On Monday, July 21st, the Cubs were facing off against the Cincinnati Reds at the Great American Ballpark. They were 49-42 and only a game ahead of the San Francisco Giants for the second NL wild card spot. Down by two runs in the top of the ninth with a man on, rookie Kyle Schwarber […]
Tag: Hector Rondon
Cubs Player Profile: Hector Rondon
2015 Stats 72 G, 70 IP, 1.67 ERA, 3.18 DRA, 24.6 K%, 5.3 BB%, 1.3 WARP Year in Review There are moments in a season like the Cubs’ 2015 in which the closer plays the hero as a matter of course. When you’re the guy whose job it is to get the last three outs […]
That’s So Cub: A Look at the Top August Contributors and Moments
It’s the beginning of September, which not only means that kids head back to school and beer gardens become a lot less fun, 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 […]
The Cubs’ Bullpen High-Wire Act
Last weekend was an exciting one for the Cubs, sweeping the Giants and firmly establishing their claim as the team to beat for the last NL playoff spot. They certainly made it interesting, with James Russell and Jason Motte combining to turn a mop-up game on Saturday into something interesting, and Hector Rondon giving every […]
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 […]
Maddon Making Bullpen Trio Work
Things happen. Bullpens aren’t perfect, and more often than not, when a team loses a game that was resting on the shoulders of a bullpen arm, said pitcher is going to take some heat. Unfortunately, last week’s shocking loss to the Cardinals fell on the shoulders of Cubs reliever Pedro Strop. All runs surrendered are […]
A Long Season in Short Relief
The truth about contending teams’ bullpens is that very few of them remain the same throughout a season. The easiest thing to add at the trade deadline is an extra relief arm, and the easiest guy to displace to make room for any addition is the last guy in a bullpen, but that’s only part […]
Unraveling Rondon
The Cubs took Hector Rondon in the 2012 Rule 5 draft, stealing him out of the Cleveland Indians farm system. Rondon pitched out of the bullpen and withstood a rough first half of the 2013 season before rebounding and pitching well down the stretch. His 97 mph fastball and 86 mph slider are his bread […]