Winning is fun. The Cubs rolled through the early portion of their schedule, and used that cushion to weather a midseason blip in late June and early July. Then they came roaring out of the All-Star break, and are now poised to win a tenth straight game. Every team experiences ebbs and flows over the […]
Category: Articles
Series Preview: Cubs vs. Cardinals, August 11-14
Near the end of June, and a couple of weeks before the All-Star break, the Cardinals swept the Cubs at Wrigley Field. The Cubs were flailing in the deep waters then, at the nadir of their 2016 season; they subsequently dropped series versus the Reds, Mets, and Pirates, plus a makeup game versus the Braves. […]
Game 112 Recap: Cubs 3 Angels 1
Another day, another win. Another series, another sweep. The Cubs continued their tremendous second half form with a ninth win in a row, putting them 30 games above .500. Speaking of the second half, Jason Hammel is looking just fine, thanks. The right-hander pitched seven scoreless frames Wednesday night, striking out six and walking two […]
Ben Zobrist: A Tale of Three Seasons
The Chicago Cubs entered the 2016 season as the consensus favorite to win the World Series, with no shortage of intriguing options on the mound and in the field. For me, the area that stood out above the rest was the growth and development of the offense. After the always dependable (but still only 26-year-old!) Anthony […]
A Season of Obstacles: Jorge Soler in 2016
At every turn, it seems, the 2016 season has put up obstacles for Jorge Soler. He has hurdled each of them with aplomb so far, and to date his 2016 season has carried a Joseph Campbell-esque hero’s journey quality to it, to say nothing of the broader story: that Soler is a baseball player who defected from […]
Game 111 Recap: Cubs 5 Angels 1
70! After slogging through 30 calendar days to make it from 50 to 60 wins, the Cubs have now shot through their next 10 wins in just 14 days, and have won eight straight in the bargain. More fun stuff: They’re 9-1 in their last ten, and could end the night 12.0 (!) games up on […]
Brimming With Confidence, Almora Jr. Awaits Wrigley Return
When the Cubs bring Albert Almora Jr. back to the major leagues, he’ll be ready to help out in whatever way he can. The 22-year-old Almora was first called up to the big leagues earlier this season when Jorge Soler had to go on the disabled list, making his debut just a week into June. […]
Series Preview: Cubs vs. Angels, August 9-10
This season opened in Anaheim, and much of what made the Cubs the Cubs then has changed. Kyle Schwarber is no longer a part of the left field platoon, the bullpen is almost entirely reconfigured, and the depth of the minor league system has been tapped somewhat in order to ensure as best as possible […]
The Many Sides of Willson Contreras
The quiet confidence of Kris Bryant, the stoic Addison Russell, the flashy Javy Baez, the always smiling Dexter Fowler. The Cubs have a ton of personality on the roster that comes in many different forms. While Anthony Rizzo is surely the leader of this club and has shown immense passion from time to time (just ask […]
Just a Reliever? Maybe Not.
The Cubs remade their bullpen in the two weeks before the non-waiver trade deadline. The Cubs added three major league-caliber relievers, who now make up a third of their nine man bullpen. The acquisitions of Joe Smith and Mike Montgomery brought little fanfare despite adding depth to the bullpen. Aroldis Chapman and the price paid to […]