Chicago Cubs right-hander Jake Arrieta has a Cy Young trophy on his mantle and 19 consecutive victories on his pitching record after the Cubs' 8-1 victory Friday night over the San Francisco Giants.
Arrieta says it can get better.
"Timing-wise, I'm still not there," Arrieta said after limiting the Giants to 1 run on 4 hits over 7 innings while striking out 8 at AT&T Park. "It might sound kind of stupid, but personally, there's a little more in the tank."
Arrieta's reservoir of confidence is built on a run of excellence that dates back to last summer.
In his past 29 starts, Arrieta has a 24-1 record with an 0.98 ERA.
Oh, and he has thrown two no-hitters.
Still, Arrieta says, he can do better.
"Once I get fine-tuned and get everything working, it's going to get tougher for the opponent," Arrieta said.
Separation anxiety
Jim Souhan of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune has trouble explaining it, but he believes the retirement of Pine Bluff's Torii Hunter is one of the reasons the Twins are in last place after contending for a wild card spot in 2015.
"Baseball shouldn't work this way," Souhan writes. "The Twins shouldn't miss a 40-year-old corner outfielder who hit .240 last season, and who probably made the right decision to retire before he was relegated to a backup role.
"But they do miss him, and they are not alone. ... After Hunter left the Angels, they went from 89 victories with him to 78 without him.
"When he left the Tigers, they fell from 90 to 74 victories. Last season, the Twins won 83 games with him."
Today, the Twins are 11-31 and 13½ games behind the Chicago White Sox in the American League Central.
"There is no logical argument to be made that Hunter himself, even at his peak, was worth 11 or 16 or 40 victories in a season, and yet this Twins team is virtually identical to last year's and far less competitive. This year, as was the case from 2011 through 2014, you walk into the Twins clubhouse and feel like you're in a windowless basement in the middle of a Minnesota winter. There is no life in that room."
Buyer's market
It's no surprise that the NBA is allowing its teams to begin selling ad space on team jerseys.
Golfers, cyclists and race-car drivers have been selling ad space on their shirts, caps and helmets for decades.
So, why not professional sports teams?
One question.
How did the Philadelphia 76ers, who have won less than 20 games in each of the past three seasons, step to the front of the line in announcing that it will sport embroidered 2½-by-2½-inch StubHub logos on the team's jerseys beginning in the 2017-2018 season.
The 76ers, who recently completed a 10-72 season, are getting $5 million a year.
StubHub must be banking that the 76ers will always have tickets to sell.
Sports on 05/22/2016