During the offseason, it was pretty much a foregone conclusion that the Cubs would have to trade one of their four young players who hadn’t quite scratched out star status or a full-time role yet. One of Javier Báez, Addison Russell, Ian Happ, or Kyle Schwarber would be calling the movers, with pitching coming back […]
Author: Sam Fels
Showing Your Hickey: A Look at Some Early Season Walk Rates
While the Cubs had a pretty smooth spring training, just the way they wanted it, there was little talk of the new coaches the Cubs hired. It seemed just a touch strange for a team that had won the division two years in a row, and gone to the NLCS three years in a row, […]
Jason Heyward Is Goin’ Through Them Changes
BP should always put a disclaimer on anything we write before like, May 1st, that stipulates were dealing with tiny sample sizes when considering the whole of a baseball season. But they don’t, so now I’ve just done that. You’ve been disclaimed. Or I have. I don’t really know who claims the disclaiming but let’s […]
Game 12 Recap: Pirates 6, Cubs 1
What You Need To Know: Justin Wilson reverted to Justin Wilson-ing in the seventh, after the lovely two week vacation we got from that to start the season. He was walk-happy, and by the time he realized he had to come over the plate, Francisco “I’ma Turn Into Johnny Bench’s And Carlton Fisk’s Lovechild For This Series” […]
Game 4 Recap: Marlins 6, Cubs 0
Well that’s a funny-looking strike. The Cubs didn’t play very well today. They didn’t really play very well all series, except for the ‘pen. Not necessarily bad, just not tight. And today it was loose. Like Iggy Pop loose. And it leaves them with a split with the Marlins, which—even though it’s only 1/40th of […]
It Doesn’t Quite Add Up
As grandma gets in the fastlane because the bingo game is gettin’ ready to roll, the final decisions, as small as they may be, have been made. We know who amongst the candidates (whom we didn’t know before spring training) will do the Iowa shuffle when the season starts (it’s not the most enjoyable dance). Along […]
Game 1 Recap: Cubs 8, Marlins 4
And the pig has been kicked! Not the cleanest effort, but it didn’t have to be. What You Need To Know: This Cubs offense is going to be a problem for just about anyone who comes across it. It’s a major crisis for a team that punted on the opportunity to field a major league team […]
Bullpen Flexibility and A Missed Opportunity
While Joe Maddon may never have to pay for a meal in this city again after 2016 (does Maddon even eat meals? Or does he have some new-age health bars he uses? These are the questions, people!), there has been something of a let-down in that the creativity in deploying his lineups hasn’t quite been […]
If They Had To Do It All Over Again…
Amongst the tributes and Twitter videos, of which I certainly haven’t watched all or anything, I suppose at some point some people would ask if the Cubs saw the market developing this way. With Arrieta finally signing two weeks int march for only three years, Lance Lynn nabbing a mere one-year deal, and Alex Cobb […]
Bend And Change Is The New Twist And Crawl
Mike Montgomery is something of a weird study. It’s hard to judge just how vital he is to the Cubs’ success this year. He’s not a starter, and he’s not a closer (except for that one time), and yet he may end up being more important than a reliever. And the hunch says you’re going […]