While no one was mentioned by name in Theo Epstein’s post-season treatise on everything, when he got to the line about evaluating players on “production, not talent,” it was pretty clear there were only a couple players he could be talking about. Namely, they were Albert Almora, Kyle Schwarber (to an extent), and Ian Happ. […]
Tag: Ian Happ
Position Players Pitching: Maybe It Doesn’t Have To Mean Anything
“It’s just a bunch of stuff that happened.” -Homer Simpson Always go to Homer for the last word on anything. Wait, not that Homer? Well, whatever. At the tine of writing, Cubs fans have seen an unprecedented run of position player pitching. There were three against the Cardinals last Friday, and then two more on […]
David Bote’s Emergence, Ian Happ’s Role, and The Cubs’ Deadline Options
One of the biggest surprises of the Cubs’ 2018 first half was the emergence of utility infielder David Bote. Bote, an 18th round pick in the 2012 draft was never a serious prospect or a ballplayer with significant major league expectations. But, after a red-hot start to his big league career, Bote is raising eyebrows […]
Iowa Is The Best Place For Ian Happ Right Now
Ian Happ is going to play an important role for the Chicago Cubs this season, but that time is not now. The start to the 2018 season has not been what the Cubs wanted or expected out of their switch-hitting infielder/outfielder, but that’s the hand the team and Happ have been dealt. Happ’s issues at […]
Game 8 Recap: Cubs 5, Brewers 2
What You Need to Know After the Cubs’ late-game, defensive breakdown last night, the Brewers had a breakdown of their own. Two errors in the ninth allowed the Cubs to come back for four runs, though Chicago only hit one ball out of the infield in the inning. Yu Darvish was excellent, and Kris Bryant […]
It Doesn’t Quite Add Up
As grandma gets in the fastlane because the bingo game is gettin’ ready to roll, the final decisions, as small as they may be, have been made. We know who amongst the candidates (whom we didn’t know before spring training) will do the Iowa shuffle when the season starts (it’s not the most enjoyable dance). Along […]
Ian Happ vs. His Scouting Report
In his first few spring games, Ian Happ has walloped four home runs in only 18 plate appearances, including three leadoff homers. It’s enough to make one wonder if Happ could really slot into the leadoff spot more regularly for the 2018 Cubs, as Joe Maddon continues to search for a player to fill that role […]
2017 Player Profile: Ian Happ
Position: 2B/OF 2017 Statistics: AVG OBP SLG HR TAv wRC+ FRAA WARP .253 .328 .514 24 .284 113 -4.0 2.1 Year in Review: After lighting up the spring, it took barely more than a month into the 2017 regular season before the Cubs’ latest positional prodigy made his appearance at Wrigley Field. Ian Happ (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 […]
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 […]