The Cubs played the Reds just last week, and five of the six starters from that series are pitching this series. I’m just going to make a few minor tweaks to the last preview (laughing). Team overview As always, these are team stats with NL ranks in parentheses. Reds Cubs wOBA .322 (4th) .315 (8th) UBR 14.2 (1st) -11.4 (16th) …
Series Preview: Chicago Cubs (62-81) at New York Mets (70-73)
Have the Cubs even played the Mets this year? I can’t remember (laughing). Apparently the Cubs took two out three from them behind strong performances from Demp and Z. Team Overview Cubs Mets wOBA .315 (8th) .322 (5th) UBR -11.4 (16th) 1.0 (8th) UZR -9.1 (10th) -44.5 (16th) SP FIP 4.23 (12th) 4.12 (10th) RP FIP 3.87 (9th) 3.91 (12th) …
Series Preview: Cincinnati Reds (69-71) at Chicago Cubs (60-80)
Team overview As always, these are team stats with NL ranks in parentheses. Reds Cubs wOBA .323 (4th) .316 (8th) UBR 14.2 (1st) -11.4 (16th) UZR 39.8 (2nd) -9.1 (10th) SP FIP 4.49 (16th) 4.26 (12th) RP FIP 3.99 (15th) 3.93 (13th) As usual, I feel smug about my pessimism towards the Reds pitching staff turning out to be true. …
Lollygagging Chicago Cubs (56-71) vs. Fun-Having Atlanta Braves (76-52)
Bobby Valentine doesn’t think much of the Cubs, particularly Starlin Castro. He must have just watched bull Durham or something. Bobby would definitely support the Cubs’ strict “no dinners” policy, so I fully expect to see him named to be the next manager as long as the Cubs include an expense acount for his disguises. Meanwhile, the Cubs are going …
Series Preview: Zambranoless Cubs (53-68) Bournless and Penceless Astros (38-83)
This is the hardest series preview I’ve ever had to write. It’s also the third series preview I’ve ever had to write, but even if it were the 287th, I’m pretty sure it would trump all others in difficulty. You can throw all the previous stats out the window, because they mean nothing. The Cubs have won a lot of …
Aramis Ramirez caused the US debt downgrade (also, mini Cubs-Braves preview)
Cubs Legend Todd Hollandsworth shot his mouth off on the radio today (recap at HBT). Then you bring into question effort and that’s one thing in the game of baseball that really is inexcusable. One hundred percent effort all the time, there’s really no reason for you not to have 100 percent effort. He’s got impressionable kids around him right …
Series Preview: Washington Nationals (55-59) at The Untouchables (49-66)
Now that the winning streak is over, time to get started on a new losing streak. Not only did the Cubs gain no meaningful ground on the Brewers, who were also playing quite well in that stretch, but the Cubs are still 6 games back of the Pirates despite their losing ten games in a row. This should be familiar …
Series Preview: Cincinnati Reds (54-57) at Chicago Cubs (47-65)
BREAKING NEWS: I heard the 49ers are shopping Taylor Mays Just 18 more wins in a row until the Cubs are back at .500! It’s Gonna Happen. Where have things gone wrong with the Reds? It seemed like just about everyone (smugly: not me) was picking them to win the division in the preseason. Let’s look at their team stats …
Series Preview: Chicago Cubs (43-65) at Pittsburgh Pirates (54-52)
The Untouchables (h/t @thecubreporter) head to Pittsburgh to lose in beautiful PNC Park. Pittsburgh improved itself at the deadline by adding former foes Derrek Lee and Ryan Ludwick to the squad. The Pirates picked up Lee for an unranked by BA A-ball first baseman, and Ludwick was acquired for a PBTNL. The Cubs largely failed to improve their farm system, …
Batman-abbreviated Series Preview: Iowa Cubs of Chicago (42-63) at St. Louis Cardinals (55-50)
I was going to write a longer preview, but I got sucked into this whole “Batman Equation” thing that was running around the internets today I tried reproducing the result, but the plotting software did not like the equation very much (laughing). In my mathematiciany opinion, the Batman logo probably does solve the equation….but it’s not the only …