Kevin Alcántara (Photo by Stephanie Lynn)

MLB

Injuries, Updates, and Trends

The Cubs optioned Michael Rucker back down to Iowa and activated Sean Newcomb from the IL.

AAA

Toledo 14, Iowa 9

Game Recap

Iowa has gotten great production out of corner outfielders Darius Hill and Narciso Crook this month, and yesterday was no exception. Hill doubled three times, and Crook hit his 7th homer. They led an offensive attack which amassed nine runs on day, but unfortunately each of the Cubs six pitchers on the afternoon got tagged for at least one run and Iowa was playing from behind from the 3rd inning on.

Hill has continued his torrid first half, as he was one of Tennessee’s top producers, not a total surprise, but with an unexpected uptick in power Hill is increasing his chances of becoming a MLB player. Prior to this year Hill was little more than a good contact/average hitter who took few walks and rarely hit more than a single. He’s more than doubled his ISO (from .080 in 2021 to over .170 in both AA and AAA) this year though, not just adding extra base power, but even hitting 7 home runs so far. He still doesn’t take many walks (6.8%) but if he can continue to hit for average and power it will be enough. As a LF, he needs to produce in 2 out of those 3 categories to make it, and he is now doing so (and at the highest level). If he keeps this up, he could force his way into the Cubs plans.

Crook was a Minor League free agent signing from this winter who got off to a terrible start for Iowa in April, which stretched into May, and I wonder how close he was to potentially being let go as the Cubs began promoting Hill and others from AA. His playing time certainly decreased. But all of a sudden, his bat has come alive in June (.389/463/.917) with 5 of his 7 home runs on the season coming in just 9 games this month. He’s only 26, and has produced fairly well in AAA in years past as a member of the Reds org. He too has traditionally been a corner outfielder with limited power and patience, and as a RHB it had created an even greater barrier for reaching the Majors, but he began showing more power in 2021, and that is now being put on display in 2022 as well.

Narciso Crook! Three home runs in as many days for @ThatOutfielder pic.twitter.com/1esy4MdHAT

June 12, 2022

Top Performers

Darius Hill: 3-5, 3 2B, 2 R (.415)Narciso Crook: 1-5, HR (7), R, RBI (.248)Levi Jordan: 3-5, R, RBI, SB (2) (.271)Jared Young: 2-5, 2B, 3B, R, 2 RBI (.253)Nelson Maldonado: 2-5, 2B, R, 3 RBI (.243)Erick Castillo: 2-4 (.333)Trent Giambrone: 1-4, 3B, RBI (194)

AA

Biloxi 5, Tennessee 4

Game Recap

Chris Clarke had a rough 1st inning as several ground balls found holes through the Smokies infield enabling Biloxi to jump out to a 4-1 lead. Clarke held them there through the next four innings, and the bullpen continued the scoreless streak through the 9th. Tennessee tied the score in the 5th, with the help of a couple of Biloxi throwing errors. The game would head to extras, where unfortunately the Smokies went down in order in the top half before the first batter in the bottom half singled home the winning run off reliever Bryan King.

Top Performers

Chase Strumpf: 1-5, HR (12), R, RBI (.229)Matt Mervis: 2-3, 2B, R (.330)Bryce Ball: 1-3, 2 BB (.282)Nicholas Padilla: IP, H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K (2.77)

Injuries, Updates, and Trends

A couple of interesting notes from this one, including Chase Strumpf homered, but he also saw a bit of time at 1B. The former 2nd rounder has settled in nicely at 3B after a rocky start there last season, and he’s increased his patience and power production as well, but I still see him coming up a bit short of being an everyday MLB player. He’s doing a lot of his damage against LHP, so it is more likely his role will be as a complimentary bat. If his future is on the bench increased versatility is big, so if he can add 1B, and maybe LF to his 3B/2B skillset it will help him and the Cubs.

Chase Strumpf leadoff HR. Number 12 on the year. pic.twitter.com/PviBVCGqza

June 12, 2022

Among the parade of relievers Tennessee used in this one, Nicholas Padilla shined above the rest. He recorded all three of his outs via strikeout. The Cubs have a number of relievers making a push for 40-man roster spots this offseason, among them Cayne Ueckert, Danis Correa, Jeremiah Estrada, not to mention Ben Leeper who is not Rule 5 eligible but may be MLB ready, as well as upcoming MILB UFAs Padilla, Bryan Hudson, and Eury Ramos.

At the start of the season I would have placed Padilla at the back of that pack. He’s shown a pretty strong arm and an ability to spin the ball in the past, but he’s really put it all together this season, now throwing 95+ consistently, and pairing it with one of the best curveballs in the system. It is going to be an interesting battle between all of those arms throughout the rest of the season as they try to stay healthy and prove they can throw strikes consistently enough to warrant inclusion on the 40-man. The Cubs will not be able to protect all of them.

His line in those last 42 games: pic.twitter.com/IOKHsc0TuK

June 13, 2022

High-A

Cedar Rapids 9, South Bend 3

Game Recap

The Cubs skipped Kohl Franklin‘s last turn through the rotation, no doubt working with him on the side in the hopes of getting him back on track. I didn’t catch any of the action in this one, so I don’t have a report, but the results look similar to before (3 IP, 4 H, 4 R, BB, 3 K). Two-to-three innings and three-to-four runs has been the pattern for him since late April. I really hope they can get him straightened out soon, but it is important to keep in mind this is his first game action in a couple of seasons, and he was pretty raw and inexperienced against high level competition before that as well.

Not much else to say from this one. Cubs fell behind and never really challenged for the lead throughout.

What a play for the first out of the game by CHC Luis Verdugo pic.twitter.com/61QI5bIsWc

June 12, 2022

Top Performers

Jonathan Sierra: 1-4, HR (1), R, RBI (.267)Caleb Knight: 2-4, 2B, R (.235)Scott McKeon: 1-3, 2B, BB (.186)Casey Opitz: 1-4, 2B, R (.071)

Low-A

Myrtle Beach 15, Carolina 6

Game Recap

‘The Pelicans season long and Kevin Alcántara‘s recent rampage through the Carolina League continued Sunday. A monster day from the young outfielder as he bypassed hitting the double he needed for the cycle his last time up and instead launched his second homer of the day. The Birds scored 15 runs on the day, with Alcántara responsible for more than half, as he set a franchise record with 8 runs batted in.

The Kevin Alcantara game.

His second home run of the game is a three-run homer to set a new single-game franchise record with EIGHT RBI.

Pelicans 13, Mudcats 2 in the bottom of the seventh. pic.twitter.com/DeWqNGoiyc

June 12, 2022

Throughout the season we seen dominance from this group, both as a team and individually as well. Yesterday was just another example. I could go into all the ways the Pelicans scored but it would take away from the spotlight Alcántara deserves in this one.

Alcantara continues to torch the ball today, now adding a HR off the scoreboard in LCF. Like that he has been able to shorten his swing and begin to turn on inside pitches. He just needs a double now to hit for the cycle heading into the 4th inning. https://t.co/LFKwssq3zi pic.twitter.com/JpJ82MlYW7

June 12, 2022

Kevin Alcántara’s monster day merits a montage. pic.twitter.com/aIwv0f7tn2

June 13, 2022

I will mention starter Tyler Schlaffer though. The Myrtle Beach offense regularly bludgeons opponents so it is easy to overlook the great work being done by the pitching staff. The bullpen got a lot of attention early, but most of those guys have been promoted to South Bend at this point. They do have another batch of hard throwers in the pen now, but the rotation deserves a lot of credit too. Richard Gallardo, Luis Devers, and Porter Hodge have all pitched well throughout the season. Schlaffer struggled early in the season but he’s been turning it around of late and had another solid outing Sunday. It’s not an overpowering group, and none likely make a Top 20 prospect list, but they all know how to pitch and possess solid arsenals.

Top Performers

Kevin Alcántara: 4-6, 3B, 2 HR (8, 9), 3 R, 8 RBI (.285)Felix Stevens: 2-3, 2B, 2 R, 2 BB (.212)Ezequiel Pagan: 2-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB, CS (3) (.270)Kevin Made: 1-2, 3 R, 3 BB (.268)Juan Mora: 1-3, R, RBI (.279)Tyler Schlaffer: 5 IP, 3 H, 2 R, BB< 7 K (W, 2-3, 4.96)Jose Gonzalez: 3 IP, 2 H, R, 2 BB, 4 K (4.03)

The Hearing Loss Association of America expects that by the end of the year, the Food and Drug Administration will allow sales of over-the-counter hearing aids. Adults with mild to moderate hearing loss will be able to buy hearing aids without going to a hearing professional.

OTC hearing aids should be mostly a good thing for people who don’t have the $4,000 that an average pair of prescription hearing aids costs — a price that includes appointments with hearing professionals to test hearing and, if hearing aids are needed, to choose, fit, and adjust them.

Not surprisingly, many hearing professional associations oppose OTC sales, and many potential hearing aid wearers may feel overwhelmed without expert help. I understand wanting help, as long as you can trust the specialist to not pressure you to spend more than necessary.

In the six years I’ve worn hearing aids because of age-related hearing loss, I’ve dealt with two providers. Both implied that the more you spend, the better for your hearing. Cost differences, however, are related not just to performance but also to nonessential features such as rechargeability and Bluetooth connectivity to adjust settings with a smartphone. But hearing aids automatically adjust to different settings, and I have never found the need to adjust them.

“Bluetooth capability is a convenient extra, but it can add hundreds of dollars to your bill,” Consumer Reports says. “If you don’t think you’ll use it, skip it. Economy hearing aids may provide what you need.”

I’ve also been urged to replace hearing aids well before the five-year life expectancy. At the place I bought my first hearing aids, the audiologist became testy when I said I planned to keep three-year-old devices for another two years. She couldn’t understand why someone with an insurance benefit would not use it to get a new model. The technology improves constantly, she said. By her reasoning, I’d get replacements every year.

I was able to resist her but not the hearing aid specialist who dispensed my second pair of hearing aids. I had not had a hearing test since I got them in summer 2020, so I recently went in for the overdue test and possible adjustment of the hearing aids. I left with an order for new hearing aids.

The selling point was that the test showed that my hearing had declined. He said that with my Medicare Advantage insurance, for a copay of $398 I could get “advanced” hearing aids, two levels above my basic ones, that have better clarity because they have 32 channels compared with the previous devices’ 10. Channels are the regions into which hearing aids divide sound frequencies. The more channels, the fewer the frequencies in each and thus the more precise sounds.

With more than three times the channels of my old hearing aids, the new ones should make sounds super clear. They do, but I haven’t been in an environment yet where I’ve noticed that they’re better than the old ones. Since buying them, I’ve read that studies have found that above 8 channels, most people don’t detect an improvement. Maybe I didn’t need to replace hearing aids not yet two years old. 

Most people don’t have insurance for hearing aids, including most people on Medicare. Traditional Medicare doesn’t pay for them; I’m fortunate that my Medicare Advantage insurance is generous. The HLAA supports OTC hearing aids to improve accessibility and affordability for the millions of people who might otherwise not seek help for their hearing loss.

According to the National Institutes of Health, nearly one-quarter of Americans ages 65 to 74 and one-half of those over 75 have a disabling hearing loss. Only 30 percent of older adults who could benefit from hearing aids have ever used them. Cost is a major drawback.

There are already OTC devices being marketed illegally as hearing aids prior to FDA approval of the new product category. They use the same fundamental technology as prescription hearing aids and advertise features such as rechargeability, noise reduction, volume control, Bluetooth capability, online and phone support, and warranties. 

It is advisable to delay buying OTC hearing aids until FDA regulations set quality standards. In the meantime, potential users may want to educate themselves about types and features.

It’s helpful to remember that no hearing aid can reverse hearing loss or stop its progression. The purpose of hearing aids is to help people hear better, so the test of a hearing aid, whether prescription or OTC, is how well it does that.

Fortunately, hearing aids come with trial periods. Those who think they have a hearing loss but are put off by the cost of prescription hearing aids might want to try out OTC hearing aids after the FDA issues the regulations. If you find self-service hearing aids that work for you, great. If not, you can return them and go to an in-person provider.

They say truth is stranger than fiction. Sure, it’s cliche, but that doesn’t mean it’s wrong.

I’ve been chronicling the road to age seventy since the beginning of 2022, Yeah, there have been a few hiccups along the way, but for the most part, the sailing has been smooth. I even found acceptance of this new milestone, which surprised me.

I had some plans for the weekend, which included doing some writing. Friday, June 10th was the final day of year number sixty-nine. I assumed I’d recap the journey. Saturday, June 11th was opening day of year number seventy. Celebrate good times…C’MON!!! Hmmm…best laid plans is another cliche that went awry.

Birthday number seventy has to be the strangest celebration of my life. You know it’s going to be bizarre when the first words you hear are “Happy Birthday. I’m here to take your vital signs.”

Things were going so well. They really were. And then I started peeing blood. Not just traces of blood in my urine, either. It looked like cranberry juice. That led to an eight-hour Tuesday night visit to the emergency room. KIDNEY STONES!

Okay! No biggie! I’ve had them before. They usually pass within a few days. But, on Thursday the pain worsened. By Friday, it was unmanageable, even with heavy painkillers. It was back to the ER again. The doctors did a quick procedure that lessened the pain but led to the overnight birthday visit. I was released by noon, so I did get to spend the second half of my birthday celebrating…and by celebrating I mean spending the rest of the day in bed.

That’s the short version of how I spent my seventieth birthday. It could have been worse….much worse.

Late on Saturday night, my significant other said she felt bad because “you got gypped.” Yeah, it wasn’t the way anyone would want to celebrate any birthday, but I feel far from being gypped. That goes to so many that didn’t get the opportunity to see the things and celebrate what I’ve been able to recently. I’ve seen both my children grow up to become adults. One grandchild is here with another to come in November. I’ll see my daughter get married sometime this fall. It doesn’t sound like I got gypped, does it? I think blessed is a better word.

So, happy birthday number seventy to me. I’m grateful to be here…kidney stone and all. Bring on number seventy-one.

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