Marketers know the trick about hype is that a little goes a long way. Too much hype becomes a vehicle for disappointment. Jason Heyward, the highest paid Cub in history playing on the most eagerly anticipated team of 2016, is sitting securely in the excessive hype danger zone. And, unfortunately for him, it feels like […]
Author: Leigh Coridan
Nothing Like a Cubs Fan: Acronym Soup and Fan Psychology
Is it April yet? For fans who spend the bulk of the Daylight Savings months consumed by baseball and the significant commitment its 162-game season demands, the offseason often brings with it a substantial sense of loss. To fill the void, some reflect on the accomplishments and what-might-have-beens of the season past, while others look ahead with eager […]
Harnessing the Power: Kris Bryant’s Next Level
In the summer of 1998, the baseball world was captivated by a steroid-assisted home run race, and six-year-old Kris Bryant was in his second season of serious training with his dad. A student at the Ted Williams school of hitting since age five, he was already swinging for the little league fences with the advice, “hit the ball […]
Covering All The Bases: Epstein’s Winning Formula
Last summer I watched Jake Arrieta no-hit the Dodgers, and it was awesome. But it wasn’t as exciting as Carlos Zambrano’s no-no seven years prior. That one had all the drama going for it: an emotionally erratic hurler with control issues, coming off extended rest, aiming to snap a 36-year dry spell by Cubs pitching. […]
Expectations, Narratives Changing at Wrigley as Ownership Evolves
The first time I went to Wrigley Field was in April of 2003. It was cold. Quite cold, in fact, but the atmosphere was not. Fans were relaxed—warmed up by cold beer—and I got to see Kerry Wood strike out 13 Pirates in a 4-0 shutout. We were newcomers to the party, but the instant […]