Sullivan: The Cubs are mad, Leo XIV gets his own Sox pope hat, brawls go viral and other takeaways
It’s a mad, mad, mad, mad Cubs world.
Pete Crow-Armstrong is mad. Craig Counsell is mad. Pat and Coom are mad and madder.
But on Friday the Cubs return to the cool, calm and eclectic atmosphere of Wrigley Field, a respite from the 115-degree heat outside the Phoenix ballpark and the slow burn inside in a 2-0 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The balk that wasn’t called a balk put the Cubs up in arms, and rightfully so, as Crow-Armstrong said. It was one of those “I don’t believe my eyes” moments for all involved, when the truly unimaginable happens.
Diamondbacks pitcher Eduardo Rodríguez blatantly balked in front of a crowd of 24,297, and the only four people who could fix it didn’t see it until watching a video afterward. Plate umpire and crew chief Alfonso Márquez admitted they all missed seeing it in real time, which is the only time that really matters.
An Orwellian decision by four umpires in the heat of a bunched-up race for postseason seeding? Say it ain’t so.
Crow-Armstrong had to be restrained, keeping him in the game and preventing a possible suspension during his MVP race with Shohei Ohtani, who reportedly is ready to pitch again. Crow-Armstrong later ripped into the umpires in what will be remembered as his “You had one job!” speech.
He’s likely to be fined and can take a page from the old Andre Dawson playbook. Dawson was ejected by smirking plate ump Joe West in a 1991 game for arguing West’s shape-shifting strike zone. He then ignited a Wrigley meltdown by tossing more than a dozen bats onto the field, leading to bleacher fans throwing their beers onto the field.
On the memo line of his $500 check to the league, Dawson wrote four memorable four words: “Donation for the Blind.” He probably deserves a statue for that alone.
If you’re too young to have seen it or too old to remember all the details, a JomBoy Media video of the Dawson-West incident is on YouTube. It’s a must-see for Cubs fans, with all the profanities and insults lip-read by JomBoy. (Ask your grandkids to find it.)
The bottom line for Counsell and his team: Life is not always fair.
But the Cubs did have other chances to win. Either way, the Cincinnati Reds arrive Friday before the big four-game showdown with the first-place Milwaukee Brewers.
Could be an interesting week.
Pope meets hat
Pope Leo XIV was photographed with a South Side priest, the Rev. Tom McCarthy, who brought him a souvenir from Pope Hat night Aug. 11 at Sox Park. This is about the best endorsement the Sox could hope for from a pope without Leo actually putting it on his head. They dutifully tweeted the photo on their X account Thursday.
The pope hat is generic, according to the Sox, meaning it has no association with the church or Pope Leo. But imagine if Pope Leo charged the Sox for all the free publicity he has given them and then donated the money to Sox Charities, which recently donated $50,000 each to the Red Cross’ earthquake recovery efforts in Venezuela and Japan.
It would be a win-win for the Sox and the pope.
Brawls go viral at both ballparks
The giant brawl in the upper deck at Rate Field during Sunday’s game against the Mets resulted in multiple ejections and one arrest, according to the Sox. It also made for viral viewing on social media, which might be why one alleged instigator jumped a couple of rows to get involved.
Back in the day, asking for the arrest count at Chicago baseball games wasn’t unusual. A huge grandstand brawl marred the Cubs home opener in 1970, when police were not allowed to work in Chicago sports arenas. Former Sox security chief David Schaffer reported after the first Cubs-Sox game in 1997 at New Comiskey Park that two fans had been arrested and seven ejected, which was considered a good day for security.
One recent City Series game at Wrigley also had three arrests and included viral brawl that many Cubs fans blamed on Sox fans, though video showed a guy in a Cubs jersey was punching a guy in a Cubs jersey as well. After the recent brawls, both teams released statements stressing the importance of a safe ballpark environment.
“Fan safety is paramount at the ballpark, and we are grateful to our security staff and law enforcement partners who helped address the situation,” the Sox statement said, adding a phone number, 773-754-4357, that fans could anonymously text security.
Instead, they’ll probably just whip out their phones, hit record and post the video to social media. It’s a different era.
Celebrating Cubs history with $1.50 beers
The Cubs are commemorating their 150th season this weekend, with a celebration of their 150 anniversary team Saturday and the inductions of Jody Davis, Jon Lester and radio voice Vince Lloyd into the team’s Hall of Fame on Sunday. They’ll also be adding a new timepiece to their growing collection of monuments outside the park, adding what they’re calling the “Founders’ Clock” near Clark Street and Addison Street to note the Cubs are founding members of the National League.
The Cubs also are selling $1.50 beers from one specific beer company in Gallagher Way from the park’s opening Saturday until the second inning. What could go wrong?
Record drubbing deserves an asterisk
The Brewers’ 22-0 win over the Seattle Mariners on Aug. 18 tied for the biggest modern-day shutout with two other games: the Pittsburgh Pirates over the Cubs in 1975, and the Cleveland Indians over the New York Yankees in 2004. But the Brewers’ mark deserves an asterisk since nine runs came off Mariners infielder Leo Rivas in the eighth inning, while four actual pitchers gave up the 22 runs for the Cubs.
The Pirates’ butt-kicking of the Cubs before 4,932 on Sept. 16, 1975, was far more impressive, with Bucs leadoff man Rennie Stennett setting a modern record, going 7-for-7 while scoring five runs. Stennett also tied an all-time record — held by Sox catcher Sherm Lollar and two others — with two hits in an inning not once but twice.
Cubs starter Rick Reuschel gave up eight runs while retiring one batter in a nine-run first inning, while his brother, Paul, threw two scoreless innings at the end. Pirates starter John Candelaria pitched seven shutout innings, leaving with a 22-0 lead.
A wise guy Sox fan, who was also a copy editor on the Tribune sports desk, created a mocking headline on the article’s jump page: “Pirates 22, Cubbies 00.”