It’s a very strange thing that a guy can by 39 years old and on the verge of retirement. And have the nickname “Grandpa” to boot. It’s also probably strange that I have felt compelled to write about David Ross on now more than one occasion in this young season. I mean, sure, we’re all […]
Author: Jared Wyllys
Exploding the Moment: Lester in a Jam
This won’t come as a surprise, but when the bases are loaded and there are no outs, a team’s run expectancy is at its absolute highest. And by a lot. I’ll pause while that sinks in. In that situation, teams are expected to score at least two runs. It’s the time when, if it’s our […]
The Sustainability of Jason Hammel’s Early Success
In nearly any other year, more of the space here at BP Wrigleyville would be devoted to lauding the early success of Jason Hammel, who, in some ways, has outshone his colleagues in the starting rotation, but we are in the midst of a pitching showcase from Jake Arrieta that is otherworldly, so the work of […]
Series Preview: Pittsburgh Pirates, May 2-4
This beginning of the week series marks the first time the Cubs and Pirates have seen each other since last October’s fateful wild card game—a night those in the Steel City are likely still scrubbing from their memories, especially Sean Rodriguez. The Cubs head to Pittsburgh from a rainy week at home where they won […]
April is Jason Heyward’s Cruelest Month
It’s natural to categorize, sort, and label the things around us. In some ways, it’s our biggest defense mechanism against the world. We like to know what to expect, how something should work, or what someone’s going to do. It’s frustrating and jarring sometimes, when things and people don’t fit our category, label, or expectation. […]
Series Preview: Cubs vs. Brewers, April 26-28
It’s already been a very eventful month for the Cubs, so much so that it might be hard to believe that it’s still only April. Sitting at 14-5, and firmly in first place in the NL Central division, the Cubs will now see their division rivals from Milwaukee for the first time this season. The Brewers […]
Catching History, Ross Continues Retirement Party With Style
David Ross had never caught a no hitter before last night, which is a bit of a surprise, given not just the length of his career, but also the pitchers he’s caught for across those years. Namely, Jon Lester for the better part of the recent years of his career. This year, he’s on a farewell tour […]
Series Preview: Arizona Diamondbacks, April 7-10
After a very successful, albeit brief, opening series in Anaheim against the Angels, the Cubs are headed back to Arizona—quite near the site of their spring training complex, in fact—to face the Diamondbacks, a team that made quite an offseason splash of its own; namely, bolstering their pitching staff via trade (Shelby Miller) and free agency (Zack […]
Cactus Catchup: This Is It
Mercifully, the games that count will start in just a matter of days, and while the official Cactus League season wrapped up on Wednesday at Sloan Park, there are still a pair of exhibition games in Las Vegas left before the Cubs start their season on Monday night in Anaheim. True to form, the last […]
Weathering a Storm: The Mental Strength of Jon Lester
I heard someone I respect and admire say recently that life is largely about the storms that come our way and how we handle them when they do. We are always either in a storm, coming out of one, or one is coming. It’s a harsh and inevitable reality that adversity will come, and we […]