If the second half of Jake Arrieta’s 2015 season was a prolonged look at what the near-perfect pitcher might look like, this afternoon’s game was a throwback in more than just the uniforms. Today, Arrieta gave an eight inning glimpse at the kind of work he did on the mound at about this time a […]
Author: Jared Wyllys
Game 108 Recap: Cubs 7 Athletics 2
In the beginning of his career, a practically teenage Mike Tyson made a practice of dispensing with his opponents so quickly that the ringside luminaries could barely settle into their seats before the fight was already over. Tonight, it was a first inning lead-off home run, pair of singles, and a Jorge Soler three-run shot that ended […]
Playing the Long Game: Joe Maddon and Jason Heyward
Baseball’s 162-game season can sometimes make individual games feel weightier than they actually are, and the struggles of a single player look greater and feel more frustrating than they probably should. Baseball should be as much about stepping back and seeing the forest as a whole as it is picking through the minutiae of splits […]
Game 102 Recap: Cubs 12 Mariners 1
Over an hour of rain delay didn’t dampen the day at all for the Cubs, who scored so prodigiously that the Mariners turned to using second baseman Luis Sardinas in the eighth inning. And, to his credit, Sardinas got through the inning unscathed. The Cubs pushed through the Mariners bullpen by driving Hisashi Iwakuma from […]
Good For What Ails You: Hot Springs and Potato Chips
Sometime in the early days of my first real job in the fast-paced and glamorous world of the kitchen at a fast food chain, I received a burn from one of the many oil vats used in such places. I almost immediately learned two things about this occurence: one, that it’s a strange badge of honor for […]
Game 100 Recap: Cubs 8 White Sox 1
The Cubs are in a weird place right now. On one hand, they’re looking much improved after the break and taking series wins against the Rangers, Mets, and Brewers has calmed much of the angst that had so defined the month of July for Cubs fans. But on the other hand, there’s a swirl of […]
Grace in the Mess: Hector Rondon
It shouldn’t be lost in the moral quagmire of the Aroldis Chapman trade that now-ousted closer Hector Rondon has shown admirable grace in light of his changed role in the Cubs bullpen. The questions raised about what bringing Chapman to Chicago means beyond just on the field performance have been addressed across the internet, by […]
Series Preview: Cubs at Brewers, July 22-24
Fresh from series wins against the Rangers and Mets, and after an off-day charity boxing event Wednesday night, the Cubs are well positioned to go into Milwaukee this weekend and continue the kind of baseball they have played since the All Star break. They have an incredibly favorable five game road trip that starts tonight, with three […]
Head Games: Donnie Dewees and “Neuro Scouting”
For a player coming out of college and making the transition to professional baseball, there’s a lot of newness to adjust to. The draftees go from playing just a few games a week to playing nearly every day, and the number of games in a season jumps dramatically. Consequently, the players have to adjust to the work […]
Game 92 Recap: Cubs 5 Mets 1
It’s easy to get lost in the hyperbole of a rough stretch of games, especially ones against so-called “playoff preview” opponents, so the recent four-game sweep at the hands of the Mets during said stretch has left a stinger in the palm of many Cubs fans, though maybe not the players themselves. All of this […]