The Cubs won 103 games—more than any other team in baseball—and do not have home field advantage in the World Series. You can call it unfair, ridiculous, or just plain dumb, but them’s the rules. That’s why they’ll have to beat Cleveland on their own turf in Game Six to get a chance at winning […]
Day: October 31, 2016
BP Wrigleycast Quick Take: Joe Maddon Burns the Ships, Cubs Head to Cleveland for Game 6
BP Wrigleycast is BP Wrigleyville’s in-house podcast, hosted by Isaac Bennett, Ryan Davis, Carlos Portocarrero, and Joel Reese. The latest episode, “Joe Maddon Burns the Ships, Cubs Head to Cleveland for Game 6”, can be found here.
Second City October: State of the World Series—We’re Back, Baby
The Cubs finally sent the Wrigley faithful home with a home victory on Sunday night, the satisfying result of an ulcer-inducing crucible of a World Series game. It was yet another in a series of “first since X” Cubs World Series feats—the first home World Series win since 1945, of course—and those who have watched […]
Playoff Prospectus: Assessing the Managers’ Moves in Game 5
This piece, written by Baseball Prospectus’s Matthew Trueblood, forms part of the main site’s comprehensive coverage of the postseason, “Playoff Prospectus”. There’s a temptation, whenever a team is facing the prospect of its season ending in bitter playoff defeat, to expect decisive action and bold strokes. Some glass must be broken; this is an emergency. […]
Playoff Prospectus: Spider-Man Heyward
This piece, written by Baseball Prospectus’s Meg Rowley, forms part of the main site’s comprehensive coverage of the postseason, “Playoff Prospectus”. I can’t imagine becoming suddenly, publicly bad at something. Not that I can’t imagine being suddenly bad at something; I just can’t imagine that newfound badness mattering much to anyone. Our failures have consequences, […]
Playoff Prospectus: The Highlight Reel: World Series Game 5
This piece, written by Baseball Prospectus’s Demetrius Bell, forms part of the main site’s comprehensive coverage of the postseason, “Playoff Prospectus”. John Smoltz knows a thing or two about big moments in October baseball, to say the least. The Hall of Famer-turned-commentator set the table for the viewing audience in the bottom of the fourth […]
Second City October: One Third of the Way to a Miracle
Hey look, the 2016 Cubs showed up for the World Series! I am almost as relieved not to be writing a Cubs obituary right now as you are not to be reading one. Apparently the Ricketts have contracted with Miracle Max to open up a stand next to Hot Doug’s because it turns out that […]