If you want to start worrying about the Cubs rotation, I’m going to give you permission to raise your threat level from green to orange. Not that you really know what that means, but it probably means adjusting in your seat. Jon Lester has been riding his luck and the Cubs defense, and you never […]
Tag: Kyle Hendricks
Kyle Hendricks Can’t Keep the Ball in the Park
If you’ve watched a lot of Kyle Hendricks this year (and let’s be honest – if you’re reading this, you have), and if you’ve thought he seems a little off, don’t worry; you’re not alone. Hendricks himself has noticed, as he explained after last Sunday’s loss to the Pirates: “I’m just fighting myself on some […]
Showing Your Hickey: A Look at Some Early Season Walk Rates
While the Cubs had a pretty smooth spring training, just the way they wanted it, there was little talk of the new coaches the Cubs hired. It seemed just a touch strange for a team that had won the division two years in a row, and gone to the NLCS three years in a row, […]
The Cubs Have an Ace, or Three
After days blitzing Japanese Rosetta Stone to try to decipher the non-emoji parts of Yu Darvish tweets, I allowed myself to read some English words on Twitter. This is rarely a good idea. Most Cubs fans are psyched about the possible signing of Darvish, and for great reason! Adding Darvish—or Jake Arrieta—makes this an incredible […]
It’s Time for the Cubs to Act Like the Dodgers: Part 1, Pitching
“This isn’t the Windy City. This is the economic hurricane in Chicago of what the Cubs have done.” -Scott Boras, 11/15/17 After multiple trades over the last two years, most notably for Aroldis Chapman and Jose Quintana, the Cubs’ prospect depth is gone. It’s now on their major leaguer roster, giving them extremely talented and […]
2017 Player Profile: Kyle Hendricks
Position: Starting Pitcher, tenure track 2017 Stats: 7-5, 3.03 ERA/3.89 FIP/3.31 DRA, 7.9 K/9, 3.5 WARP Year in Review: One of the curses of maxing out in the upper 80s with your fastball is that no matter how many times you prove that you’re one of the best pitchers in baseball, everyone in the game […]
Second City October: NLDS Game Five, Cubs (2-2) at Nationals (2-2)
It always seemed destined to end up like this. Before the series, every preview you saw or went through in your own head made it awfully hard to split these two teams. Similar offenses, rotations that though they go about it differently are just about as solid, and deep pens. The games themselves haven’t varied […]
NLDS Game 1 Recap: Cubs 3, Nationals 0
If I could turn back time, there are three things I would do immediately… 1. Take back those words that hurt you and you’d stay 2. Unless you’re Baby Hitler, in which case you’re toast 3. Travel back to the second inning of tonight’s game and bet every cent I own that the Cubs will […]
Kyle Hendricks: Ace
Following a sterling start versus St. Louis to close out his 2017 regular season, Kyle Hendricks once again dropped his career ERA below three. It was his 100th career appearance and his 99th career start, and it brought his season ERA to 3.03. A year removed from an ERA title and a third-place Cy Young […]
July 10, 2014 & The Cubs’ True Turn Toward Competitive Baseball
Let’s turn the clock back. Back before the Cubs were hte 2016 world champions. Back before their improbable 2015 run. Back to 2014. July 10, 2014, specifically. A day in which the 39-52, cellar-dwelling Chicago Cubs, riding a six-game losing streak took on the Cincinnati Reds. The July afternoon matinee at the Great American Ball […]