September 6, 2021: The Plumber

Not sure if Frank Schwindel has a nickname yet, but… Doesn’t he sound like he could run a plumbing company? Clogged drains? Leaky faucets? Problems with water pressure? Call Frank Schwindel & Sons for all your plumbing needs. Call today and we’ll “flush” away all your plumbing concerns. Well, Frankie boy was at it again on Monday afternoon, helping flush the Reds playoff chances down the toilet with another walk-off hit. The guy has been unconscious.

Of course, my first thing is… is this for real, and how long can he keep this up. I’m pretty sure the Cubs aren’t really high on anybody’s radar right now; not a whole lot of in-depth scouting reports on our players, although, if your team, like the Reds, could have their playoff hopes impacted by the play of our no-name Cubbies, then you better get on your shit. Folks have ignored Schwindel for too long… or… could we have possibly found the next Cubs star? Will it even matter what they throw to Frank? Will he become the new walk-off king of Chicago?

It’s nice to think about, and it sure it a fun ride to be on right now, even if it’s going nowhere. The nice part to think about, to hope for, is that this guy IS for real… that this success is sustainable. Are we going to be able to pencil his name in next year as the everyday first baseman for our Cubs? Will he be an All Star? Is this guy on his way to the Hall of Fame? Sky is the limit right now baby!!! Hahaha…

We’ll start looking at the Cubs 2022 lineup at some point, along with the free agents we should be signing, but for now, just trying to let it sink in, that yes, we may have found our first baseman? What a relief for Tom and Jed… no need to spend any big bucks there. Hey, I don’t care. If the guy deserves it, if he keeps it up, then let him have the job. At the end of the day, it’s the performance on the field, the impact on the standings, the team’s win loss record that really matters. And if you look at it right now, even after a 7 game winning streak, the Cubs are 64-75. Hey, if they win out, and win the final 23 games, completing a season ending 30 game winning streak, they still may make the playoffs via wild card… I don’t think anyone is making their playoff plans.

OK, let’s just take it for what it is. A nice moment in a season that will be long remembered for the horrific trade deadline. A hot streak by some guy that came out of the blue that will cause us to remember his name. Anything more than that, at this point, I can’t get behind. Here’s hoping Frank Schwindel becomes a star… but at the very least, at least the Cubs have somebody reliable to take care of the washroom facilities at Wrigley. The Plumber has arrived. Go Cubs!