So, last night’s results aside, the Cubs offense has finally struggled. I say finally because we all knew the blistering pace they were on was going to come to an end at some point—no team can keep up that kind of production over 162 games, and this team is no different. Their recent struggles are a […]
Tag: Jorge Soler
Two Go, We Go: Could Dexter Fowler Better Serve the Cubs Batting Second?
Joe Maddon’s quippy, screen print-friendly words of advice and encouragement to his players can be a bit tedious at times. “Try Not to Suck” is a winner. “Respect 90″ is basic, but strong. “Do Simple Better” and “The Process is Fearless” encapsulate these Cubs so wonderfully, one can excuse the fact that they’re inherited Maddonisms, […]
Jorge Soler Has Already Made History, Now What?
When I was a kid growing up in Guatemala, I collected baseball cards. I had too many of them, so I had to come up with a system to decide which cards made it into a book I kept, and which ones sat stacked in a drawer, alone and unloved. If a player was “good,” […]
The Best is Yet to Come: Soler in Context
“I heard him say ‘thank you’ at Starbucks. I thought that was a big step.” Initially chuckle-inducing, it didn’t take long for the profound meaning behind Joe Maddon’s comment to sink in. Now four years into his contract with the Cubs, Jorge Soler’s adaptation to life in the U.S. is not only noteworthy, but still […]
Finding A Path Forward for Jorge Soler
I have a confession to make. I’ve always been in love with Jorge Soler as a hitter. With a walk rate over 10 percent and strikeout rate right around 17 percent in the minor leagues, and with his hulking physique and a smile that could light up the entire state of Ohio for a week, how could […]
Cubs Have No Reason to Trade Soler
About a week ago, the 2016 Cubs seemed set. The offseason was over, spring training had begun, and apart from a few battles for the 24th or 25th spot on the roster, there wasn’t much left to be decided before Opening Day. Then, on Thursday afternoon, that all changed. Such is life with the qualifying offer. The signing […]
Schwarber and Soler’s Contact Issues are Different, the Same
Well. The Cubs have had quite a busy few days, when it comes to the outfield, and we now know that Kyle Schwarber, Jason Heyward, Jorge Soler, and Dexter Fowler are going to spend the bulk of the time roaming the outfield grass at Wrigley Field. But we’re also left with a lot of questions […]
After Fowler’s Return, Making Time for Jorge Soler
Perhaps my inclination to root for the underdog, the outsider, is a large part of why I’m a Cubs fan in the first place. It probably also explains why, after working through the stages of processing Thursday’s Cubs roster moves (disbelief, confusion, surprise, joy), one of the first things I thought about was what this […]
Dexter Fowler Re-Signs With the Chicago Cubs: How Does Their Outfield Work Now?
Dexter Fowler is a Chicago Cub again, after some kind of pro wrestling story arc played out over the course of perhaps 45 minutes on Thursday afternoon. Which, wow. There’s a lot of emotion here. That’s what makes this story so fascinating, and we’ll have a lot more coming on the site here in the next […]
Life at the Margins in the Cubs’ Outfield
The Cubs, it appears, are done with their major offseason moves. That’s not a bad thing—lord knows they’ve done enough already—but it does mean that the present period, running roughly between the end of Cubs Convention and the beginning of Spring Training, lacks a certain something when it comes to news. Namely, news. But that doesn’t mean that […]