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More Off Day Thoughts

In Commentary And Analysis, News And Rumors by Rice Cube115 Comments

This represents the final scheduled off day for the Cubs in the Cactus League until the one right before Opening day, and by this time we’re expecting the starting rotation guys to be able to comfortably go five innings, and hoping that the hitters have better performances for the most part, small sample size be damned. There’s also the World …

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The Ever-Changing Rulebook

In Commentary And Analysis by Rice Cube45 Comments

I think the new rules are probably the biggest topic of the spring other than the inevitable injuries to players that shake up the plans for the entire season, and most of this has to do with the pitch clock. Of course there is also the World Baseball Classic, but as one game famously took like three hours to play …

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Hot Takes for the Off Day

In Facepalm by Rice Cube24 Comments

You know how they say that spring training doesn’t matter and also keep harping on the whole small sample size thing? Well, the sample and performance probably doesn’t matter much for the guys you know are going to be making the team, but for the ones who are on the bubble, more often than not you’d like them not to …

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Taking Stock of the Roster (So Far)

In Commentary And Analysis by Rice Cube32 Comments

The Cubs have been riding a win streak since we last blogged that would be impressive if these games actually mattered. They don’t get an official off day until next week, but so far it seems everyone is just taking it easy, and a few have already left camp to participate in WBC play so that will give a few …

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Welcome to March

In Major League Baseball, News And Rumors by Rice Cube67 Comments

The Cubs are winless since their spring training opener, but since this is all practice, the scores don’t so much matter as the part where most everyone we care about stay healthy…ah nuts, but we’ll cover that later. Anyway, we are heading into March with less than a month to go until Opening Day when the games actually do matter, …

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Random Cubs Practice Game Thread Until Further Notice

In Game Threads by Rice Cube49 Comments

I would do one for every game, but that first game of spring training was special and the rest are just like whatever at this point as long as no one (else) gets hurt. It was just nice to have a “normal” spring training again after a pandemic (still going, technically), a lockout, and even with the World Baseball Classic …

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Your Very First Cubs Game Thread of 2023: Giants @ Cubs, Saturday 2/25 2:05 PM CT (UPDATED: With Lineups)

In Game Threads by Rice Cube41 Comments

Well, everyone, we’ve made it to the very first game of the Cubs (pre)season as your favorite squadron will host the Giants at Sloan Park on what I presume will be a lovely Saturday afternoon in Arizona, before it gets insufferably hot and the bulk of the attendees will get badly sunburned. Per the official Cubs schedule, the game will …

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What Springs to Mind?

In News And Rumors by Rice Cube17 Comments

In an effort to put stuff on this website semi-regularly and not be complete white noise, I’ve been racking my brain over the past several days trying to figure out a good topic, but it’s like AC says, they need to just start playing games already. As it turns out, we are not that far from the start of the …

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The Quest For Exceeding Expectations

In Commentary And Analysis by Rice Cube51 Comments

I was able to talk to the Gregs about prospects and the Cubs future on the last Dreamcast, and everything from the various projections (including FanGraphs playoff odds and ZiPS), to the way the Cubs themselves are speaking to the press and whatever this damn slogan is, confirms what we discussed, which is that the Cubs are likely nowhere close …