The Bad News: Before tonight’s game, the Cubs announced that Brandon Morrow was shut down for the rest of the year and wouldn’t be available to pitch in the postseason. What You Need to Know: “Really? Our closer can’t finish off the postseason? Oh no, whatever shall we…*unbuttons jersey* hey, what’s this giant S doing […]
Author: Ken Schultz
While the Players Association Takes Days Off, the Cubs Have None
You might recall that in the sacred baseball year of 2016, the Cubs played a stretch of 24 consecutive games without an off day from June 17 through July 10. After starting off promisingly with three wins over the Pirates, that span of games quickly devolved into that regular season’s biggest crisis point as the […]
Game 139 Recap: Cubs 6, Brewers 4
Hey, did I ever mention that Pedro Strop is the ballsiest damn pitcher on the entire 40 man roster? Oh, yeah. I did, didn’t I? Can someone remind me how to upload the emoji for “Vince McMahon Strut?” This game felt like a three hour and 14 minute loop of Fred Sanford clutching his chest. […]
The Strop Abides
If you’re a frequent reader of sites like BP Wrigleyville, chances are that you already knew Pedro Strop was cool before this year. That’s how good Strop has been over the past five seasons—he’s one of the only relievers in baseball who has his own group of hipsters. Someday soon, you’ll walk past The Cubby […]
Game 133 Recap: Cubs 5, Braves 4
Let the record show that Mike Montgomery began tonight’s game by not hitting Ronald Acuña, Jr. in the elbow with his first pitch. Ordinarily, I wouldn’t nominate such a thing for Top Play of the game. But if we normalize Win Probability Added for “Absence of Douchebaggery” (measured by sabermetricians in “Anti-Ureñas”), we find that […]
Game 127 Recap: Cubs 3, Reds 2
That might be the first time I’ve ever seen a player rounding third on a walk-off home run with a facial expression that said, “*Sigh*… Haven’t we done this before?” Let the record show that I am perfectly fine with David Bote making #WalkoffYAWN a thing. What You Need to Know: Hey, remember when the […]
Daniel Murphy and the Cubs’ Message to Their LGBTQ Fans
It shouldn’t be too much to ask of a baseball front office to ask, “Hey, when the team has the best record in the league, can you avoid doing something that makes me feel awful about rooting for them?” And yet two years later, here we are again. After bringing aboard the execrable Aroldis Chapman […]
The Magician and El Halcón
On May 31, after the Cubs had dispatched the Mets 5-1, Javy Báez saw the postgame media scrum approach his locker. And he instantly knew what they wanted to discuss… “Oh yes, I walked! Yes!” Javy punctuated his jubillation by turning to his left and fistpumping, as if after listening to the umpire call “ball […]
Game 118 Recap: Brewers 7, Cubs 0
As the Brewers took a 7-0 lead into the ninth inning, a voice wearing the number 13 jersey inside the Cubs dugout could be heard whispering, “I accept your challenge.” What You Need to Know: If you get your baseball news from anywhere other than #cubstwitter, you’d know that the Cubs still have the best […]
Game 113 Recap: Cubs 5, Royals 0
When you play the Kansas City Royals, there can be only one of two results. 1. What you’re supposed to do. OR 2. Make Cubs twitter blow up like Tom Ricketts just announced he’s retiring number 21, but only to honor Junior Lake. What You Need to Know: Happily, the Cubs chose Option 1. They […]