I love me a good origin story. So, five years ago, when I read the very first post for this newfangled site called Grantland, I was smitten. In that post, Bill Simmons tells the story of how Jimmy Kimmel, Simmons, and Kimmel’s inner circle drove down to Hollywood from San Diego on the night Kimmel’s […]
Author: Carlos Portocarrero
The Best Cubs Catchers Since 1988
When I was 10 years old, I remember sitting in the TV room on Saturday mornings throwing a tennis ball against the wall and catching it with my catcher’s mitt. I would do this for hours while whatever early-morning TV (European soccer, mostly) played in the background. I was never a catcher growing up—I just thought […]
The Still-Exciting BP 101: Exploiting Loopholes… Again?
Pierce Johnson is, by all accounts, a pretty good pitcher. Last year, Baseball Prospectus ranked him as the 83rd best prospect in baseball. He was also the only pitcher the Cubs placed on that list (they had a total of seven players make the list in 2015). And while that certainly means something (and I’m […]
A Paranoid Look at Javier Baez’s Offseason
I’ve cracked the case, you guys: Javier Baez is getting traded and I’ve got proof. The front office has been trying to keep this a secret for months, but I’m here to expose the conspiracy. I even had to dig into some Spanish-language sites to get you the full scoop. If you don’t hear from […]
How Far Can You Actually Take That Pesky Washington Nationals Comparison?
Good news, Cub fans! After a breakout 2015, in which the team won 97 games, hired a new, exciting manager and called up most of their top prospects (all of whom, of course, excelled once in the big leagues), Chicago has just gone and had the best offseason of any major league team! They signed Ben Zobrist […]
Can the 2016 Cubs Survive a Serious Injury to a Starter?
The Cubs had a very good 2015, and many experts are saying they’ve had an even better offseason so far (if that’s even possible). When people who know baseball agree that a 97-win team has “won” the offseason, you have to feel pretty good about the state of said team going forward. That is, until […]
Cubs Manager Profile: Joe Maddon
Position: Manager 2015 Stats: 97-65; Best Onesie Party Ever Some people don’t like to give managers credit for anything a baseball team accomplishes during the season. It’s the players, the argument goes, that step onto the field and determine whether a team wins or loses on any given day. The manager simply decides who plays where […]
How Lucky Were the 2015 Cubs?
On Monday, July 21st, the Cubs were facing off against the Cincinnati Reds at the Great American Ballpark. They were 49-42 and only a game ahead of the San Francisco Giants for the second NL wild card spot. Down by two runs in the top of the ninth with a man on, rookie Kyle Schwarber […]
Cubs Player Profile: Neil Ramirez
Position: RP, Disabled List 2015 Stats: 14 IP, 3.21 ERA, 4.09 DRA, 25 K%, 10 BB% Have you heard the phrase “under-promise and over-deliver?” It comes to mind what I think of Neil Ramirez and his career so far with the Cubs. He came over as the PTBNL in the Matt Garza trade, which usually […]
Trading Jorge Soler for Young Pitching
It’s that time of year again: lots of rumors and crazy trade proposals that would never happen in real life. Lately I’ve been seeing one name floating around in trade rumors that has been particularly polarizing among Cubs fans, and those against it kind of took me by surprise. Let’s take a look at why trading […]