Hello, BP Wrigleyville! I’m Tom Hitchner, and I’ve been blogging about various sports matters at my site The Spiel for the last year. I’m very flattered that Rian has asked me to write the occasional piece here, especially because I’m missing a key qualification: I’m not a Cubs fan. I’m a Giants fan. I wasn’t paying enough […]
Category: Articles
Cubs, Perhaps, Give In To Chapman Temptation
Ordinarily, I’d guess that Tom Ricketts makes it a policy, across all of his businesses, to avoid actively alienating large swaths of his customer bases. Without having done the research, though, I can’t say that with 100 percent certainty. For all I know, the internet could be crawling with records of interactions like: RICKETTS: Are you […]
Game 106 Recap: Cubs 3 Marlins 2
As the calendar turned to August last year, Joe Maddon would repeatedly lift Jason Hammel in the fifth and sixth inning of games at the first sign of trouble. And invariably, the lanky pitcher would get upset with the decision. Tonight, Maddon did it again after six innings but there was one crucial difference: I […]
Transaction Analysis: Cubs Acquire Joe Smith
The transaction analysis shown below, written by BP’s own Meg Rowley, originally ran as part of a larger piece on the main site. We trust you’ll enjoy its inclusion here. Chicago Cubs: Acquired RHP Joe Smith from Los Angeles Angels in exchange for RHP Jesus Castillo. [8/1] The real issue, of course, isn’t that Joe […]
Jack Leathersich: The Human Pitching Machine
I like to watch movies with a twist—something unexpected that blows me away and leaves me wondering what the hell happened. That’s why I liked Memento, 10 Cloverfield Lane, and The Usual Suspects. Originality is in low supply out there, and a good surprise is always appreciated. When the Cubs claimed lefty-reliever Jack Leathersich from the […]
Young Cubs: Taking Stock
As farm systems are wont to do, the Cubs farm system has undergone several facelifts over the past few years. The face of the system has moved in quick succession from Javier Baez to Albert Almora to Kris Bryant to Kyle Schwarber to Willson Contreras (with Jorge Soler and Addison Russell nestled in between). This […]
Game 105 Recap: Cubs 5 Marlins 0
Some days, baseball takes it easy. Yesterday was not one of those days—but if you read the recap we published here, or watched the game, you know that already. Tonight was, though. The Cubs charged out to an early lead, scoring two in the first off of Marlins sacrificial lamb starting pitcher Adam Conley, and never really […]
Series Preview: Cubs vs. Marlins, August 1-3
I want to take you back to a simpler time, a time before iPhones, Twitter, and Google Docs. It’s 2003, and the Cubs are facing the Miami Florida Marlins at Wrigley Field in late July. Both teams are right around .500 and they weren’t exactly big rivals at the time, which makes the matchup pretty […]
Adam Warren’s Confusing Chicago Tenure
Aroldis Chapman made his first appearance for the Cubs on Wednesday, as I’m sure you were aware. Chapman has dominated the discourse for the last week, for obvious reasons; he is an electric and talented baseball player, who also fired eight shots from a handgun during an argument with his girlfriend in October, and allegedly […]
In Strop and Rondon, Cubs Have One Of Their Best Ever Duos
Other than maybe the Kansas City Royals of the last few years, every fan thinks that the bullpen of their favorite team is bad and could use improvements at the trade deadline. So with all the fanfare regarding the Cubs trading for Aroldis Chapman, their brand-new, shiny closer, you’d think they’ve had problems at the […]