In a first half packed with disappointment and mediocrity from all aspects of the roster, Ian Happ has represented a true bright spot for the Chicago Cubs. He’s hit up and down the lineup, leading the team in isolated power, at .290, and trailing only Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo in OPS (.870). While it […]
Tag: Ian Happ
A Meditiation on the Futility of Trade Speculation, Redux: Speculating Futilely
Ian Happ is good, and the Cubs are… kind of bad. The Cubs’ status quo as of the beginning of July is frustrating, and the rest-of-season prognosis is troubling, and possibly bleak. Between injuries to Kyle Hendricks, Jason Heyward, and Ben Zobrist; poor pitching from John Lackey and uneven pitching from the rest of the […]
Could Colonel Happ Be Superior To The Judge?
If you’re having flashbacks to the climactic scene in A Few Good Men, I get you. (And full disclosure, you won’t understand calling Ian Happ “The Colonel” if you’re not an insane Simpsons fan, and even then you might struggle. Anyway, Colonel Leslie “Happ” Hapablap, from the Air Show episode). Usually, I think comparing two players […]
Game 82 Recap: Cubs 6, Reds 2
What you need to know: The season is halfway over. I do not know whether to be excited by that or humbled at the results. At 40-41 heading into the game, the Cubs have underwhelmed the masses with poor starting pitching, shoddy defense, and a lack of offense with runners in scoring position. Can it […]
BP Wrigleycast Ep. 47: Time to send Happ back down?
The guys took a little time out on Memorial Day to bring you another episode of BP Wrigleycast. Ryan and Isaac welcome back Joel to the podcast, and they dive in head first with discussion about the Cubs’ recent struggles in Los Angeles. They break down the poor hitting of Kyle Schwarber and Addison Russell, […]
I Can’t Help Falling In Love With Ian Happ
It’s a tendency of every fanbase—nothing unique to those on the North Side—to want to cling to every top prospect within the organization, regardless of the potential prize associated with surrendering one or many of them. Even if one could make the argument that it’s a tendency that just happens to be at least slightly […]
BP Wrigleycast Episode 46: Cubs playing better thanks to Zobrist and Happ
After a one month absence, Ryan and Isaac get together to chat about the recent HAPPenings with the Chicago Cubs. Jake Arrieta’s strong start against Milwaukee is discussed, which leads into more trade discussions about starting pitching. The guys also discuss the hot bats of Ben Zobrist and rookie Ian Happ, and later go into […]
Game 36 Recap: Cardinals 5, Cubs 3
What you need to know: The focus of game two of the Cubs visit to St. Louis was on the young guns. With injuries and illness ravishing the team, there have been notable call-ups in the past week or so. The most notable of those was one of the Cubs’ top prospects, Ian Happ. His […]
Young Cubs: Still Going Strong
In the wake of a World Series victory, Cubs fans are clearly more willing to accept a less star-studded minor league system than the one we’ve watched in recent years. Rizzo, Bryant, Russell, Schwarber, Soler, Baez, Contreras, and even Almora are gone now, replaced by prospects whose stars shine a bit dimmer, at least in reputation. […]
Cactus Catchup: What’s Happ-ening?!
As we move into the midst of Spring Training, Joe Maddon is beginning to lead the Cubs to a little more normalcy. Starting pitchers are beginning to get into a more typical rotation, and lineups are beginning to solidify. The Cubs split their four games from Friday to Monday, winning two tighter games against Colorado […]