team a longer leash to settle on the position long-term. The thought has been a holding pattern for Jesus Baez, but he has received solid reviews about his play at shortstop… at an interesting time in regards to Masyn Winn’s status with the team.
In my first what I would do, I would pursue Teruaki Sato with the aggressiveness that there is currently no solution at third base in the organization. That means a longer term, higher priced offer than we are used to seeing. Of course, Sato still has the right to choose where he lands, so even this level of contract may not even get it done. And that’s okay. For me, a true aggressive offer that got past the “due diligence” stage and made the Cardinals a true finalist for his services can do enough to show me that the commitment to winning in 2027 is there.
Center field is a spot where I do not have a preference in their action due to the lack of what I see to be realistic options as I believe Sato should be. Besides my continued desire to have Luis Robert at Busch, there is nothing sticking out to me as worth paying for as an upgrade to Nathan Church. I think Church is a fourth outfielder who can succeed in longer spurts of playing time, but for 2027, there is not enough available on the center field market that will turn the team into an immediate contender.
I could be missing something very obvious so feel free to drop that in the comments for center field. Steven Kwan has gained more traction since Jake and Gabe discussed it a few weeks ago. I am personally still out on it just because it will take giving up something of value for an overall minimal upgrade from the current options. Yes, Kwan’s wRC+ was nearly 20 points better than Church, but his baseball card stats showed three homers, 32 RBIs, and 10 stolen bases… all numbers bested (or met) by Church is his rookie season.
Once again, this brings the conversation to the pitching staff as a whole. Spoiler alert for those who still have yet to listen to the 38 minute episode: this is where I will gain or lose confidence in Bloom.
As of November 7, the St. Louis Cardinals already have at least five starting pitchers on their 40-man roster who could be in a major league rotation on most teams. However, those arms would likely slot in near the back end of contending teams which is where we all want the Cardinals to be again sooner than later. This means there is potential for improvement in a major way, and that could be done via trades or buy loosening the purse strings and ponying up for an ace.
With the continued caveat that free agents have the right to choose where they play, the Cardinals have the ability to be serious suitors for some of the upper tier arms by opportunity and financial flexibility. The Tarik Skubal “rumors” where The Athletic’s reports St. Louis being a match for his services just continues to show the news outlet really needs to hire an actual Cardinals reporter again. Below him, the Cardinals could find their version of an ace to lead a rotation and allow the back half of the staff to finish their development in the minors rather than in a major league season of consequence.
I believe the Cardinals should be in on most of the Japanese free agent arms that are available this winter, as well as being serious suitors for Michael King and those in his tier. If and when they fall short, the next tier of free agents have some intrigue, but none have the same ace potential as those above.This is where the Cardinals can still make a splash and I ask for them to target a higher-floor pitcher with more control than Dustin May. If a veteran were to sign on another May-like deal, that would signal to me that the team is once again using them to flip at the deadline and not as a building block of a rotation. That would be a punt on 2027 in my eyes.
What really needs to happen for Bloom to stay in my good graces is to attack the gosh darn bullpen. You will hear it in the episode, but using the $15-20 million some fans have been asking for them to spend on position players could actually go to the relief corps and have a bigger impact than the lineup additions. We all know the bullpen was bad, seemingly on purpose, and it stayed bad due to continued refusal to improve the 11th-13th spot on the pitching staff.
If Bloom truly believes in his guys, he will supplement their talent with proven arms in relief. Of course, bullpens are a flip of the coin, but the coin too often landed on one side last year when most every pitcher was an unproven arm on a rookie deal. To me, being invested in someone like Bryan Abreu and Gregory Soto would give high-priced talent to Oliver Marmol that could help him manage his pitching staff better. This would also give fans a chance to see what Marmol could do when he is not consistently hamstrung by pitching inactivity.
As I have stated multiple times, bullpen arms are some of the lowest risk you can take (assuming you don’t sign them to a Brett Cecil deal) and if it does not work out, no harm done. Those two guys will likely have suitors this offseason and if they end up in St. Louis, they could be easy trade bait at the 2027 deadline. If the Cardinals were to spend that same amount of money on the lineup, that player would be expected to play everyday and be one of the team’s top performers. In the bullpen, all they have to do it cut bait and try something new.
Honestly, that is really all I wanted from Bloom last year.
Let me know if I am being overly pessimistic or dramatic. I do believe the Cardinals have the makings of a .500 team and could take a significant jump if the front office stays committed to winning. I am not asking for payroll to get to $250 million and spend on a second baseman and a catcher. What I am asking for is to supplement the current talent with greater talent that will still not be considered a “shortcut” for Chaim Bloom.
ATLANTA, GA - OCTOBER 06: Mauricio Dubon #14 of the Atlanta Braves fields a ground ball during the seventh inning of Game Three of the Division Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on October 6, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Jack Casey/Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
If you missed the Braves financial release on Wednesday, it was a little unimpressive. They didn’t really cash in on the more expensive season tickets or the September playoff games. However, BravesVision is an unqualified success and so were the 2026 City Connect jerseys. Those were the highlights from the released numbers. One of the other highlights was this statement by Terry McGuirk:
I want to be clear about how I see this season. It was real progress. We went from missing the playoffs to winnings the division and a postseason series. Our core is in place. Our young players go better and our new manager’s first year was a success. Our minor league system is stocked with future major league talent. We’re pleased with where this organization is headed and will keep working to build on it in 2027.… Coming into this season, we made a deliberate decision to invest in our roster and our major league payroll was meaningfully higher as a result.
Are you sure about this, Terry? Below are the meaningful salaries that went away in 2025 and contracts and raises that were added in 2026.
OUT:
Marcell Ozuna (-16 million)
Jurickson Profar (-7.5 million, he played half the year in 2025 and 0 games in 2026)
Pierce Johnson (-7 million)
IN:
Ha-Seong Kim (20 million)
Robert Suarez (13 million)
Mike Yastremski (9 million)
Joel Payamps (2.5 million)
Mauricio Dubon (~5 million acquired via trade)
Spencer Strider (16 million more)
Reynaldo Lopez (6 million more)
Aaron Bummer (5.5 million more)
The Braves added 77 million, but 27.5 of that number was due to contracts going up in value. However it got there, they had eight meaningful contracts added and three removed. The sum total of their 77 million dollars added would yield 2.4 WAR. That’s Mauricio Dubon’s total, because the other seven returned 0.0 WAR. The WAR total from players in 2025 that didn’t return was 2.9. So for all of their moves, they went backwards. The Braves had a much better season this year, but it had nothing to do with the money added. This week’s financial results really aided the argument not spending money on higher salaries just to spend money.
So did the Braves make a “deliberate decision” to buy wins in 2026? Whatever that decision was, let’s not repeat it please.
Joe Nossek, who did a little bit of everything during two coaching tenures with the White Sox, was born on this day, 86 years ago. | (Photo by Ron Vesely/Getty Images)
1920 For a few days, the White Sox were members of the National League.
With many owners dissatisfied with the National Agreement (governing the game, the majors, the minors, and all baseball commerce), 11 clubs hatched a plan to form a new National League — a single league including every team. Included in this “Allied Eleven” were the White Sox.
With all 16 MLB teams gathering at the Congress Hotel in Chicago, the “Allied Eleven” met in one room and “Loyal Five” (to the American League, consisting of Cleveland, Detroit, the Philadelphia A’s, St. Louis Browns and Washington) another, with Senators owner Clark Griffith shuttling between the two rooms as messenger. When agreement couldn’t be struck to keep the AL-NL MLB dynamic going, the White Sox, Yankees and Red Sox all resigned from the AL and joined the National League.
Cooler heads prevailed four days later, with the leagues remaining intact and the approval of Kenesaw Landis as baseball’s first commissioner was a key part of a redrawn National Agreement. The decisions and changes made at these 1920 meetings largely define the structure of baseball today, more than 100 years later.
1940 Joe Nossek, longtime White Sox coach over two stints in Chicago, was born, in Cleveland. He first joined Tony La Russa’s staff from 1984 to 1986, and returned for a much longer stint that represented his last work in the majors, from 1991-2003. Nossek was a bench coach during some of his second tenure with the White Sox, but was known as an “eye in the sky” coach, specializing in stealing signs from opponents.
Nossek honed his bird-dogging skills as a seven-year outfielder in the majors, suiting up for the Twins, A’s and Cardinals.
1977 The upstart South Side Hit Men, who led the AL West for about a third of the season and took baseball by storm in peaking at 25 games better than .500, were laid to rest with the loss of outfielder and folk hero Richie Zisk, who signed a 10-year, $2.3 million deal with the Texas Rangers.
Zisk was the lone All-Star for the White Sox in 1977, finishing seventh on the club with 2.7 WAR, and fifth among hitters. His 30 home runs were second on the team; among them one ball on the Comiskey Park roof and another in its center field bleachers, rare feats both.
Zisk duplicated his All-Star selection in Texas in 1978, but never again came close to the production he put up for the White Sox. He was out of baseball with four seasons still remaining on his contract.
Losing Zisk spotlighted the down side of owner Bill Veeck’sdesperate Rent-a-Player concept, as star relievers Terry Forster and Goose Gossage had been shipped out to secure just one year of the slugger.
1999 South Carolina Rep. Jim DeMint’s resolution to honor Shoeless Joe Jackson is passed in the House of Representatives, with the author saying, “it is worthy for this body to take a few minutes to stand up for fairness, and right an old wrong.” While the resolution certainly takes its spirit from Jackson’s depiction in Field of Dreams than the outfielder’s own confession as a participant in the Black Sox scandal, but it stops short of calling for Jackson’s Hall of Fame induction.
Jackson was never listed on a Hall of Fame ballot despite being eligible for the Hall until 1991, when the decision was made that players on the permanently ineligible list cannot be eligible for induction. Due to a reversal of status by commissioner Rob Manfred, as of 2025 Jackson is again Hall-eligible.
2000 On the basis of an unexpected Central Division championship and 95-win season, White Sox skipper Jerry Manuel was named the Manager of the Year by the Baseball Writers Association of America. He ran away with the award, beating out Art Howe of Oakland, 134-74. Manuel got 25 first-place votes out of a possible 28. Part of the rout stemmed from the fact that the young White Sox commanded such a paltry payroll, ranking 21st out of 30 teams.
However, Manuel wasn’t able to work any magic in the playoffs, as his pitching staff was in shambles due to injury, and they were swept out in three straight by the Mariners.
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - SEPTEMBER 04: Mickey Gasper #30 of the Boston Red Sox hits a home run during the first inning of a game against the Baltimore Orioles on September 4, 2026 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Before we begin looking ahead to 2027, OTM is looking back at 2026, highlighting some of the biggest, strangest, and most memorable moments of a memorable season. Today, we look at one of the most improbable, incredible months in baseball history.
On the final day of August, the hottest hitter in all of Major League Baseball, Mickey Gasper, returned to the Red Sox lineup after a brief, and unnecessary, detour. Upon his return, he did what he had been doing the entire month. He homered, immediately, in the bottom of the first inning to tie the game against the Mariners at 1-1. It was Gasper’s sixth home run of August, a month which he didn’t even play a game at the MLB level until the 17th. For a player who had two home runs in 92 career games entering that month.
In his next at bat, NESN flashed arguably the single craziest stat that they had ever posted on our television screens.
Now, was there a little bit of small sample bias here? Certainly. Was Barry Bonds also the first player in history to balloon to a Size 9 hat during April of 2004? Almost certainly. You can take everything on there with a grain of salt. Gasper had 38 plate appearances in August at that moment. Ted Williams had 33 plate appearances in September of 1957. Of course, Williams also reached base in 16 consecutive plate appearances during that time; a Modern Era record that still stands today. By the way, Williams hit .453 in the second half that year.
What made this graphic all the more improbable was that Gasper had been demoted to Triple-A the day before. It was prior to the final game of the disastrous four game set at the Yankees, with Roman Anthony and Trevor Story returning from the IL at the same time. It was bad karma, and the Red Sox got what they deserved that day, losing 16-1. It wasn’t the only bad karma that week, with paying customers getting the Jedixson Paez Game just a couple of days later.
Gasper spent the day at home in New Jersey, as he wouldn’t need to report to Worcester until the next day. As he explained:
“I spent about 15 hours hanging out with my dogs and my pets, just hanging out at the house. Mom made a nice dinner,” Gasper said. “I was just relaxing, getting my mind right, just preparing for what was ahead of me. I watched the whole game, so I did see Willson come out [early]. But I was eating dinner and then I saw I had three missed calls from [chief baseball officer Craig Breslow], so I figured something was up. I gave him a call right back and got on a flight this morning.”
But, back to that 1.827 OPS. Gasper was recalled on the 17th thanks to an incredible Triple-A slash line of .337/.450/.566 with a 165 wRC+. As I wrote, for whatever reason, in a Minor Lines just three days earlier, “The guy shows up for work every day and will be ready for the call when needed. I expect to see him hitting .300 somewhere at the age of 40.”
In his first three games, against the Diamondbacks, Gasper started as the designated hitter and he homered in all three of them. The most memorable being the third one, a three-run homer to tie the game at 5-5.
A week later, at Miami, Gasper mixed in a two homer game, the only two runs that the Red Sox scored until extra innings, where they went on to win 7-3. At this point, Gasper was catching on nationally, as he was having one of the greatest eight game stretches of all-time.
Gasper walked ten times in the month, and struck out just twice. His final hit of the month was the early home run against Seattle, as he went 1-for-4 with a walk that day, and the final month long OPS was a measly 1.671, down from the graphic’s 1.827. The full slash line over 12 games: .400/.571/1.100.
He homered on his first at bat of September as well, one of four homers that month, finishing with ten on the season before a severe biceps injury ended Gasper’s year just before the playoffs. Offseason surgery will have him out 4-6 months, but the 31-year-old deserves a chance to start the season with the big league squad, at catcher, infield, or otherwise, to prove that the third greatest OPS of all-time “modern day Ted Williams” was no fluke.
LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 03: Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) pitches in the first inning during the National League Divisional Series game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Atlanta Braves on October 03, 2026 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. (Photo by David Dennis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
It has been 10 days since the 2026 season concluded with the Milwaukee Brewers winning their first World Series championship in franchise history. Unsurprisingly, there haven’t been any major moves that have drastically changed the landscape of the sport, and until that first spark is ignited, we must sit back and wait patiently as the offseason trudges on.
The main concern for the Dodgers this offseason is the status of free agent Tarik Skubal, and they aren’t the only ones vying for his services. Teams like the New York Mets, Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres have all expressed interest in signing the still-reigning two-time American League Cy Young award winner, but the details surrounding a potential contract are mirky.
The Dodgers have already shown over the last three years that they are willing to hand out long-term contracts with record-breaking annual salaries while also dishing out short-term deals with inflated annual values. Katie Woo of The Athletic spoke with A.J. Pierzynski of the Foul Territory podcast about what type of deal Skubal will sign, where she envisions the Dodgers giving Skubal a contract more similar to that of Kyle Tucker rather than Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
“I don’t see the Dodgers shelling out the long-term mega contract for the same reasons they didn’t to for Kyle Tucker. Andrew Friedman wants to prolong the team’s competitive window… Could we see a similar structure to what the Dodgers offered Kyle Tucker— shorter term with a much higher AAV— as their option? That’s certainly the thought process going into the GM Meetings.”
Skubal will be entering his age-30 season in 2027, and Thomas Harrigan of MLB.com writes about how pitchers with historic dominance in their 20’s have fared once they are on the wrong side of 30.
Whether Skubal’s next contract looks like a success will depend on his ability to stay on the mound. But chances are he still has at least a few Cy Young-caliber seasons ahead.
In an effort to break out of camp next year, Josue De Paula is doing everything in his power to ensure that he can be a viable defensive option in the outfield, and that includes working with former Gold Glove award winner and 2018 World Series champion Jackie Bradley Jr., reports Dylan Hernandez of the California Post.
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 2: View of a Colorado Rockies hat and Wilson glove during game between the Colorado Rockies and Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on June 2, 2026 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Scott Strazzante/Getty Images) | Getty Images
As the off-season trudges ever onward, we here at Purple Row wanted to try something new (inspired by our friends over at the AZ Snake Pit) with our readers in mind. Therefore, we are kicking off the first annual Purple Row Awards! Here’s how it works:
For the next several Sundays in our “This Week in Purple” post, we will reveal the award category and provide a few nominations from our staff here on the site.
If you have a nomination of your own, post it in the comments section. Please include a link to the video if possible from MLB.com’s Film Room.
On Wednesday, we will post a poll on The Feed for readers to select their winner for the award. The finalists will be determined by rec’s in the comments, and the poll will close on Friday. Make sure to rec your favorites!
We will reveal our winner on Saturday!
So without further ado, allow us to introduce the first award category and staff nominations!
The Purple Row Awards, 2026: Best Defensive Play
Jordan Beck’s home run robbery: April 11th at San Diego
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 30: Pete Crow-Armstrong #4 of the Chicago Cubs stands as God Bless America is played during the seventh inning in game two of the National League Wild Card Series against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on September 30, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Happy Sunday, everyone! I hope you’ve all had a lovely and relaxing weekend. It’s been a good weekend for the Cubs, as both Pete Crow-Armstrong and the Cubs themselves have walked away with some new hardware and accolades. We’ll also take a look at some hot stove rumblings, and also where some Cubs might end up playing next season.
Let’s jump into it and gear up for the week ahead.
Make that Platinum Glove winner, Pete Crow-Armstrong.
The Cubs need pitching help this offseason. It’s no secret that this has to be one of their top priorities over the winter, and of course this being hot stove season, the rumor mill is going hot and heavy with suggestions as to which free agent pitchers the Cubs could target. And for once, it’s not just about Tarik Skubal. Three additional pitchers who are being connected as potential targets for the Cubs are Freddy Peralta (but who doesn’t want Freddy Peralta), Michael King, and also a possible reunion with Clay Holmes.
Jed Hoyer is admitting his bullpen moves for 2026 didn’t pan out, saying, “I did a poor job in the bullpen this year, full stop… The guys we acquired this winter didn’t produce nearly as well as they did a year ago.” Whether Hoyer will actually learn anything from this going into the new year is another question entirely, of course.
Red Sox beat writer Ian Browne thinks the Sox could consider adding Shota Imanga to their rotation, but it would probably depend on what happens this offseason with Sonny Gray. Browne said of the potential move, “Even if the rotation looks to be a strong suit, you can never count out Breslow from adding more rotation depth, particularly if Gray signs elsewhere. One name that intrigues me? Shota Imanaga. Breslow was really fond of him when he was scouting him for the Cubs three years ago. The Cubs wound up signing him, but Breslow was in his early stages with the Red Sox at that point.”
Food For Thought:
Last night I watched a Hallmark Christmas movie themed around the Chicago Bears. This is the third of the NFL-themed holiday movies that Hallmark has done. The first was an ode to the Chiefs (no real surprise there as Hallmark is based out of Kansas City) and the second was structured around the Buffalo Bills. As someone who is a regular viewer of Hallmark movies, Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story was charming, and less about Christmas than it was about a family’s connection to the Bears and to football in general.
I’m also not much of a football person, so watching the movie got me to thinking: why hasn’t Hallmark partnered with MLB? There’s a real lack of original Hallmark content over the summer months, and baseball fandom seems like an ideal backdrop for a charming summer love story.
Anyway, I realize I’m in the minority of people who are viewers of both sports and Hallmark movies, but I feel like the crossover really writes itself.
If you’re at all curious about the Bears-themed movie (there are some fun cameos for Bears fans, which is always a highlight of the NFL tie-in movies), here’s a trailer. Admittedly, I felt like the Chicago background could have been more Chicago-y, but also Hallmark rarely films in the cities they’re set in, but it would be fun to see more of the city.
Would you watch a Cubs-themed Hallmark movie? I feel like I’d enjoy that a lot.
