Whew. If you’re reading this, the Cubs (somehow, barely, and very questionably) did what they needed to do against a great, great Nationals team after a great, great series. And now it’s Friday, and we’re all guzzling coffee, rubbing our eyes, and wondering what’s next. For the Los Angeles Dodgers, once again the Cubs’ NLCS […]
Author: Nate Greabe
Second City October: NLDS Game Two, Cubs (1-0) at Nationals (0-1)
The Cubs and Kyle Hendricks stole Game One from a dominant Stephen Strasburg, which makes winning Game Two a bit less desperate. Strictly speaking, the Cubs already got their one required win in Washington, and this is not a must-win game. That’s a boring way of thinking, though, and today the Cubs are in position […]
Series Preview: Cubs vs. Cardinals
Last year, the Cubs played the Cardinals on September 23-25, and the story was somewhat different. The Cubs had already clinched the NL Central and were simply playing out the season to see how many wins they could rack up (103). While they might prefer to be back in that position this year if they had […]
The Seventh Inning Stretch and the Danger of Eroding Fandom
Last night, the Cubs invited Dan Katz, a.k.a. “Big Cat” of Barstool Sports—an often misogynist, retrograde, and undeniably popular entertainment site—to sing the seventh inning stretch. Though they ended up somewhat downplaying it and pairing Katz with radio announcer Ron Coomer (it was unclear if that had been the plan all along, or if they called […]
Game 114 Recap: Cubs 8, Diamondbacks 3
What You Need to Know: The Cubs struck early in the first when Taijuan Walker lived up to his name: three walks and a passed ball later, the Cubs had a 2-0 lead. Kris Bryant added an RBI single in the third, and Kyle Schwarber—in his first game at Chase Field since his injury last […]
Game 81 Recap: Reds 5, Cubs 3
What you need to know: Jackson Stephens, a 23-year-old pitcher making his MLB debut, barely outdueled Eddie Butler this afternoon—more with his bat than his arm. In the fourth inning, Stephens delivered a two-out, bases loaded single that gave the Reds a 4-3 lead. They didn’t give it back. Stephens battled through just five innings and […]
Young Cubs: Now Even Younger
When the big league Cubs struggle, minor league development always becomes just a bit more interesting. Nowadays, though, in the absence of the high-level, superstar prospects of years past, it can be a bit more difficult than it used to be to find the storylines and prospects to hone in on. It is for this purpose […]
Young Cubs: Cease Your Happ Puns
The big league Cubs are struggling and banged up, and so we’ve seen—sooner than we’d hoped—the callups of Iowa’s most interesting prospects. Jeimer Candelario, Eddie Butler, and Ian Happ all made their 2017 debuts last week, and each immediately afforded the reeling Cubs some much-needed support. Each, perhaps with the exception of Butler, will likely end […]
Young Cubs: Still Going Strong
In the wake of a World Series victory, Cubs fans are clearly more willing to accept a less star-studded minor league system than the one we’ve watched in recent years. Rizzo, Bryant, Russell, Schwarber, Soler, Baez, Contreras, and even Almora are gone now, replaced by prospects whose stars shine a bit dimmer, at least in reputation. […]
As Almora Jr. Takes His Spot in Center, What Have We Learned?
On November 2nd in Cleveland, I watched Albert Almora Jr. pinch run for Kyle Schwarber and tag up from first to second on a long flyball off the bat of Kris Bryant. From my vantage point, and for a brief, exhilarating second, I thought the ball was gone. Many players would likely have drifted off […]