When the big league Cubs struggle, minor league development always becomes just a bit more interesting. Nowadays, though, in the absence of the high-level, superstar prospects of years past, it can be a bit more difficult than it used to be to find the storylines and prospects to hone in on. It is for this purpose […]
Category: Articles
10 years later: Jason Heyward recalls 2007 MLB Draft experience
In just a few hours hundreds of the best amateur baseball players from around the globe are going to hear their name called in the 2017 MLB First Year Player Draft. Chicago Cubs outfielder Jason Heyward heard his name called in the first round of the draft 10 years ago this week in a draft filled […]
Game 62 Recap: Cubs 7, Rockies 5
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Heading into the game, I did some online shopping for some pitchforks, lanterns, and clubs in case the Cubs lost. Not surprisingly, Amazon.com had the best deals. I thought $35 was pretty reasonable for a pitchfork. The problem soon became that Amazon did not have same day shipping for what I […]
Prospect Update: Adbert Alzolay Is Beginning to Figure It Out
One of the bright spots in the Cubs organization this summer has been the pitching performance of Adbert Alzolay. The 22-year-old right-hander from Venezuela has a fastball that has been sitting 95 to 96 most nights. While his secondaries still need work, he is an intriguing starting pitching candidate beyond this year. With an ERA […]
Game 61 Recap: Rockies 9, Cubs 1
What You Need to Know: Eddie Butler pitched well, but the Cubs lost their fourth in a row, dropping them below .500. The Rockies’ starter, Jeff Hoffman, was excellent, striking out eight in 6 1/3 innings. Next Level: In Jeff Hoffman’s first three starts this year, he struck out 24 and walked one in 19 […]
The Cubs and Moby Dick
“Weeghman, Weeghman, Federal man Make me a contract as fast as you can, Pad it and sign it and mark it O.K. And I’ll go to the majors and ask for more pay.” It’s no secret that Theo Epstein has been enamoured by Anthony Rizzo for the entirety of Rizzo’s career, first drafting him with […]
Game 60 Recap: Rockies 5, Cubs 3
What You Need To Know: The Cubs offense once again sputtered, wheezed, coughed, stumbled, gagged, choked its way into high-leverage situations. But much like a high school boy trying to ask his dream girl to the prom, when the moment of truth came they emitted barely a squeak, got a silly look on their face, and […]
Breaking Balls Continue to Flummox Cubs
We were served a full plate of narrative heft last fall when the Cubs bested Cleveland in the World Series. As I have relayed elsewhere, there was an abundance of good stories for those who wanted them: the historical angle, of course, but also the return of Kyle Schwarber, the feats of Andrew Miller, the […]
Missing Your Pitch: Addison Russell 2017
Author’s Note: I wrote the majority of this piece before the news broke that Addison Russell is currently under investigation for suspected domestic violence based on an Instagram post made by his wife this past Wednesday night and subsequent comments on said post by his wife’s friend. Obviously, domestic violence is a serious and heinous crime, and […]
Game 59 Recap: Rockies 4, Cubs 1
What You Need to Know: Jon Lester labored through five innings, giving up some weak contact before a big home run off the bat of former Cub DJ LeMahieu. A solo homer from Kris Bryant in the first and some minor scoring threats in the middle innings couldn’t overcome Rockies starter Tyler Chatwood’s solid performance. […]