One of the most bizarre aspects of being a Cub fan is that the better the team performs during the regular season, the more neurotic we get when we think about October. While the stereotype of Wrigley Field is that of a gigantic frat party, the reality is that postseason Cubs baseball is like watching […]
Category: Articles
Game 144 Recap: Cardinals 4 Cubs 2
Dexter Fowler got the scoring started in the first with his 21st career lead-off home run, and the night did not get kinder to Cardinals starter Jaime Garcia from there. He lasted just one and two-thirds innings for what was the shortest start of his career. Alex Reyes came on, and after striking out Kris […]
Game 143 Recap: Cubs 4 Cardinals 1
In the midst of his breakout season, pitching for a team on the precipice of clinching their division with more than two weeks remaining in the season, Kyle Hendricks entered Monday night’s start with very little left to prove in 2016. He then proceeded to come within three outs of pitching a no-hitter. Hendricks faced one […]
Series Preview: Cubs vs Cardinals, September 12-14
The Cubs and Cardinals have played several drama-filled and meaningful September series in recent memory. The Cubs chasing a playoff spot last year took 2 of 3 from the Cardinals twice in September. Any mention of important September series between these two teams must include the 5 game series to the start the month in […]
Game 142 Recap: CUBS 9 ASTROS 5
Even during Maddon’s September rest rotation for everyday position players, after a three game stretch with the offense held at bay, something had to give. Tonight, the floodgates opened once again. Though irksome command issues surfaced toward the end of Arrieta’s outing, he took care of business with a four-hit, three-run performance and (backed by […]
Game 141 Recap: Astros 2 Cubs 1
The Astros outhit the Cubs for the second straight game, but this time managed to score two runs first. Two runs is apparently the most runs teams are allowed to score while playing in Houston. So it was a good strategy by A.J. Hinch to call for an early Alex Bregman home run. A couple […]
Game 140 Recap: Cubs 2 Astros 0
Third time is the charm after all. The Cubs are no longer stuck on 89 wins. They have now won 90 or more games in back to back seasons for the first times since the 1930 season. Milestones like this have been a frequent occurrence, and that is to be expected when watching the best […]
Life at the Margins: Kris Bryant’s Changing Changes
This piece originally ran on the main site. We hope you enjoy a preview here. Kris Bryant never made much secret of the fact that he liked to hit the ball in the air. “I liked hitting home runs when I was little,” he told the Chicago Tribune last year. “To do that, you have […]
Series Preview: Cubs vs. Astros, September 9-11
Tangentially Related Introduction for the Series Preview Among the most prized possessions of my childhood was a Mickey & Minnie autograph book filled with the signatures of a dozen or so Houston Astros players. In the winter of 1993, my family rented a house just outside of Orlando, about a five minute drive from the Astros spring training […]
Kris Bryant: Most Improved (!) Player?
We’ve all been captivated by Kris Bryant in a number of different ways this season. His baserunning has been oustanding; he’s collected 4.3 BRR this year, good for 17th best in all of baseball. His athleticism and defensive versatility fit perfectly with Joe Maddon’s mad-scientist tendencies on defense. His defensive ability at third base has […]