Following the same path as last year, part one of this series looked at each of the Cubs’ offseason transactions to gauge whether they allowed the Cubs more or less financial flexibility in the years moving forward. This offseason was clearly different than last, as winning the World Series definitively changed the trajectory and unbridled […]
Category: Articles
Cactus Catchup: All Smiles in Mesa as the Game Begins Again
Sixteen weeks have passed since the Cubs won the World Series, and for many Cubs fans, it felt like sixteen years. Baseball, in its tepid early-spring training form, is back. Even if the weather is not spring-like in most of the U.S., Spring Training games always remind me of A. Bartlett Giamatti’s The Green Fields […]
Charcer Burks – Is This His Year to Break Out?
During the Cubs spring opener on Saturday, young Charcer Burks stepped to the plate in the seventh inning in a 3-3 game. After two strikes, Burks got a pitch up in the zone to his liking and sent it flying over the outfield fence. To go with that, the 21-year-old also made a nice diving […]
Dexter Fowler and Baseball as a Tool of Slavery
In October, Dexter Fowler made history as the first black Cub to play in the World Series. Concerning that fact, Fowler said it would not have been possible without Jackie Robinson, and it was something he would carry with himself. Over the weekend, he received backlash for his innocuous comments concerning the present administration’s travel […]
Wrigley Field and the Birmingham Campaign
The Birmingham Campaign began in the spring of 1963 to directly address the violent and deep segregation in Birmingham, Alabama. After a month of heavy protests, including sit-ins and rallies, the city came to an agreement with Martin Luther King Jr. and the other Campaign heads on May 11th. The Birmingham Truce Agreement sought to […]
Signs Point to Defensive Growth in Cubs’ Outfield
The Chicago Cubs have received a great deal of praise over the past calendar year for their defense, and it’s with good reason that they’re constantly lauded for what they achieve with the leather. This is especially true of the infield. When you’re talking about a group that includes Gold Glover Anthony Rizzo, a player […]
Unleash The Schwarber… Against Lefties Too
Heading into full spring training, and into the season, one of the things intent Cub watchers are curious about is how, once again, Joe Maddon will juggle all the players he needs to get into the lineup. We know there are five guys for infield spots in Anthony Rizzo, Ben Zobrist, Javy Baez, Addison Russell, […]
CACTUS CATCHUP: CUBS REV THEIR ENGINES BEFORE FIRST SPRING GAME
As the sun beats down in Mesa, Arizona, the baby bears are about to embark on their journey to repeat as World Champions when spring games officially kick off tomorrow. Yes, real, live action baseball, is almost back. Oh, what a lovely day. Waiting for the first “play ball!” has seemed to take forever, but […]
Kris Bryant’s Latest Adjustment
It goes without saying at this point that Kris Bryant’s sophomore campaign was a remarkable one, and in several different respects. He built on a historic rookie season by not only improving his first-year statistics, but blowing away his output in almost every single regard despite notching only 49 more plate appearances than the previous […]
Division Preview: The Pittsburgh Pirates
“Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more” – Henry V, Act 3, Scene 1 Consecutive seasons of wild card postseason exits would understandably leave a lot of western Pennsylvanians bitter. The two decades of losing seasons are one thing, but to finally break the barrier into the postseason for the first time since […]