First, a confession. I did not like the David Ross signing when it happened in December 2014. For this reason, and maybe this reason alone, I am grateful that BP Wrigleyville did not exist at this time. I am fairly certain that I would have written a piece lauding the potential of a Welington Castillo/Miguel […]
Tag: David Ross
Grandpa Rossy, Grand to the End
There was no outbreak of fan excitement when David Ross signed with the Cubs. No grand press conference where dozens of cameras flashed as he put on his new uniform for the first time. The Cubs Shop didn’t offer a sale on authentic number 3 jerseys for Christmas of 2014. And even if they had, […]
Game 66 Recap: Cubs 4 Pirates 3
It’s possible that, after tonight, the Pirates front office is planning a secession from the NL Central. They were swept by the Cardinals last weekend and are staring the possibility of another in division sweep in this one. They’ve been almost entirely helpless against the Cubs this year, and currently sit closer to last place […]
Cubs’ Catching Situation Provides More Questions Than Answers
Very few people would confuse Tim Federowicz for Jonathan Herrera, at least up close. But if you look from a distance and squint a bit, you might just see the resemblance. Herrera, you’ll recall, spent the entire 2015 season on the Cubs’ big league roster despite making it into just 73 total games and starting […]
Ross Retirement Party: Out With a Bang
It’s a very strange thing that a guy can by 39 years old and on the verge of retirement. And have the nickname “Grandpa” to boot. It’s also probably strange that I have felt compelled to write about David Ross on now more than one occasion in this young season. I mean, sure, we’re all […]
BP Instant: Miguel Montero to the Disabled List, Tim Federowicz up from Iowa
On Thursday morning, a few hours before the Cubs took on the Milwaukee Brewers in the finale of a rain-shortened two-game set at Wrigley Field, the team announced that Miguel Montero would be placed on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to Monday, and that Tim Federowicz had been called up from Triple-A Iowa to take […]
Catching History, Ross Continues Retirement Party With Style
David Ross had never caught a no hitter before last night, which is a bit of a surprise, given not just the length of his career, but also the pitchers he’s caught for across those years. Namely, Jon Lester for the better part of the recent years of his career. This year, he’s on a farewell tour […]
Fatigue, Platoons, and a Prospect: Cubs Catching Sans Schwarber
Kyle Schwarber was never going to catch more than a couple dozen games this season. Even as the end of Spring Training revealed the Cubs’ plan to hitch Schwarber’s catching starts to Jason Hammel’s starts on the mound, the former Hoosier’s catching development—which some began to view with cautious optimism last season, a testament to […]
How Does David Ross Fit on the 2016 Chicago Cubs?
David Ross batted .176/.267/.252 for the 2015 Chicago Cubs. He’d only batted .184/.260/.368 for the 2014 Boston Red Sox, but the difference in the last figures in those two slash lines is everything. His .203 True Average in 2015 was the 10th-worst among players who went to bat at least 150 times, not quite Christhian […]
Cubs Player Profile: David Ross
David Ross Position: Catcher 2015 Stats: 72 G, 182 PA, .176/.267/.252, .203 TAv, -0.3 WARP Year in Review: We can now all officially exhale and say that, no, David Ross wasn’t exactly what many hoped for on the field in his debut year with the Cubs. Yes, we know what Ross can do, and […]