Closer Randy Myers keeps getting the job down and keeps moving up the all-time saves list. But he keeps getting scarier and scarier about it.
Myers has 18 saves this year and just moved into 15th place on the career list ahead of former White Sox closer Bobby Thigpen with 202. As impressive as those numbers are, Myers has some scary statistics of late, too.
Two months ago, on May 16, opposing hitters were batting just .116 against Myers, and at the end of May they were only batting .140 against him.
Since then, opposing hitters have been getting better and better swings. They are hitting .280 against him, and many of his outs have been hard hit.
That hasn’t gone unnoticed by the scouts looking at Myers for possible trades.
Red blast: The home run Reggie Sanders hit off Willie Banks in the third inning Friday night was just the 16th in the 25-year history of Riverfront Stadium to land in the upper deck.
George Foster hit six of them. Dave Concepcion had one. No Cub has ever done it, but Cub pitchers gave up two that Foster hit. Joe Coleman served up one to Foster in 1976 and Willie Hernandez gave up the other in 1977.
Now pitching: Manager Tom Trebelhorn said after the game he would start Jim Bullinger in place of Anthony Young in Colorado on Monday. Young has a sore elbow and is scheduled to miss at least one start. Bullinger threw 2 1/3 innings in Friday night’s loss and gave up one run on two hits.
Cashing in on Banks: Most baseball experts insist the only way to evaluate trades is long term. But even with his ugly outing Friday, the early returns are good on the deal that brought Willie Banks to Chicago from Minnesota. The Cubs gave up two top prospects, left-handed pitcher Dave Stevens and switch-hitting catcher Matt Walbeck. Stevens is 2-2 with an 8.46 earned-run average, and Walbeck is batting .199.
Big Daddy: Another big name will be added to the Walk of Fame outside Wrigley Field next Friday. Former pitcher Rick Reuschel, a native of Quincy, Ill., will be inducted along with four previously announced stars-Ryne Sandberg, Don Kessinger, Cap Anson and Stan Hack. Ceremonies begin at noon at the corner of Clark and Addison, and Sandberg, Reuschel and Kessigner are scheduled to attend.
Tarnished gold: Mark Grace made his sixth error in 86 games Friday. He made just five in 155 games last year and had a total of nine errors in 313 games the past two seasons when he won back-to-back Gold Gloves.