The war of attrition that was NLDS Game Five in Washington is over. Choose your analogy: General Grant wearing down opposing forces, Virgil shepherding Dante through the nine circles of Hell—they all fit. In the end, it was a big ol’ goofy end to a lean and mean series, with pitchers being worked through the […]
Tag: NLCS
What the Heck Is Going On: A Quick Look Ahead at the NLCS
Whew. If you’re reading this, the Cubs (somehow, barely, and very questionably) did what they needed to do against a great, great Nationals team after a great, great series. And now it’s Friday, and we’re all guzzling coffee, rubbing our eyes, and wondering what’s next. For the Los Angeles Dodgers, once again the Cubs’ NLCS […]
The PECOTA Gap Between the Cubs and Dodgers
On April 10th, the Cubs will play their first real game at Wrigley since the World Series, and they’ll do so against the Dodgers. The rematch of the NLCS should be a well-played series between two evenly-matched teams. This offseason, many comparisons of the two teams have been made, and the consensus seems to be […]
Emotional Moments: Pennant-Winning Edition
On Tuesday, we relived the drama and joy of the Cubs’ NLDS victory over the odious San Francisco Giants. Perhaps you need more joy today. I can’t think of a better way than to recount our collective ecstasy brought upon by the Chicago Cubs’ pennant-winning series versus the Los Angeles Dodgers, so I’m going to […]
Second City October: “30 Pitches of Hell”
“The Cubs put Clayton Kershaw through 30 pitches of hell in the first inning.” – Andy McCullough, Los Angeles Times There could not have been a more formidable opponent than Clayton Kershaw for the Cubs to have to get past on their way to their first World Series berth since pre-integration baseball. There’s a lot […]
Second City October: The View from the Cheap Seats
I was at Saturday night’s Cubs game, and I had one thought when Andrew Toles singled sharply to right field on the first pitch: “Here we go again.” You can’t blame me — I’m a lifelong Cubs fan. Suffice to say I was at Game 6 of the 2003 NLCS. So I know Cubs anguish. […]
Second City October: NLCS Recap—Cubs Advance To The World Series
71 years have passed between the Cubs’ last appearance in the World Series, and their latest, which will begin on Tuesday. A full, productive and (relatively) happy life could have been lived in between these two events. The Anno Catuli counter has another set of zeros on the sign this morning, and employers throughout Chicagoland rejoice at […]
Second City October: Cubs Win The Pennant
Tonight, after allowing a one out walk in the top of the ninth inning, Aroldis Chapman threw a fastball that Yasiel Puig bounced to shortstop. And the world changed. The Chicago Cubs are going to the World Series. Usually that’s the kind of sentence that signals “You are about to read a work of fiction.” […]
Second City October: NLCS Game Six Preview, Dodgers (2-3) at Cubs (3-2)
How to preview in 900-1,100 words what could be a game 71 years in the making? The key, as I see it, is to keep basic. You know what’s at stake. You know the history. You have no need to hear my patented witty, trenchant pop culture references. So, let’s keep it basic. In the […]
Second City October: State of the Series—Here We Are Again
This series needed a laugher, didn’t it? For the first several innings of Game Five on Thursday night, it appeared that Kenta Maeda might stymie the Cubs’ bats just long enough to bridge the gap to the overworked bullpen. After he slipped the grip of a tense second inning, you would have been forgiven if […]