For the second consecutive spring, one of the biggest stories, and one of the more watched aspects in Mesa, is the changes (and resulting effects) of Jason Heyward’s swing. The study of hand-placement, starting points, stride, has gone so far beyond Zapruder-like that even the most closeted conspiracy theorist is saying, “Man, those guys are weird!” […]
Author: Sam Fels
Yu, The Cubs, The Luxury Tax, And You
As this winter interminably dragged on with not much happening other than more and more people complaining–and you’ll never convince me a lot the noise this winter was generated simply by writers having nothing to write about and angry about it, as hell hath no fury like a sportswriter scorned–one drum that kept getting beat […]
Would Realignment Help The Hot Stove?
Admittedly, the inactivity of the hot stove has led a lot of us to get lost in our own minds about why it might be. And there might not be a more dangerous gaggle of people to get lost in their own heads than baseball writers and analysts, at least in the sports world. This […]
American Baseball Continues To Mirror Its Home
Seemingly every winter, we are inundated with stories and curiosity about how the free agent market has developed. With this one being particularly slow, and involving a rather unimpressive crop of free agents, there has been amazement at just how little is going on. We have seen the GM Meetings and Winter meetings pass, and […]
Yu Darvish: 2500 Leagues (and Innings) Under The Sea
After a brief spasm of activity where the Cubs filled out a spot in the rotation with Tyler Chatwood and a couple spots in the bullpen, we’re all sitting around watching the water boil again. Or not boil, however that phrase goes. I guess not boil, which is even more boring than watching it boil. […]
Second City October – NLCS Game Three Preview: Dodgers (2-0) at Cubs (0-2)
There are no such things as must-win games until you’re actually facing the axe. There has only been one series comeback from a 3-0 as we know, and those Yankees did not have this rotation or bullpen (just the closer, and the Red Sox got to him, which is an important lesson). Good for the Cubs […]
Second City October: NLCS Game Two, Cubs (0-1) at Dodgers (1-0)
Well, as they say they beautiful thing about baseball is that there isn’t a lot of time to linger because there’s another game tomorrow. Well, I mean, that’s probably not how they say it, but you get it. Sadly, the problems that were pretty evident last night aren’t going to go away tonight. You can’t […]
Second City October: NLDS Game Five, Cubs (2-2) at Nationals (2-2)
It always seemed destined to end up like this. Before the series, every preview you saw or went through in your own head made it awfully hard to split these two teams. Similar offenses, rotations that though they go about it differently are just about as solid, and deep pens. The games themselves haven’t varied […]
Second City October: NLDS Game Three, Nationals (1-1) at Cubs (1-1)
It’s now a best-of-three, and lost amid the angst of Saturday’s loss is that the Cubs have the home field advantage, whatever that might mean to you. Two home wins, Cubs move on. Seems simple enough, doesn’t it? If only baseball worked that way. So let’s get right to it. Game Three is basically all about […]
Second City October: NLDS Game One Preview, Cubs at Nationals
Well now it’s here. You forget how interminable the four-day wait from the end of the season to Game One can be, but at least it’s over. Let the shpilkus flow! It always feels a touch silly previewing one baseball game, because as we know these things can go anywhere on the whim of the wind […]