When you’re 41 games over .500 and have such a commanding division lead that your fans are already debating the merits of having either Tommy La Stella or Chris Coghlan as a left-handed pinch hitting option off the bench in the playoffs, it’s easy to forget the journey that led the Cubs to this point. Some fans probably just want […]
Tag: Jorge Soler
Game 137 Recap: Cubs 7 Brewers 2
When Thom Brennaman sat in the Reds broadcast booth in April and muttered “Enough already,” into the microphone, he had probably forgotten for a moment that he was on the air and his words would hang above the Cubs season for months to come. His private frustration was vocalized, and it’s captured the general sentiment […]
Jorge Soler and the Virtue of Patience
With the birth of statistics in baseball giving us a more accurate gauge of player talent, the eye test (note: this is not the same as scouting, which is still vitally important) has become a thing of the past, a relic for which we only use to pique our interest before looking to statistics to provide […]
A Season of Obstacles: Jorge Soler in 2016
At every turn, it seems, the 2016 season has put up obstacles for Jorge Soler. He has hurdled each of them with aplomb so far, and to date his 2016 season has carried a Joseph Campbell-esque hero’s journey quality to it, to say nothing of the broader story: that Soler is a baseball player who defected from […]
Game 110 Recap: Cubs 3 Athletics 1
Like a wasted youth that is recaptured later in life and made up for, the Cubs let several chances go by them in the first half of today’s game, only to ultimately push across three runs and complete their tenth sweep of the season. They won almost with a yawn and a dismissive flip of […]
Game 109 Recap: Cubs 4 Athletics 0
If the second half of Jake Arrieta’s 2015 season was a prolonged look at what the near-perfect pitcher might look like, this afternoon’s game was a throwback in more than just the uniforms. Today, Arrieta gave an eight inning glimpse at the kind of work he did on the mound at about this time a […]
Game 108 Recap: Cubs 7 Athletics 2
In the beginning of his career, a practically teenage Mike Tyson made a practice of dispensing with his opponents so quickly that the ringside luminaries could barely settle into their seats before the fight was already over. Tonight, it was a first inning lead-off home run, pair of singles, and a Jorge Soler three-run shot that ended […]
Lineup Roulette: How Much Will Jorge Soler Play?
It’s July, the weather in Chicago is steamy, and despite a stretch of baseball that has made much of the city cringe, the Cubs appear to be getting healthy coming out of the break. Tommy La Stella has already come off the DL, and several other important pieces are shortly behind him. David Ross should […]
Jorge Soler’s Injury: What It Means Now, and In the Future
Jorge Soler suffered a left hamstring strain while running to first base during Monday’s game against the Phillies. That story is, unfortunately, a familiar one for Cubs fans at this point. The young, promising slugger only recently appeared to be emerging from his early-season doldrums with one of his patented hot streaks, and Cubs fans […]
Jorge Soler Might Have Worked Something Out
Jorge Soler ended his 2015 season, which was a mixed bag overall, on a pretty high note with an amazing October that helped carry the Cubs through the NLDS. But since? Things haven’t been so good. First, he became the odd man out in the four-man outfield. Then, when Kyle Schwarber went down with his […]