Theo Epstein was on AM 670 The Score on Tuesday, in the hours leading up to the Cubs’ Game Four win over the Cardinals. Though Epstein was careful to note (more than once) how much work remains to be done, the interview was at least partially a victory lap for the Cubs’ chief architect. Epstein […]
Tag: Theo Epstein
Cubs Embracing New Expectations Even as October Thrills
Look to your left. Now look to your right. One of you failed to predict that the Chicago Cubs would win 97 games in 2015. Reasonable expectations had the club right around .500, with 90 wins a possibility if the kids held up down the stretch. Nobody predicted this—the Cubs on the doorstep of the […]
They Built It, and the Cubs Are Coming
I love a lot of things about baseball, but the thing I love most—at least off the field—is roster construction. There’s something beautifully technical and delicate about putting together a group of 25 guys that, while limited by certain constraints (age, positional ability, money), will produce the most wins possible for your ballclub. It’s a really, really hard […]
The Great Rebuild(s)
In the pantheon of sports history, there has perhaps never been a more daunting reclamation project. This storied franchise touted a rabid but increasingly disenchanted fan base. A franchise with pride and historical consequence, but fraught with bloated contracts, cheap owners and draft-day disasters. What was the summation of the discord? A championship drought that […]
Theo the Trader: Evaluating Epstein’s Trades During His Cubs Tenure
There was a time when baseball fans joked, “Why would anyone ever work a deal with Billy Beane? Beane wins every time.” In evaluating Theo Epstein’s performance as an exchanger of talent on the Cubs behalf, the same question holds true. For every significant Cubs trade transaction in which Epstein has been involved, it seems […]
The Cubs Have Holes to Fill… and the Right People to Decide How to Fill Them
The Cubs are entering a very crucial part of the season. They’ve wrapped up one of the tougher stretches of play that they’ll likely face all season, and despite entering Tuesday on a five-game losing skid, things aren’t as bad as they appear. Yes, the losing stretch exposed some of their holes, but that may […]
Formed in His Image
Formed in his Image How Theo Epstein rebuilt the Cubs’ financial statements, and why his decisions might bring billions. As Theo Epstein guides the Cubs organization into his fourth season with the Chicago Cubs, the team that emerges from the dugout looks nothing like the team that he inherited in October 2011. In fact, […]