We’ve got that itch. We’re ready to go for the season. – Kyle Hendricks It’s so weird. It’s a weird time down here. -Jon Lester I believe it was Williams Shakespeare, or perhaps a baseball blogger who struggled to pay attention in ninth grade English, who once wrote, “Beware the Ides of March, because that is […]
Author: Andrew Felper
Cactus Catchup: All Quiet on the Mesa Front
In to every life a little rain must fall, even in the valley of the sun. The Cubs finished their first weekend of full squad workouts with a few days of rain, moving hitters indoors and limiting outdoor activities to playing catch. Here at BP Wrigleyville’s Worcester (MA) Bureau, where we are staring out the windows at […]
Second City October: World Series Game Three Preview, Cleveland (1-1) at Cubs (1-1)
The Wrigleyville neighborhood has long been known for its restraint and overall calm demeanor on the Friday night of Halloween weekend. So, really, why should we expect any different for Game Three of the World Series? The Cubs averaged eights run a game during the final three games of the NLCS, and after failing to cash […]
Second City October: NLCS Game Six Preview, Dodgers (2-3) at Cubs (3-2)
How to preview in 900-1,100 words what could be a game 71 years in the making? The key, as I see it, is to keep basic. You know what’s at stake. You know the history. You have no need to hear my patented witty, trenchant pop culture references. So, let’s keep it basic. In the […]
SECOND CITY OCTOBER: NLCS GAME FOUR PREVIEW, CUBS (1-2) AT DODGERS (2-1)
The offense remains the story, and that story remains melancholy. You know the numbers. The scoreless streak has stretched to 18 innings, a Cubs franchise record for the postseason. In Games 2 and 3, the Cubs went down 1-2-3 in 11 of those 18 innings, and produced just one extra base hit. During the regular season, by […]
Series Preview: Cubs vs. Reds, September 30-October 2
If a Series Preview is written for a 100-win team on the last weekend of the regular season and everybody is looking towards the postseason, does it really exist? After all, the division has been clinched. The league’s best record is all sewn up. The season’s closing weekend is a final victory lap for what […]
Game 143 Recap: Cubs 4 Cardinals 1
In the midst of his breakout season, pitching for a team on the precipice of clinching their division with more than two weeks remaining in the season, Kyle Hendricks entered Monday night’s start with very little left to prove in 2016. He then proceeded to come within three outs of pitching a no-hitter. Hendricks faced one […]
Series Preview: Cubs vs. Astros, September 9-11
Tangentially Related Introduction for the Series Preview Among the most prized possessions of my childhood was a Mickey & Minnie autograph book filled with the signatures of a dozen or so Houston Astros players. In the winter of 1993, my family rented a house just outside of Orlando, about a five minute drive from the Astros spring training […]
Game 132 Recap: Cubs 6 Pirates 5
Hey, a tight game against a division foe in the midst of a pennant race is one thing, but that catch is another thing altogether: Addison Russell reportedly covered 107 feet, reaching top speeds of 19.3 miles per hour. Had the ball dropped, the tying run might have very well scored (Len’s words, if you […]
Series Preview: Cubs vs. Dodgers, August 26-28
The last time the Cubs found themselves in Chavez Ravine, this transpired… Which, of course, is the second greatest moment Cubs moment in Dodgers Stadium after this… When the Cubs hit the West Coast starting Friday night, it will be light on the Arrieta and Rowengartner, but it will feature two of the best teams […]