COLUMN: This week in baseball

     I should learn to take notes at home when watching a sporting event that might become the subject of my column. I formulated an idea earlier in the week after watching some baseball. Come Monday my mind is sometimes blank. Let’s see what I come up with.

     Like many Cub fans, I have been complaining about the bullpen lately. They have blown a few leads. Statistically though they are not as bad as I thought. They rank second in the NL in many important statistics.

     But, and this is a big but, they are ranked 14th in walks and 13^th in inherited runners allowed to score. Those are two very telling stats. In the last 30 days there have been 91 relief appearances by the bullpen and they have walked 48 batters in 87 innings pitched. I wish I had the information on how many of those runners scored.

     If you watched any sports highlights Sunday you probably saw, without a doubt, one of the greatest catches in youth baseball history. Jack Regenye, a junior leaguer from Pennsylvania, made a leaping catch at the fence. His momentum took him right over the centerfield wall. He quickly popped up with the ball in his glove. He is now famous.

     Sunday evening the Pirates and Cardinals attended the Little League World Series, interacted with the players and played a game that night at a Class A park in Williamsport, Pa. After the game the players shook hands, honoring the tradition seen in youth and high school baseball. That was classy.

     The seating by the way for last night’s game was 2,500.

     A few unsettling things happened last week between umpires and players. Two of them happened to Cubs utility player Ben Zobrist. Zobrist was called out on strikes to end a game on a pitch that was clearly a ball down in the strike zone.

     A few days later Zobrist was involved in another strange play. With runners on first and second, he attempted to bunt the runners over only to get hit with the pitch. Instead of heading down to first base, the first base umpire ruled he attempted to bunt and the pitch was called a strike.

     Replays clearly show the ump needs glasses.

     Also last week, Detroit second baseman Ian Kinsler was ejected for glaring at umpire Angel Hernandez on a pitch that was called a ball. Kinsler briefly argued the previous pitch, called a strike, so Hernandez didn’t appreciate the sarcastic look from Kinsler.

     After the game Kinsler ripper the umpire for being the worst in the league, messing with games, blatantly. He felt Hernandez needed to find a new job.

     I would agree. I do not like Hernandez or Joe West. West was suspended for three games a week or so ago for giving his opinion on the biggest complainer in the game, Rangers 3B Adrian Beltre.

     Last week the Orioles turned a rare triple play and the Cubs Javier Baez hit an inside the park home run. Those are two of my favorite plays, along with stealing home.