THE STRANGE FORCE BEHIND ADDISON RUSSELL.
· 2016 Cubs, Joe Sez · Addison Russell, Superstition
Hey there, Ouija boards, Joe Schlombowski here with a little analysis of why Addison Russell was destined to be the hero of last night’s come from behind thumping of the Reds.
Baseball is a sport full of superstitions, right? I mean, you got guys that put on the uni exactly the same way — every item in the same order — when they’re on a hot streak. You’ll also see guys step over the chalk when they’re running on or off the field (which never made sense to me cuz when they’re actually playing they don’t give a crap if they step on the lines). And then you got people like me, who never ever change their underwear in the middle of a winning streak. (The way things are going so far this year, it looks like I’m gonna get a little crispy, now and then.) You also got the curse of the billy goat, and the black cat thing at Wrigley … and let’s not forget Steve Bartman.
So what does this mean? Well, my palm reading friends, it means there are forces at play that effect what happens on the field; forces that have nothing to do with the structure of the game, or the rules, or talent, or reason. How else do you explain Bucky Dent? Because of these forces, you get things like the 2004 Red Sox, who should have and would have collapsed under the weight of a 3 game Yankees lead in the ALCS, but instead magically came back to win it and then … AND THEN … sweep the Cards in the Series! Divine intervention? Mariano Rivera lost his rabbits foot? It was something.
That’s just a smattering of evidence, but it gives you an idea of why Addison Russell — not Rizzo, not Bryant, not Soler — and not some other redwood-sized bat was destined to be the hero of last night’s 2016 home opener.
Here’s my theory: Wrigley Field is located at the intersection of Clark & Addison, right? Is it just a simple coincidence that Russell’s first name happens to be Addison? I think not, pal. And how about “Russell.” That name, in French, means “reddish.” Like the color red. And … we were playing the Reds. That’s just friggin’ spooky. He’s also got a “W” as his middle initial. Case closed, pal.
I don’t think you can argue with this stuff. There are just too many things in baseball that can’t be explained by the analytical mind of Tom Verducci or Joe Posnanski. So, whatever you Cubs fans have been doing for the first week of the season — for instance puttin’ on a sock and a shoe and a sock and a shoe, instead of the socks first and then the shoes, keep it up. It’s working.
Joe