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40 games in 42 days. That seems like too much. These guys are not robots. I think they’ll hang on but it’s hard to see them at their best in the playoffs. 

I also love Tony's gimmick of flying in game uniform.  Anything to loosen things up a bit.

Rizzo just dove for a ball and the front of his uni is now covered with dirt.

Losing Strop for 2+ weeks is tough.  If there is a plus side, he has already thrown almost as many innings as he did last year and shutting him down for a couple of weeks isn't the worst thing assuming that the pen can hold up without him (and assuming that Strop is healthy going into the postseason).  There is no reason to panic from my perspective.

Gammons and Rosenthal both are fans of Chase Hutley.  Gammons told a story about the time that Raul Ibanez was about to face Aroldis Chapman and told Hutley that there was no way he could do anything against him. Utley told him he should take a couple of strikes, then move up right over the plate.  He said Chapman would take offense and throw inside, and Utley should let it hit him.  Ibanez said something to the effect of "but he's throwing 105 miles an hour." Utley said, "yeah, but you'll be on first base and could be the winning run."

What I noted was the legroom provided the players.  There is none.  Those seats are adjustable.  Why wouldn't the team plane or the charter, move the seats to give the guys more legroom?  Just wonderin'.

At the Athletic event, when asked who he thinks Joe will use as a closer with Strop injured, Sharma said he expects Wilson is most likely to be the guy.

Sharma said he believes that Darvish's injury was the reason he pitched so poorly early in the season, and he thinks he'll be fine next year, though Sharma thinks it remains to be seen what kind of October pitcher he will be.

In spite of the feast or famine offense and the absence of a closer, he said not to give up on the Cubs, and specifically said that people underestimate just how valuable Bryant could be now that he's back, if he breaks out.

I asked Sharma about Quintana, specifically how he can be effective when he is so predictable in throwing his 91-93 mph fastball. He was pretty upbeat about Quintana. He said that Quintana's location and movement are the keys to his success and that being off-balance in his windup is what had caused him problems earlier in the season. . He said a simple change in Quintana pointing his foot downward as he lifts his front leg has made an important overall difference maintaining his balance, and that's why he's been so much better recently.