As Cubs fans we’re used to not getting good news. If some player leaves a game early we’re trained to think it’s a career ending surgery that will lead to Aaron Miles or Neifi Perez taking over full time. If the team is leading we think it’s only a matter of time before they’ll be losing. If they get a …
Another shitty Cubs season in review: Randy Wells
The 2011 Cubs posted the 109th worst winning percentage in its history. What’s really depressing about that is since I’ve been a fan the following Cubs teams have been as bad or worse: 1986, 1983, 1994, 1997, 2002, 1999, 2006, 2000, 1980, and 1981. Of the Cubs 137 year history, 11 teams have had a .438 winning percentage or lower. …
What are the 2011 Cubs good at?
I wanted to look over various statistics to see what the Cubs were good at. It’s a bad team, but even bad teams excel at something. Right? Batting average is a useless statistic, but I figured if there was one thing the Cubs were good at it would be this. The Cubs .258 team average beats the NL average of …
Aramis Ramirez and "performing when it counts"
The Cubs and Aramis Ramirez have a mutal option for 2011 at $16 million, but it’s unlikely he exercises that option. Ramirez is looking for more than a one-year deal and as the best free agent 3rd baseman he’ll easily get a multi-year deal on the free agent market. It’s hard to say whether or not the Cubs will offer …
Series Preview: Chicago Cubs (64-82) at Cincinnati Reds (71-75)
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) …
Caught Sleeping
Josh Harrison had an infield double in today’s game (click on the link to view the video). Below is a screen cap at the exact point that Harrison takes off for 2nd base. The ball was hit into the hole and Castro threw to 1st. Darwin Barney raced behind the bag to back it up and was in foul territory …
What the hell are the Cubs going to do this offseason?
I started blogging about the Cubs after the 2003 season. Myself and a couple others eventually started our own blog, but even after the 2003 season the direction the Cubs were heading was obvious. They had just come within 5 outs of reaching the World Series and they returned what was arguably the best rotation in baseball. They had acquired …
Want to know when a statistic is useless?
Aramis Ramirez leads the Major Leagues with a .427 batting average in August while teammate Reed Johnson is fifth at .400. Ramirez is tied for tops among any Cubs player in the month of August, dating to 1946. Shawon Dunston batted .427 in August 1991; Bill Madlock hit .425 in August 1975; and Manny Trillo hit .409 in august 1986. – …
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 …
Club option on Aramis Ramirez ***UPDATED***
Since Aramis Ramirez has started hitting again and hitting it quite well, it seems more likely than not that the Cubs will keep him around next season. However, I don’t think we can be certain the Cubs will just exercise the option and move on to other business. The Cubs are currently at about $100 million in payroll, which includes …