One thing the Cubs have a preponderance of is #5-#6-#7-type starters. From Dallas Beeler to Eric Jokisch to Chris Rusin to Travis Wood to Felix Doubront to Justin Turner to Dan Straily the really deep cuts (Yoanner Negrin or Carlos Pimentel, anyone? Dae-Eun Rhee?), the Cubs have plenty of options to plug into the back end of their rotation (of …
What qualifies as an offseason success?
Now that 2014 is coming to a close (for the Cubs, it came to a close roughly May 15, but bear with me), we turn to the Hot Stove League. One bonus of the Cubs’ situation right now is that there are very clear places to upgrade, and very clear places the Cubs do not need help. Places the Cubs …
Not Bad…For a Rookie
With the 11-1 ass-whipping the Cubs received yesterday, the Cubs fell to 64-82 and guaranteed themselves a losing record. It’s been a rough week, and after a really nice run of baseball, we’ve been thoroughly outclassed by some not-very-good teams (though they aren’t slouches, either). As the 2014 season draws to it’s merciful close, I’d like to reflect on each …
Your Football Organization Sucks
Baseball is not perfect. From the crooked Black Sox, to Cap Anson’s refusal to play with black players, to Ty Cobb maybe being a murderer, to the drunk drivers, to the widespread steroid use, it has a fairly checkered past. It treats its future employees like garbage (it uses its incredible leverage and willing replacements to drive wages to ridiculous lows), …
How Far Have the Cubs Come?
It has been almost three years, nearly three hundred losses, and three drafts since the Cubs hired Theo Epstein to save the Cubs from their sins and rescue them from eternal damnation in their permanent subterranean dwelling in the Central Division’s fiery core. And if you think that metaphor is overblown and ridiculous, it was meant to match the expectations …
The Struggle
Baez debuted at A in May 28, 2012. In his first month, he “struggled,” hitting .298/.330/.500. Sure, his career line at A was .333/.383/.596, but you have to stretch pretty hard to get struggling out of that. His strikeout rate was 21.7% and his walk rate was 6.6%. He was eventually promoted to A+, and he absolutely struggled when promoted. …
Don’t Say the Cubs Never Listen to You
The people have spoken and the Cubs have heard the pleas from their fans. The people wanted change and times they are a’changin’. No, Kris Bryant isn’t coming up. No, they are not getting rid of Clark the Cub. No, they aren’t adding better beer options in the stadium. No, Al, they aren’t going to lower your ticket prices. But …
DFP: Rusney Castillo Sighting
On vacation touring Wrigley Field, where #Cubs are working out free agent OF Rusney Castillo as we speak #MLB pic.twitter.com/qfCQW0vgcj — Ben Nicholson-Smith (@bnicholsonsmith) August 6, 2014 Well, that’s very interesting. The Cubs are one of the 28 teams that originally went to see the Cuban slugger, but up until now there was no real confirmation on whether or not …
Javier Baez 6, Rockies 5 (8/6/14)
Did The Cubs Win? It’s not a lie. @javy23baez is a STUD. http://t.co/vtVt709MaS — MLB GIFS (@MLBGIFs) August 6, 2014 Boom, baby. OSS: Baez has 3 strikeouts, 3 hard hit balls, and his first major-league HR. Three Up 1. Lost in Baezmania was the fact that Welington Castillo had a great game, maybe his best of the year. He …
Better Know A Cub: Javier Baez
Pedigree Ednel Javier Baez was the last 1st round pick of the Jim Hendry regime, taken right after Francisco Lindor and right before Cory Spangenberg (if I remember correctly, the Padres (Hoyer) had Baez on their Big Board put he was popped right before thanks to Mario Sanchez, I had this completely opposite). Drafted from relatively anonymous Arlington Country Day School …