Putting in Work Kyle Schwarber flashed some versatility at the plate on Wednesday. He led off the game with a bunt single and hit a two-run shot later in the game. While it remains to be seen how often we should expect to see the former from Schwarber throughout the season, it just goes to […]
Category: Articles
A reasoned analysis of Kyle Schwarber’s left field play
For all the members of Cubs Nation that have already wiped pre-2016 Cubs history from their memories, I will remind you about some very recent history: in 2015, the New York Mets unceremoniously swept the upstart Cubs 4-0, ending their season. At this point, I doubt that many Cubs players dwell on that sweep. One […]
Examining Justin Grimm’s 2017 Role in Chicago
Justin Grimm has always been a player that carries a lot of intrigue for me. At one point, his role was an uncertain one, because he had some elements of his game that were reminiscent of a guy who could slot into the rotation long-term. Of course, that never quite came to fruition. Instead, he’s become […]
Jake Arrieta Coming Down The Mountain
No Cub is going to generate as much discussion than our very own Greek god Jake Arrieta. Not only are we not totally sure what Arrieta is going to provide this season, or how we’re going to feel about it, but he’s also headed into free agency. So along with his performance—whatever it might end […]
Cactus Catchup: Rotation Work and Roster Cuts
Leaving the snow and cold behind, I have spent the past four days in Arizona, soaking up all things Cubs. In between hiking up mountains and celebrating Irish heritage with green beer, I was able to actually squeeze in some baseball. After multiple trips to the minor league backfields and visits to both Camelback Ranch […]
Oscar de la Cruz Could Be a Giant Arm with One More Pitch
Oscar De la Cruz is a big, big man. Everything about him as a baseball player is just huge. While he is listed at 6’4″ and 200 pounds, those stats might be four or five years old. He’s likely closer to 6’6″ and 220 pounds. When I watch him pitch, his hands are so huge […]
Javier Baez and Playing the Game “The Right Way”
Allow me to step on my soapbox for a moment here. I am tired of folks screaming about baseball and “the right way” to play it. Whether it’s old school players and coaches who had the game pass them by years ago or traditionalists who still believe that RBIs are indicative of a player’s ability […]
Ben Zobrist’s Aging Curve
This past month, the Cubs have discovered that one of the nice things about returning most of the core from a 103 win World Series champion is that there isn’t a lot of Spring Training drama. With most of the roster decisions already decided by mid-February, it’s up to the beat writers to create their […]
Who should lead off for the Cubs in 2017?
The Chicago Cubs’ high-powered offense contributed to much of their success in 2016, and much of the third-ranked 808 runs they scored was due to the production of Dexter Fowler at the top of the order. Fowler had been the lead-off man on the North Side since he was acquired in 2015 and for two […]
Cactus Catchup: Getting Itchy
We’ve got that itch. We’re ready to go for the season. – Kyle Hendricks It’s so weird. It’s a weird time down here. -Jon Lester I believe it was Williams Shakespeare, or perhaps a baseball blogger who struggled to pay attention in ninth grade English, who once wrote, “Beware the Ides of March, because that is […]