As of Monday, the Cubs had given 2,345 plate appearances to players in their age-25 season or younger. In those trips to the plate, that subset of the team drew 207 walks. Both figures are the highest in the league for that age group, which should surprise no one at this point. The Cubs are […]
Tag: Anthony Rizzo
That’s So Cub: A Look at the Top July Contributors and Moments
It’s the beginning of August, which means not only that the dog days of summer are officially here, but also that I, as I have since the beginning of time the beginning of the season, will sit down and write about the top Cubs’ contributors and moments from the previous month. If you want a brief technical summary of […]
BP Digital Magazine: Cubs Midseason Update Edition
It’s been a fun season on the North Side of Chicago. For the first time since 2008, the Cubs are relevant, and their young core has them in position to make it to the playoffs—and possibly the promised land—come October. The starting pitching has been excellent, the bullpen inconsistent at times but with flashes of […]
No-Hitter Is of No Matter, It’s the No Offense That’s Concerning
Everyone okay? Did you get a chance to breathe, punch a wall, or drown your sorrows in a fine beverage? Good deal, it was probably time for some of that anyway; we all need to blow off a little steam every now and then. But here’s the thing: the fact that the Cubs got no […]
The Fine Art of Choosing the Perfect Cubs Jersey
As you may have read here on this very website, the Cubs are actually… wait, let me check my advanced statistical modeling… “good” this year. So yes, you should go to Wrigley Field and support the team. And to really show your fandom, you should wear a Cubs jersey. But there’s an issue here, and it’s […]
Can Participating in the Derby Hurt a Player’s Offensive Production?
Last week, it was announced that both Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant would participate in the Home Run Derby at the All-Star Game, and since they’re both going to be in Cincinnati anyway, why not? Almost immediately, consternation materialized as concerns mounted as to whether there might be deleterious effects by participating. With the explosion […]
It’s Been a Long Time Since Chicago Cubs Fans Had a Rooting Interest in the Home Run Derby
The 2004 Chicago Cubs season was a peculiar thing. The surprise and excitement of 2003 gave way to the … things that happened in the playoffs, but the formerly woeful and downtrodden Cubs came into 2004 a sudden favorite. And why not? Mark Prior, Kerry Wood, and Carlos Zambrano were on the rise. The Derrek Lee, […]
The Myth of the Kris Bryant Call-Up
As the Cubs pass the halfway mark of the season, it’s completely reasonable to look ahead and see how they might finish out the year. They have a four-game lead in the race for the final NL wild card spot, a race that in all likelihood will stay tight. As such, a story that had […]
That’s So Cub: A Look at the Top June Contributors and Moments
Today is July 1st, which means that my favorite holiday of the year—the Fourth of July—is just around the corner, that I will be moving back to Chicago from London tomorrow, and that I, as I have since the beginning of time since the beginning of the season, will sit down and write about the top Cubs’ […]
Players are Human: On Quantifying Makeup and Personality
We’ve heard it countless times: baseball is a game of adjustments. Regardless of how talented a player is, he’s going to have to adjust at the big-league level if he wants to remain successful. Take Anthony Rizzo, for example. In 2012 he tasted his first bit of success in the major leagues. The following year […]