Cardinals announcer Jim Edmonds unnecessarily ripped Christopher Morel for a home run celebration

This really didn’t deserve all the criticism.

St. Louis Cardinals analyst and former MLB outfielder Jim Edmonds did NOT like what he saw from Chicago Cubs slugger Christopher Morel on Sunday.

But let’s be serious here: home runs are awesome and should be celebrated as such. Morel’s celebration was relatively tame compared to others, too! He tossed his bat, trotted around gleefully and that’s it.

But here’s what Edmonds said: “This kid’s celebration is a joke. I don’t mind saying it at all. I’ve never seen anything like it. I just don’t get it. You’re a .229 hitter in the big leagues and you’re running around like you’re Barry Bonds.”

Come on!

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MLB fans loved seeing how the Cubs surprised Shōta Imanaga with his All-Star honor in the clubhouse

He even offered to split the prize money.

While the Cubs have been a disappointment in the first half of the season, rookie pitcher Shōta Imanaga has lived up to the billing. And now, he’s earned himself a trip to Arlington, Texas, in the process.

Shōta Imanaga — who spent eight seasons professionally in Japan before signing with the Cubs this offseason — was the Cubs’ lone All-Star selection. Though the honor was expected given the Cubs’ struggles across the board, Imanaga certainly seemed surprised when the news was announced in the clubhouse on Sunday.

In a video shared by the team’s Twitter/X account, Cubs manager Craig Counsell made the announcement to the whole team and gave Imanaga an opportunity to speak to the group. “Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls.” He’s a vibe, for sure.

The team interpreter Edwin Stanberry may have left something out as well. Shōta apparently offered to split the prize money (if there is any) with his teammates.

You don’t see many rookies make an All-Star team, but like Counsell said, Imanaga isn’t your typical rookie. He’s made the jump over from NPB to MLB look seamless, but it couldn’t have been easy.

MLB fans also loved seeing how Imanaga learned of the All-Star news.

This was how Twitter/X reacted

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Ben Joyce records two strikeouts at Wrigley Field

Former Vol pitcher Ben Joyce records two strikeouts against the Cubs at Wrigley Field.

Los Angeles (37-51) defeated Chicago (41-49), 7-0, on Saturday at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois.

Former Vol Ben Joyce pitched one inning in relief for the Angels. He recorded two strikeouts and totaled 14 pitches (11 strikes) against the Cubs.

Joyce was recalled by the Angels on June 2 from the Rocket City Trash Pandas in Double-A. He made his first career MLB start at San Francisco on June 16.

The former Vol was a third-round selection by Los Angeles in the 2022 MLB draft.

He appeared in 27 games and started one contest during his final season at Tennessee in 2022. Joyce totaled 53 strikeouts in 32.1 innings pitched during the 2022 campaign.

David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

WATCH: Former Wisconsin football coach sings ‘Take Me Out To The Ball Game’ at Cubs game

Your thoughts on former Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema?

Former Wisconsin Badgers and current Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Bret Bielema entertained the Chicago Cubs faithful on Tuesday night with a rendition of ‘Take Me Out To The Ball Game.’

He led the seventh-inning-stretch tradition during the Cubs’ eventual 6-4 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies.

Related: Three Wisconsin football assistants among Big Ten’s top recruiters for class of 2025

Bielema was the head coach for the Badgers for seven highly successful years from 2006-2012. He finished with a 68-24 overall record (0.739 win percentage), including three Rose Bowl trips in 2010, 2011 and 2012.

The controversial figure took the head coach job at Arkansas toward the end of the 2012 season, which did not sit well with much of the Badger faithful.

So not only do many remember Bielema’s headline-grabbing exit, but he is also currently the head coach at Illinois — one of Wisconsin’s regional rivals. He is only 18-19 overall in his first three seasons at the helm. One of those wins, however, effectively ended the Paul Chryst era in 2022.

Somehow, the Bielema vs. Wisconsin story seems to never reach its end. The Badgers and Fighting Illini are not scheduled to play in 2024. It will not be until 2025 when Wisconsin gets another shot at a win over its former coach.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion.

Talk about pitfalls of travel ball: Cardinals legend Yadier Molina is now in Cubs gear

Cardinals legend Yadier Molina set aside the heated rivalry to coach his son’s travel team — the Chicago Cubs.

“Cursed image.” “A sin.” “Just threw up a little bit in my mouth.”

Each comment left under Talkin’ Baseball’s post on social media platform X is an apt description of baseball’s newest and strangest viral image: St. Louis Cardinals legend Yadier Molina wearing the gear of the Chicago Cubs.

It’s a jump scare the way Johnny Damon appeared cleanly shaven in a New York Yankees uniform after the former Boston Red Sox outfielder signed with the Yanks. But Molina, obviously, is retired from the game. This Cubs jacket, hat, shorts, and bag were more forced upon him: It is his son’s travel team, of which Molina is the coach.

See the image, shared by Talkin’ Baseball from protected Instagram account @louis_33:

Molina, one of the best catchers of all time, played all 19 MLB seasons with the Cardinals. During that time, he made 10 all-star games, won nine Gold Gloves and four Platinum Gloves, was a Silver Slugger, and was a two-time World Series champion.

Despite fairly pedestrian hitting numbers, Molina has as good a Hall of Fame case as any other catcher of his generation.

And to emphasize: All 19 of those seasons were with the Cardinals. The Cubs rivalry runs in Molina’s blood. But now the Cubs colors run on his uniform.

As good of a baseball player as he was, this is Hall of Fame father material right here.

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A horrendous strike call from an umpire had Patrick Wisdom and Giants announcers in disbelief

What a terrible call by Manny Gonzalez on a Camilo Doval pitch, and the announcers agreed.

You don’t need that strike zone box and the ball tracker to know that a pitch from San Francisco Giants closer Camilo Doval was definitely NOT a strike to Chicago Cubs slugger Patrick Wisdom.

Yet there was the call from Manny Gonzalez, who said it was a strike despite it being like 10 feet off the plate outside.

The reaction from Wisdom was justified and the Giants booth was mystified. But there you have it.

Congratulations to Gonzalez joining some other umpires — including the now-retired Angel Hernandez — who made some similarly bad calls this year.

Here’s that moment from Monday’s game:

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Watch former LSU star Angel Reese throw first pitch at Chicago Cubs game

Angel Reese and Chicago teammate Kamilla Cardoso tossed out the first pitch at a Cubs game on Tuesday night.

[autotag]Angel Reese[/autotag] hasn’t been in the Windy City long, but she’s already adapting to the Chicago sports culture.

The former LSU women’s basketball star and seventh-overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft is early in her rookie campaign with the Chicago Sky, but she and rookie teammate Kamilla Cardoso were chosen to throw the first pitch at a Chicago Cubs game on Tuesday night.

Formerly college rivals, Reese and Cardoso — a South Carolina product — are now on the same side after the Sky took Cardoso third overall in the same draft.

Two games into her rookie season, Reese is averaging 11.5 points and 8.5 rebounds to go with 1.5 assists and a steal.

Reese and the Sky return to the court on Thursday night for a game on the road against the New York Liberty.

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Tyler to continue the conversation on Twitter: @TylerNettuno

 

A Cubs fan somehow snagged a foul ball with one hand while holding a child

This Cubs fan wins the afternoon.

One very athletic Chicago Cubs fan made a very impressive play in the stands while holding a child in the crowd at Wrigley Field.

On a foul ball from Pitsburgh Pirates outfielder Edward Olivares, the Cubs fan snagged the foul ball with one hand and made sure it didn’t make contact with a child who he was holding in his other arm.

This is just an all-time heads-up move for a fan in the stands, as they get an awesome keepsake and a heck of a story to tell their friends after the game.

Plus, the Cubs got the 1-0 victory.

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Paul Skenes had a boldly prophetic warning for batters before his 11-strikeout masterpiece

Paul Skenes has arrived and the rest of the league should be terrified after Friday’s performance

Sure, Paul Skenes was dazzling in his debut after the Pittsburgh Pirates called up the number one prospect in baseball last Saturday.

The LSU product struck out seven batters in his first Major League start while giving up six hits, three earned runs and two walks over four innings in a 10-9 victory over the Chicago Cubs.

The only problem was that the way the schedule lined up, Skenes was going to have to face the Cubs for his second career start, too. This time at Wrigley Field. Surely there was no way he’d be able to fool the Pirates’ division rivals twice in one week, right? Hitters always adjust, right?

Well, Skenes adjusts, too. And he tried to warn the Cubs about what was coming on Friday before they even stepped to the plate.

“Go ahead and adjust,” Skenes said with a smile. “Good luck.”

Then he went out and struck out 11 batters over six no-hit innings with just one walk. It took him 100 pitches, 67 of which went for strikes and defied physics with movement like this:

It goes without saying that this is both not normal and also extremely terrifying for the rest of baseball.

First of all, pitches shouldn’t be allowed to move like that and sit at 100 miles per hour. This guy is a wizard. He struck out the first seven batters he faced on Friday, just one shy of the all-time rookie record held by Jacob deGrom and Jim Deshaies. Instead he settles for the fifth-longest strikeout streak to begin a game in MLB history as Pittsburgh went on to win 9-3.

When Skenes says “good luck” he apparently means it in the way Liam Neeson does in Taken. It’s both genuine and a warning.

Of course the Pirates star is confident in his arsenal. After seeing what he did at Wrigley, it’d be impossible to feel any other way.

Michael Busch hits first career walk-off home run for Chicago Cubs

Michael Busch saves the day for the Chicago Cubs in the win over the San Diego Padres.

Former North Carolina baseball standout Michael Busch is finding his groove with the Chicago Cubs.

After being acquired in the offseason from the Los Angeles Dodgers, the 26-year-old Busch has become an everyday player for the Cubs. And on Tuesday, he delivered in a big way for the north siders.

Busch hit his first career walk-off home run, and the first Cubs walk-off home run this season, to deliver a 3-2 win over the San Diego Padres. Doing so as the rain was starting to fall at Wrigley Field with what would have likely been a pending rain delay.

But in the end, Busch sent the home crowd home happy.

Busch did it on the very first pitch of the bottom of the ninth, an inning after the Cubs tied it back up at two after trailing 2-1.

Going into this game, Busch was slashing .254/.311/.475 with 6 home runs, 18 RBI’s and 10 walks. He also had a home run streak earlier this year.

It’s nice to see Busch finding a groove after struggling early in his career with the Dodgers. There’s still a long way to go this season but he’s been a big bright spot for the Cubs.

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