Despite time on injured list, Miley's presence has helped Cubs
The Cubs haven't had their projected pitching rotation together all season.
The win total would likely be higher with healthier starting pitching, and the Cubs also never got to complete a unique "Southern Slam."
Veteran Wade Miley, who returned from nearly three months on the injured list Tuesday, is from Louisiana. Drew Smyly is from Arkansas, Justin Steele from Mississippi and Keegan Thompson from Alabama.
Adrian Sampson, an outlier from suburban Seattle, had a strong outing Thursday against Cincinnati, allowing just 1 run in 6-plus innings. Seiya Suzuki gave the Cubs a 3-2 lead with a solo homer in the bottom of the eighth, but the Reds scored twice in the ninth to pull out a 4-3 victory at Wrigley Field.
Miley has received praise from David Ross, Jed Hoyer and various teammates this week for being a positive presence in the clubhouse. Growing up in a small town north of Lake Pontchartrain, Miley definitely gives off a friendly "pull up a chair and join the conversation" vibe.
Asked if there's any sort of SEC Country camaraderie between the starting pitchers, Miley said he'd never made the connection.
"I know me and Steeley have a lot of common, how we grew up and stuff like that," Miley said. "But I never thought of it that way."
All four pitchers have different personalities. Miley definitely ranks highest on the country scale, with Steele a few steps behind. Smyly has only the hint of a southern twang, while Thompson could pass for someone who grew up in Maine or Michigan.
"Keegan's more from like the city part of Alabama, I feel like," Miley said with a laugh. "Me and Steeley are from the sticks. We grew up in the middle of nowhere. Drew might have grew up in Little Rock, that's like New York City to me. Heck, Baton Rouge is like New York City to me."
Miley swears he's been to New Orleans only four times in his life, even though he lived an hour away. And it's not that he minds taking the truck for a spin.
"(Marcus) Stroman asked me yesterday, 'How long does it take you to get to a grocery store?'" Miley said. "It's a 35-40 minute ride, it's no problem.
"In the offseason, I drive 35 minutes to go throw, then an hour to go to physical therapy, then another 45 minutes to go to the gym. I have nothing that is centrally located, but I enjoy that. It's what I know."
Asked to describe his hometown of Loranger, Louisiana, Miley said it's not bayou, but loaded with dairy farms. And he thinks the population has grown since Hurricane Katrina hit and people sought a less flood-prone area.
When it comes to living the country life, Miley is willing to concede the title to former Arizona Diamondbacks teammate Andrew Chafin, who pitched for the Cubs last year.
"He's embraced the whole, 'I'm a redneck,' to the max," Miley said. "I was there in Cleveland when he made his major league debut and he came in the locker room in some Wranglers, T-shirt and a John Deere hat.
"When he rolled in with a John Deere hat, it fired me up. I loved it. Some of the older guys were like, 'What are you doing?'"
Miley, 35, has made just five starts for the Cubs this season, but his presence may have helped the younger pitchers succeed. Hayden Wesneski gave Miley a shout out after Sunday's major-league debut.
"I'm glad Wade is here," Wesneski said. "He calmed me down. He's a very comfortable guy to talk to. So him starting (Sunday) was a big deal to get me right."
Miley's friendship with Steele might turn into a lasting legacy, considering Steele's 0.98 ERA since the all-star break.
"We bounce a lot of ideas off each other, being left-handed," Miley said. "He comes to me for some advice, and I talk to him, pick his brain about why he does things the way he does them. Not to question him, but you never stop learning in this game.
"Being a young kid like he is with the stuff he's got, it's fun to watch him pitch. Understanding how and why you do what you do, it's kind of when guys take off and go to the next level. I think he's kind of getting into that, why his stuff does that, rather than just ripping it and letting it fly."
Contreras all clear:
The Cubs said an MRI on Willson Contreras' injured left ankle showed nothing unusual. So he'll continue to rest and rehab, and should return before the season ends. This has been a lingering injury from the "Field of Dreams" game on Aug. 11.
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