It is some evening in late October, and for Tyler Chatwood, it is the best of times. After pitching meaningful innings in some game in the 2018 World Series, he now sits, surrounded by his new teammates, embraced by a new city. Chatwood reflects. How did he get here? When the Cubs came calling in […]
Author: Josh Cole
10 Things You Should Know About Yu Darvish
It happened! After months (that seemed like years) of speculation, the Cubs finally landed the prize of the 2018 free agent class, at least on the pitching end. Yu Darvish, the one-time Rangers phenom known for his insane, eight-pitch arsenal, one of the greatest pitching GIFs of all time, and, more recently, for his epic […]
Willson Contreras Believes What He Says
Two Fridays ago at the annual Cubs Convention, Willson Contreras made headlines when he brashly prophesied, “I know I’m going to be better than [Yadier Molina and Buster Posey]. That’s my plan. That’s my [mindset].” In other sports, such unabashed declarations of confidence in one’s own abilities are accepted, even lauded. But the traditionalist world of […]
The Cubs’ Most Important Pitcher is Not Who You Think
Here’s an interesting stat: only four starting pitchers in MLB history (minimum 590 innings pitched) have posted a sub-2.94 ERA and a 3.5 K/BB rate or better in their careers: Cy Young, Pedro Martinez, Clayton Kershaw, and Kyle Hendricks. Now, is Hendricks really anywhere near the same class as any of the other three pitchers […]