In retrospect, it’s going to be awfully amusing that Ben Zobrist’s 2018 is mostly going to be remembered for the shoes controversy. Somehow, MLB decided that in a league full of Josh Haders and Roberto Osunas, it was going to make an example out of a player who seemingly exists to answer the question: “What […]
Tag: Ben Zobrist
The Vets Are Back in Town
It’s no secret that the Cubs have been the biggest player on the free agent market since the winter of 2014-2015. They haven’t been in on every free agent, and perhaps they have missed on a few opportunities to improve their club because of that, but they have made four significant signings since that offseason: […]
Game 52 Recap: Cubs 5, Mets 1
On a gloomy night at Citi Field in Queens, New York, starting pitcher Jose Quintana shined throughout his six-inning outing to help the Cubs get a 5-1 victory over the New York Mets. What You Need to Know: Quintana continued his trend of pitching better on the road than at home by throwing his third straight […]
Who Is Best Suited To Set The Cubs’ Table In 2018?
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 […]
2017 Player Profile: Ben Zobrist
Position: 2B/RF/LF 2017 Stats: Avg. OBP SLG HR TAv wRC+ FRAA WARP .232 .318 .375 12 .249 82 -2.8 0.2 Year in Review: In March, Ken Schultz wrote a piece about Ben Zobrist’s aging curve. In it, he looked at historical comparisons for elite-level second basemen and at what point in their careers their production fell off the […]
It’s Time for the Cubs to Act Like the Dodgers: Part 2, Offensive Depth
Yesterday, I covered how the Cubs should go about addressing their rotation and bullpen for 2017. Today, I cover offensive depth. The Cubs NEED to Implement Their “Depth,” Platoon Aggressively, and Joe Maddon NEEDS to be Willing to Adjust… Like the Dodgers and Dave Roberts I put depth in quotes because Chicago’s “depth” has a […]
Should the Cubs Cut Back Ben Zobrist’s Playing Time?
Notwithstanding his home run last night, the 2017 season hasn’t gone nearly as well for Ben Zobrist as 2016 and with the Cubs needing to do everything they can to win the division, it may be time to look for some other options besides Zobrist. The 2016 World Series MVP has struggled with injuries and just […]
Ian Happ’s Role Down the Stretch
There was a point this season where Ian Happ felt like the only thing that had gone right for the Cubs. The rookie came up in mid-May and immediately started raking. Ten of his first twenty-five hits went for home runs, and he was one of the few players keeping the team from sinking further […]
A Different Kind of Angst: What Needs to Go Right on Offense
In January, during the Cubs Convention at the Sheraton Grand in Chicago, Joe Maddon titillated the crowd with his confident proclamation that the Cubs would repeat their World Series title, and no one in the crowd doubted it. In the months since, “That’s Cub” has become, again, both a pejorative and mocking refrain, depending on […]
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 […]