Despite the stability largely provided by their exceptional core of young talent, the Cubs entered 2017 with some questions behind the plate. Set to roll with a combination of Willson Contreras and Miguel Montero, there were questions as to the defensive development of the former, and questions about the offensive production of the latter. A […]
Tag: Miguel Montero
Zack’s Sack: A Wrigleyville Mailbag, Vol. 6
This week was possibly the most eventful in Cubdom since the World Series ended, and most of it was… not good. Injuries, visits to the White House, and cutting a key player from the past few years in a pretty gross way—it’s been a rough week for Cubs fans, and I am here to bring […]
Cubs’ “Different Dynamic” on Display: A Follow-Up
In my limited experience trying to write about the Cubs, I have quickly come to appreciate baseball’s ability to annihilate even the best-defended take. Last year I highlighted Ben Zobrist’s red-hot start as a potential return to All Star form, only to watch his batting average freefall for the next forty games. In March, I […]
Game 62 Recap: Cubs 7, Rockies 5
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Heading into the game, I did some online shopping for some pitchforks, lanterns, and clubs in case the Cubs lost. Not surprisingly, Amazon.com had the best deals. I thought $35 was pretty reasonable for a pitchfork. The problem soon became that Amazon did not have same day shipping for what I […]
Miguel Montero: Examining His Early Role & Resurgent Production
I’ll be honest. I was not particularly excited about Miguel Montero as a member of this team, at least on paper, heading into the 2017 season. And there was likely a significant group that figured he’d be traded at some point after his strong words about (lack of) playing time and (lack of) communication that […]
The Change: One Fan’s Journey to Seeing the Cubs Differently
It has taken me a long time to process that the Chicago Cubs—my Chicago Cubs—are the 2016 World Series champions. I’m sure this has been the case for many Cubs fans. Just as I am sure that most fans have a different moment when they knew, they just knew, that it was going to happen this […]
Going “All In” on Willson Contreras in 2017
It seemingly took all of a few minutes into spring camp for the Cubs to make their intentions clear for their young catcher Willson Contreras. His transition to the role as the Cubs’ no. 1 catcher will also feature a role serving as Jon Lester’s personal backstop. This is significant news for a catcher coming […]
Hot at the Right Time, Montero Ready for October
Success in the playoffs generally has as much to do with being hot at the right time as it does with fielding the best team on paper. The Cubs will certainly have the latter, but the former will be in question as the NLDS starts on Friday night. This “being hot” is a difficult thing to […]
Despite Perception, Miguel Montero Is the Cubs’ Best Option At Catcher
On Friday, Jake Arrieta delivered a seven-inning, no-run, ten-strikeout, one-walk, 99-pitch performance against the Cardinals. Over the last two years, we have become accustomed to this type of performance from Arrieta, and so, with the playoff implications of the game more theoretical than anything else, we glossed over it a bit and focused more on […]
Game 147 Recap: Cubs 5 Brewers 4
We Are Good. It’s been the unofficial motto of the Cubs for two seasons now, outlasting the somewhat limp corporate sheen of “Let’s Go,” and packing the same pithiness as the slogan-du-jour, “Try Not to Suck,” and it’s been evident that these Cubs are good since at least the middle of last season. Running laps […]