As we sit in the doldrums of winter, awaiting any sort of news surrounding potential additions to the North Side of Chicago, there’s still plenty to be discussed surrounding the team as currently constructed. And with some of the buzz around such hypothetical additions relating to the number one spot in the batting order, the […]
Tag: Anthony Rizzo
2017 Player Profile: Anthony Rizzo
Position: 1B 2017 Stats: AVG OBP SLG HR TAv wRC+ FRAA WARP .273 .392 .507 32 .304 133 15.0 5.1 Year in Review: In what was really a banner year for Anthony Rizzo off the field, taking home both the Roberto Clemente Award and Marvin Miller Man of the Year for his work in the […]
Playoff Anthony Rizzo is the Best Kind of Anthony Rizzo
There were a couple of different schools of thought when Anthony Rizzo came off the field screaming “Respect Me” after his bloop hit gave the Cubs their 2-1 lead that led to their win in Game Three of the National League Division Series. Some questioned not the moment, but Rizzo’s reaction to a knock that likely […]
July 10, 2014 & The Cubs’ True Turn Toward Competitive Baseball
Let’s turn the clock back. Back before the Cubs were hte 2016 world champions. Back before their improbable 2015 run. Back to 2014. July 10, 2014, specifically. A day in which the 39-52, cellar-dwelling Chicago Cubs, riding a six-game losing streak took on the Cincinnati Reds. The July afternoon matinee at the Great American Ball […]
Anthony Rizzo: Leadoff Experiment Should Be More Than That
In search of a spark for what has been a relatively stagnant offense for the majority of 2017, Joe Maddon made waves last week when he inserted his slugging first baseman Anthony Rizzo into the top spot in the batting order against the New York Mets. What has ensued has been an offense that, while […]
The 2017 Leadoff Experiment and the Backdrop of Cubs Leadoff History
“Anthony loves batting leadoff!” –Anthony Rizzo, upon homering for the second day in a row There are a lot of skills that go into becoming the greatest leadoff hitter of all time. And it’s comforting to know Rizzo has already mastered referring to himself in the third person. Until the big first baseman took over […]
Revisiting the Cubs’ Leadoff situation
It’s official, Anthony Rizzo is the best lead-off hitter in the history of Major League Baseball. Alright, that may be a bit of a stretch, but Rizzo has certainly taken to the leadoff spot as shown by his two homers in his first at-bats as the Cubs’ table setter. While Rizzo’s success at the top has […]
GAME 58 RECAP: Marlins 6, CUBS 5
What You Need To Know: John Lackey struggled and gave up five runs on seven hits, including a pair of long balls. The silver lining is that he struck out six and walked none. The Marlins’ sixth, and what would eventually become game-deciding, run was scored on a bizarre strikeout-wild pitch during which no one other […]
The Inevitable Progression of Anthony Rizzo
Anyone who has watched the Cubs in recent weeks has been likely found themselves fueled by a certain degree of frustration. In some cases, it’s underperforming expectations. In others, it’s not even a performance issue necessarily, but more of a general baseball issue, in that it’s not always the fairest of games. Sometimes, even for […]
Anthony Rizzo’s Swing Adjustments
It’s not exactly breaking news that Anthony Rizzo is one of the most watchable players in baseball. Between his mix of power and plate discipline and a defensive reel that looks like a Spider Man reboot (“Spidey Faces His Most Dastardly Foe of All: Corporate Season Ticket Holders!”), the Cubs’ first baseman draws our eyes […]