Part of me thinks that fixing tanking with a different method of deciding a draft order is a solution in search of a problem. For starters, the "science" of drafting is very inexact. If it wasn't, Mark Appel wouldn't be drafted before Kris Bryant nearly as often. There is still a wide amount of variance for 1st round draft outcomes, …
The Cubs should re-sign Dexter Fowler
I was on BP Wrigleyville the other day, looking at this fine article written by Isaac Bennett, about the 25th man on the roster. You should read the whole thing, but the relevant bit follows: Matt Szczur Path to the Roster: The case for Szczur is trickier than some may realize, as the Cubs don’t currently have another option to replace Heyward in …
Better Know a Cub: Jason Heyward
The St. Louis Cardinals got screwed. Let's wind the clock back to November 17, 2014. The Cardinals trade Tyrell Jenkins and Shelby Miller for Jason Heyward (and Jordan Walden). At the time, it seemed like a slight overpay – on the Braves part. Shelby Miller was damaged goods; many people thought Tyrell Jenkins was the better piece in the deal. …
Bulls 105, Hornets 130 (11/3/2015)
OSS: One of the worst teams in the NBA blew the Bulls out from start to finish. Nothing But Net 1. Bobby Portis got his first bit of action of the season once this one was out of hand. Portis scored 10 points in 10 minutes (albeit against a team that was playing All-Star Game caliber defense), and looked fairly promising. …
Bulls 97, Cavaliers 95 (10/27/15)
OSS: Bulls play hero defense in the last possession to avoid giving away a game they commanded nearly the entire time. Nothing But Net 1. Nikola Mirotic started for the 4th time in his career and was quite good. Niko lead the Bulls with 19 points on 6-11 shooting (3-4 from 3) and adding 9 rebounds. His ability to shoot …
The Cubs’ offseason plans
Not that the Cubs have been eliminated from the postseason, it's time to look towards 2016. This will be a short post on some of the relevant things. Should the Cubs re-sign Dexter Fowler? Here are dmick's thoughts on this issue. I'd just extend a QO to him, expect him to decline it, and reap the 1st round pick reward (for …
The Offseason
Here at Obstructed View, the coverage never stops. Just because the Cubs are eliminated doesn't mean we are. Posting will almost certainly be less sporadic, but there will be things to cover: The Arizona Fall League The Hot Stove League The Chicago Bulls Man, Alvin's Latest Article Sucks These are just a few of the potential offseason idea in store. …
It’s Just Baseball
It would not be any stretch of the imagination to say that 2015 has been the worst year of my relatively young life. I hope you'll indulge me as I walk through what has really been a pretty shitty year. Feel free now to skip this article entirely if you don't care, because it will be pretty much be devoid …
The Cubs’ uphill battle in the context of a single game
If we make an assumption that the Mets and the Cubs are evenly matched (and who knows how good that assumption is), I thought it'd be interesting to see what the probability they come back from this deficit. It turns out to be 18.4%. Using a Win Expectancy Finder, that's roughly equivalent to… Top of the Fourth, down 3 runs, …
Cubs 8, Cardinals 6 (10/12/15)
OSS: The Cubs get a HR from each of the #1-6 in the lineup, and the Cubs withstand the voodoo magic. Three Up 1. Jorge Soler has had the best start to a postseason career in the history of baseball. Soler has not been retired in his first 9 plate appearances, and the previous record is 5. A 1.000/1.000/2.500 line …