On July 2nd 2013, the Cubs sent Scott Feldman and Steve Clevenger to the Baltimore Orioles for Jake Arrieta and Pedro Strop. At the time, the Orioles were looking to bolster their pitching staff as they were in the midst of a pennant race. The Cubs on the other hand were on their way to a 96 loss season. Saying a lot has changed since then may be an understatement, and a big reason why the culture of Chicago Cubs baseball has changed is because of Jake Arrieta.
As a member of the Cubs in his first year back in 2013, Arrieta posted a modest 3.66 ERA in 51.2 IP. However, it wouldn't be until the following year that he would break out and make a big impression. In 2014, Arrieta jumped onto the scene as one of baseball's best pitchers. He posted a remarkable 2.53 ERA and finished ninth in Cy Young voting. Although Cubs fans may have known his name by now, the rest of the league was left in the dark; mostly due to the fact Chicago finished last in the central with a 73-89 record. In 2015, the Cubs took the league by storm as they won 97 games and advanced to the NLCS. At the time, the Cubs were a year ahead of Theo Epstein's and Jed Hoyer’s masterful 5-year plan to become contenders. In hindsight, Jake Arrieta was one of the first big steps Theo and Jed took in order to make the Cubs a legitimate threat. As the Cubs blossomed in 2015, so did Arrieta. He dominated hitters every time he took the mound and developed into a true ace. 22 of the 97 games the Cubs won that year were due to Arrieta. He cruised through the regular season with an insane 1.77 ERA, struck out 236 batters in 229 innings of work, and threw a no-hitter. Post all-star break for Arrieta was so dominate that he set a few records along the way. His 0.75 ERA in the second half of the 2015 season was the lowest in the history of Major League Baseball. His historic year earned him the Cy Young, and sixth place in MVP voting. As if Arrieta hadn’t done enough, he threw a complete game shut out against the Pirates in the wild card game, giving the Cubs their first postseason victory since 2008. In the NLDS vs the Cardinals, Arrieta had one start in which he struck out nine and won. After the Cubs defeated the Cardinals, they ran out of steam in the NLCS vs the Mets. The way that Jake would dominate a game that season was something we've never seen before. For someone who struggled to find himself in years past in the AL, he transformed himself as an established house hold name throughout the baseball world. Something Cubs fans would call "Jake Day" became some sort of holiday for Cubs Nation where they had to tune in to watch Arrieta lay it all on the line each start, executing pitch after pitch, and fooling hitters at the plate. Still to this day, one of my favorite Arrieta starts is that 2015 Wild Card game. In a must win game, Maddon gave the ball to the horse in our staff. The grit that Arrieta showed in that Wild Card Game from striking out batters, silencing out the Pittsburgh crowd, getting intentionally hit by a pitch, and finding a way to get out of jams was warrior like. There was no stopping this man. After an unprecedented year, Arrieta followed up by accomplishing a 3.10 ERA and throwing another no-hitter in 2016. As most everyone knows by now, the Cubs went on to win the World Series in stunning fashion that year, and Arrieta was an integral part of that. In the World Series vs Cleveland Arrieta pitched 11.1 innings, had a 2.38 ERA, and won each of his two starts, including an elimination game. Jake showed up each day and delivered when called on. Some of his biggest and most important starts came in that 2016 World Series and he nonetheless showed out. After coming off a World Series high, in 2017 Arrieta's 3.53 ERA doesn't tell the whole story. In his last 18 starts he looked as good as ever, posting a 2.68 ERA and winning crucial games. In the playoffs, Arrieta was able to keep the season alive one more game with a phenomenal 6.2 inning outing vs the Dodgers in the NLCS. He once again proved his value in winning his second career elimination game. With the signing of Yu Darvish in 2018, both parties parted ways. Arrieta found a new home within Philadelphia. All Cubs fans should sincerely thank Jake Arrieta for the no-hitters, delivering a Cy Young season for the Cubs for the first time since 1992, and dazzling playoff performances each time he was called on. Above all, they should thank him for helping deliver a World Series championship to a city deprived of one for 108 years. As Theo Epstein may have opened a new chapter with Yu Darvish and closed a previous chapter in Cubs history, I'm going to leave you with this quote from the smartest man in all of baseball: "None of us have rings without Jake". Thank you, Jake Arrieta.
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Quentin McCree, a 34 year old baseball enthusiast, has had an ongoing struggle with anxiety throughout his life but with the help of his encouraging wife he’s overcome his self doubt by pursuing an idea he’s always had, a baseball podcast. The Greatest Show On Dirt podcast hosted by Quentin McCree from the Suite B Studios can be seen on iTunes, Google Play, and many other streaming sites. What people hear when they tune in is a die hard baseball fan who is ranting for 40 minutes at a time, talking about America’s pastime, occasionally his fascination for Old Style beer, and thoroughly enjoying himself. What others don’t see is what goes on behind the scenes and what led up to creating the podcast. Quentin has always been around the baseball scene. His grandparents grew up across the street from him and he can still remember to this day, being six years old running to grandma and grandpa’s house huddling around a 13 inch Emerson TV and watching the Cubs on WGN. While his dad was his coach and mentor growing up playing little league, his mom would throw batting practice to him when his dad was at work. It was in his blood from a young age and it has helped him build relationships with the people around him. As Quentin grew up and attended grade school, middle school, and high school he developed anxiety and has had an ongoing struggle with it. It was hard for him to even get up in front of a class and speak without turning beat red and feeling the pressure. That anxiety has held him back from a lot and made him constantly second guess himself. “It’s crippling,'' Quentin explained it. Finally in 2015, he took matters into his own hands and wanted to tackle his anxiety and find a way to overcome it. It wasn’t going to be easy. For a guy with a passion for writing, creating a blog seemed like a great idea. It was a platform for Quentin to vent with his words and express his thoughts. On his first blog post, it took Quentin two weeks to even press publish because he would question himself so much. “Oh my god, who’s going to read this?” “What if people don’t like it?”. After posting the first one, he gained some sort of confidence and started to believe in himself. “Since then, I’ve always tried to push myself to create freely and act freely to be who I really was”, Quentin said. After two years of writing, Quentin thought of the idea of a baseball podcast. There was nothing he was more knowledgeable about than the game of baseball but he had no idea how to get started. As the new idea approached in his head, some anxiety started back up. “It’s recording your voice for 40 minutes. Holy crap, what am I going to talk about?”. It took him about 6 months to actually order the equipment from his shopping cart online and a wife telling him to just go for it. The Greatest Show On Dirt is a unique name for a podcast and it’s something Quentin didn’t take long to figure out. They say the best ideas are the ones that come unexpected and this is certainly one of them. He randomly thought of it at the gym after his workout. The name, The Greatest Show On Dirt, popped in his head and instantly he ran with it. If you there's any words to be said about baseball, a lot of people call it a “boring” sport. So when this idea of a baseball podcast popped up in Quentin’s mind he wanted to do something that would grab people's attention and to make baseball fun again. He wanted to incorporate a way where his listeners would be so tied into the episode they would forget about the time and make them thoroughly enjoy the baseball talk. After researching, watching Youtube videos, and reaching out to tech savvy friends Quentin learned how to create a podcast and put it out to the world to listen to. Quentin’s wife, Courtney, has been such a big supporter of his ultimate goals and after pushing him to get this podcast going, she even found herself guest appearing on the show talking with her husband about America’s pastime. “She’s always been supportive because I think she knows how much this means to me and she knows how much love I have for baseball”. A podcast can become very time consuming and it has taken away some of their bonding time but with a supportive wife like Courtney, Quentin said “this wouldn't be possible”. Through this journey he has also learned how to manage his time better. He sets aside dates for when he is going to record, he manages his bonding time with his wife better, and this experience has shown him that time management is very important. Social media in today's society is a huge way to market any type of business, vlog, product or, in Quentin’s case, a podcast. Quentin has learned how to effectively communicate better with his audience through each social media platform. For his twitter followers, he may choose a gif or a witty short composed message to grab peoples attention. As for Facebook, a lengthier more formal sense of post is more effective. With The Greatest Show On Dirt podcast up and running, Quentin has found his inner self and how to express himself on a bigger platform. Being someone who has grown up and struggled with anxiety, this podcast has shown him that he can do the things he used to second guess. He was allowing those inner demons to hold him back and all he needed was a drive of success to pull him through and defeat them demons in his brain. In the past five months, Quentin has had multiple guests come on the show to talk baseball & those guests are now long time friends all because of baseball. There’s one guest Quentin would love to come on the show and it’s Gerald Early. Gerald is a professor at Washington University who specializes in African American studies and is super involved in the early history of the Negro League. The Negro League has always been something Quentin’s been fascinated in and Quentin said “I would sit down with Gerald for an hour and just talk baseball with him. He is the closest thing you will get to a Negro League player because he is so intelligent about the history but his view on baseball is so remarkable that you can’t get it anywhere else”. The Greatest Show On Dirt has been up and running since September of 2017 and Quentin is loving the results. He hasn’t focused so much on the numbers he is bringing in, he is more focused on the interactions that people have with him. “I want people of all ages to enjoy this. I have not looked once into how many people actually view the podcast because that is where people can make money. I never even thought about making money off of this thing. If that were to happen that would be great but I never created this podcast because I didn't like my nine to five job, I created this to have something people love”. Quentin’s goals in the future are to become more visual. A huge part in today's media is video or for someone to watch something. The phone is becoming the TV and the TV is becoming the radio. He wants to create videos that are short, up to one or two minutes long, and grab people's attention in and share on social media. Throughout this journey of starting up a podcast, never in a million years did Quentin think it would turn out the way it has now. He has learned so much about podcasting and more so himself. He has learned to trust himself, put content out, and be confident about it. This has allowed him to be who he really is and to never hold back on something. The anxiety has faded away and he has become at peace with who he really is. This just goes to show that if you love something, go out and do it because you never want to live with those “what ifs'' in life. Entering the decade, the Chicago Cubs were on the horizon of change while still looking for their first World Series win in over 100 years. After many losing seasons and a lot of turn over between the front office, managers, and player group... this decade became the golden era for Chicago Cubs baseball. Here are some of the best players from the past decade, in no particular order:
1. Starlin Castro: When Starlin Castro made his major league debut in 2010, he came into the league with a bang. In his first ever game he hit two home runs and collected six RBI against the Reds. After that, he was the highlight to watch during the Cubs rebuild when Theo Epstein came over and tore down the Cubs MLB roster. Castro held down short stop providing many fun memories and highlights for fans at Wrigley during some tough seasons. Not only was he a bright spot on the television but he was a bright spot for fans. Many #13 jerseys still walk around Wrigley to this day. Castro was traded after the 2015 season, right before the 2016 World Series year, but he sure deserved that World Series ring for sticking with the Cubs during the tough times. 2. Pedro Stop: You may consider Strop one of the funnest guys the Cubs have had in the last 10 years or you can call him one of the best relievers in Cubs history.. literally. Numbers don't lie and when Pedro Strop came over to the Cubs in a trade with Jake Arietta during the 2013 season, the rest is consistency. According to Christopher Kamka of NBC Sports Chicago, No other Cubs reliever has had five seasons with a sub-3.00 ERA, let alone consecutively. In the history of the Cubs. Cheers to you, Pedro. 3. Kris Bryant: What can you say about this guy? Kris Bryant is everything you want in a poster player for your organization. Not only does he understand the fan interaction but the accolades just continue to rack up during his time with the Cubs. Minor League Player of the Year, NL Rookie of the Year, World Series Champion, NL MVP.. the list will go on and for a player who had billboards in Chicago while he was in triple A grinding to get to Wrigley, I sure hope the Cubs front office does the right thing and gives Kris Bryant the money and contract he deserves. Make him a Cubs for life. 4. Anthony Rizzo: This has been the Cubs captain since he got to the organization. From 2011 to now, he's done everything right and has been this teams leader from day one. Not to mention, he's super consistent offensively and a gold glove winner at first base. His charity work and his foundation has touched so many different people throughout Chicago and the rest of the country. I'm sure years down the road there will be a statue waiting for him outside Wrigley. 5. Javier Baez: Javy is the flashy shortstop that makes everything look so easy. Literally, it's insane how easy he makes plays when he flashes the leather. Other than his diving plays and his ability to tag anyone out, his offensive caliber has just progressed as years went on. In 2014, this was a guy who struck out more times than not and it looked like a far fetch if he was ever going to tap into his ability in the batters box. After weight loss and a lot of mechanical adjustments to his swing, the runner up NL MVP has proven what he can do and I'm sure this is just the beginning. 6. Jake Arrieta: Jake Days were always the best days. Every time Arrieta was on the mound in 2015 and 2016, it was must watch television. The way he could locate, command his pitches, and deliver on the mound was insane. He was literally unhittable putting up one of the best second half performances baseball has ever seen in 2015. By the numbers: 12-1, 0.75 ERA , 2 shutouts, no hitter, 9 earned runs, 113 strikeouts, Hitters batted .148 against him, a CY Young, a 0.40 ERA in his final 12 starts. Literal video game numbers. One of the best Cubs pitchers ever in his tenure in Chicago. 7. Jon Lester: When Jon Lester inked his six year contract with the Cubs back in the fall of 2014, it was the start of the new wave of Cubs baseball. He was the start of turning the lovable losers into the fun and exciting winners on the North Side of Chicago. Jon Lester came over the Cubs and provided so many exciting moments and when the Cubs needed a big start from the veteran, he always came through big time. When Cubs President of Baseball Operations, Theo Epstein, came over to Chicago in 2011, the goal was simple... to win the World Series. To complete something that looked so far fetched with a team that just lost 91 games and finished 5th in the division. Theo Epstein took on the responsibility of trying to transform a team nicknamed the "Lovable Losers" and turn them into a team full of winners that attracted free agents. When Theo Epstein inked his five year contract with the Chicago Cubs in 2011, the rebuild began immediately.
If you ask Cubs fans in 2011, they would say "just one World Series before I die". Those are the same fans that waited 103 years, at the time, to see their beloved Cubbies win the World Series. Not to mention, those are the same fans today in 2020 that are mad at the front office, rightfully so, on doing nothing the past two off-seasons. The last time the Cubs hoisted up the World Series trophy, in 2011, was 1908. Way before radio or television was invented. Theo Epstein was determined to change the way of how the Cubs were to operate and to put them in a position to win. After a huge rebuild that included a lot of losses, a lot of number one draft picks, and a lot of trades, the 2016 season happened. The season that made all of those tough years worth it. The season that fans waited a life time for. The season that was THEE CUBS year. The Chicago Cubs won the World Series and for the first time ever Pat Hughes, the Cubs radio voice, was the first person ever to announce that over the radio air waves. The Cubs broke the 108 year curse and were on the verge of becoming the dynasty that all sports analysts talked about. A team filled with MVP Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Javier Baez, Jon Lester, Kyle Schwarber, Kyle Hendricks, Addison Russell Albert Almora Jr were destined to do so many great things. Fast forward to 2020 and that same core has not been the dominate core they once were four years ago. There's many reasons for this: 1. Addison Russell went from a 95 RBI shortstop with a bright future to now jobless after being suspended for Domestic Violence. 2. The Cubs first round draft pick in 2012, Albert Almora Jr., turned out to be an offensive liability after batting .236 and posting an on base percentage of .271 in 2019. 3. The Cubs 2016 MVP and 2015 Rookie of the Year, Kris Bryant, has battled injuries the last few years. 4. The Cubs went from first place (2016) to last place (2019) in Major League baseball within their lead off hitter production going from a .381 on base percentage to a .294 on base percentage. The Cubs have been absolutely lost in the lead off spot with the departure of Dexter Fowler after the Cubs 2016 World Series year. 5. The front office's struggle to develop home grown starting pitching. It's always been simple and that was the plan from the start. The Cubs were going to draft position players with their high draft picks and use their high end payroll to fulfill their starting rotation. It worked in the beginning and after some pitchers aging, some injuries, and regression.. that hasn't worked out in the past few years. In 2019, The Cubs had only 44 innings thrown by home grown pitchers in the organization. To put that into perspective, in the last eight years, the most impactful home grown pitcher the Cubs have developed has been Rob Zastryzny. 6. The Cubs front office's financial miscues that have made them sit out in the past two off-seasons to not exceed the luxury tax threshold has been an issue. The Cubs are committed to $52.5 million between Jason Heyward, Craig Kimbrel, and Tyler Chatwood in 2020. Enough said. 7. September collapses in 2018 and 2019. That's just some of the issues that have plagued the Cubs within the past few years to become the dynasty they once were made out to be. Now looking into 2020 and beyond, the Cubs and their front office are looking forward and not behind. One of the most winning managers in Chicago Cubs history and successful managers the Cubs have ever had, Joe Maddon, will not be managing the Cubs for the first time since 2014. The Cubs and Joe Maddon have parted ways after the 2019 season. Right after the two parties agreed to part ways, it was reported by multiple sources, including MLBTradeRumors.Com, that the Cubs front office "drifted out of sync" with Maddon's leadership style. The Cubs have brought in back up catcher and World Series Champion, David Ross to come in and manage this Cubs core starting in 2020. This is a guy that was a back up all of his life but is described to be a great teammate, a leader, a guy that is going to hold his players/teammates accountable, and someone that is going to bring out the best in those around him. Just a few short years ago, it was Jason Heyward and Anthony Rizzo carrying David Ross off the field in Cleveland after the Cubs won the World Series in game seven and after Ross hit a home run in his final game versus one of the best relievers within Andrew Miller. So if the Cubs and the front office want to look forward and not in the past, why bring in a player from that 2016 team to coach this core? That's a good question but one that David Ross is not paying to much attention to. Many guys have voiced how well respected and well liked David Ross is and how great this hire is going to be for everyone in the organization. Entering 2020, most of this young core that debuted with the Cubs are just two short seasons away from entering free agency. After the 2021 season, Kris Bryant, Jon Lester, Anthony Rizzo, Javier Baez, and Kyle Schwarber will be free agents. That's not to say the Cubs front office won't sign them to long term extensions. But not so fast... The Cubs President of Baseball Operations, Theo Epstein, and General Manager, Jed Hoyer's contracts end after the 2021 season with the Cubs as well. So Chicago's window to win again is right now and it's closing sooner than most may realize. 2020 is a telling year for the direction of where the organization is going to go. If the Cubs aren't in contention come July of 2020, your favorite player on this Cubs team may be getting traded. Remember, even though your fandom is as loyal as it could ever be, baseball is a business and the Cubs ownership/front office does not care about your feelings. They care about the future of their team and what the best moves are to put them in a position to win. Oh -- don't forget about caring about money because The Ricketts sure care about that. I'm sure fans can see that with their roll out of their new TV Network within Marquee Sports Network. The Chicago Cubs ended their 2018 postseason run before itbegan as they fell to the Colorado Rockies 2-1 in 13 innings. Overall, it was a fitting end to a frustrating season. Despite winning 95 games, it never truly felt like this team was “special”.
They had the special moments, the walk-offs, the come-from-behind victories, but at the end of the day, this team was just…decent. They had a string of bad luck with offseason acquisitions like Tyler Chatwood and Yu Darvish being worthless, and outside of Javy Baez becoming a MVP candidate and Jason Heyward becoming less-miserable at the plate, the entire offense regressed. They were simply a boom or bust team, and that’s not going to work in October. This team just never had the characteristics to make a deep playoff run, and perhaps that’s why I’m not angry about the season ending. That being said, there are things that clearly need to change before 2019 if this team wants to get back to the World Series. First off, I’m hoping Chili Davis is fired by the time I’m done writing this. I’m not even going to go into great detail about this because everything’s old news. The offense in Boston was ineffective with him as hitting coach and has become one of the most explosive in baseball without him. I’m not saying he’s 100% to blame for this offensive collapse, but a collection of proven offensive studs in their prime shouldn’t regress this hard. Getting Chili out immediately should be priority number one. While fans are going to criticize Joe Maddon for how he managed big games, he shouldn’t be fired. He was dealt a terrible hand with Darvish only collecting one win, Chatwood being a bust, numerous injuries and off the field issues with Addison Russell. Maddon gets on my nerves, but he’s the only man that could’ve managed this team to this much success. All things considered, walking away with 95 victories is incredible. Moving forward, Cubs fans shouldn’t be disappointed for long. This offense should bounce back as long as they bring in a new hitting coach, which I can’t imagine they wouldn’t do. The Chili Davis experiment failed and it’s time to move on. This team won’t be losing many crucial pieces moving forward, so there’s no reason to think this team won’t be in playoff contention in 2019. Add in the fact that this offseason can be incredibly special with players like Bryce Harper and Manny Machado being available with the Cubs expected to be in play for both players. In order for the Cubs fans to feel comfortable heading into the 2019 season, there will need to be a new hitting coach, they need to pick up Cole Hamels’ option, Darvish needs to fully recover and be fresh, and they need to sign either Machado or Harper. If those things happen, there’s no reason to think this team won’t be ready to contend in 2019. For majority of the season - the Cubs have had the best record in the NL despite all the set backs this team has had to encounter. Their biggest off season acquisition, Yu Darvish, was shut down after suffering a stress reaction to his pitching elbow. Kris Bryant was hit in the head by a pitch earlier in the season, a sore shoulder, and now is out for tonight's game after being hit in the wrist during last nights game. The Cubs closer, Brandon Morrow, was shut down and to fulfill his duties was Pedro Strop who suffered a hamstring injury vs the Reds who is now shut down for the regular season. Tyler Chatwood has been as horrible as you could have imagined walking 8.25 batters per 9 innings with an ERA of 5.30. Addison Russell on administrative leave during the investigation of a domestic abuse case. After many rain delays, the Cubs had to play 47 games in 48 days to end the season. If you were to tell me in March during Spring Training that all of this was going to happen this season, I would call you crazy that the Cubs would be entering the final week of the season in first place with another 90 win season for the fourth straight year. But here we are.
If there's one thing we know about this Cubs team is they know how to pull it together when they need too. With the division tightened up with a 0.5 game lead over the Brewers with five games to play, it will be a real test to see how this team reacts. They have a real good resume under their belt. Lets flashback to the 2016 NLDS - on the verge of facing a game five down 5-2 in the 9th inning vs San Fransisco, the Cubs scored four runs in the 9th inning to advance to the NLCS. We also know what happened in the 2016 World Series where the Cubs came back from being down 3-1 to win the World Series. How about this year when pinch hitter, David Bote, stepped up to the plate with the Cubs down 3-0, two outs, and bases loaded - he hits a walk off grand slam to win vs the Nationals. There's magic in this team and now they have to show it. The Cubs have had a real rocky September. Here's some stats that will blow your mind: - The Cubs offense has a .293 OBP - The Cubs batters are hitting just .230 - The Cubs have hit 18 HRs (28th worst) - The Cubs rank 28th in OPS (.649) - The Cubs have the 5th highest strikeout rate - The Cubs worst offensive month of the season So to say the Cubs got cold at the wrong time is an understatement. On the flip side - The Milwaukee Brewers have been a real scary team as of late. Christian Yelich has also separated him self from a MVP Candidate to the front runner. They have been the media's under dog all season long but that hasn't stopped them from performing well & they are turning it on at the right time. This is September baseball at its finest - games that count right down to the wire, scoreboard watching, champagne, and heartbreak. What has happened in the past month can be washed out with a strong finish winning the NL Central & if the Cubs can carry that momentum into October. It hasn't been pretty but the real test is here. Finish this out. The Cubs had a chance in the last two weeks to put a nail on the division facing the Brewers in two different series but unfortunately it became a race instead of a chase. Our followers asked us some questions with only a few weeks left of the season so founder of Cubs Live, Kyle Malzhan, & beat writer, Mark Talarico, are here to answer those questions: Kyle: I don't think the Cubs are going to go out in the last two weeks in the season to acquire a closer. The Cubs have options with Strop and Morrow out. The Cubs desperately need CJ Edwards to get right if they want to make any type of push late in October. Right now there are a few guys I trust: Chavez, Wilson, De La Rosa. With that being said - If CJ can get back to his old ways along Cishek, that just boosts the bullpen. I think using Cishek so much in the season has really been a down fall especially with the series of events that have taken place recently. Mark: While it's concerning when a player like Strop gets injured, I don't think the Cubs need to hit the panic button and immediately find a replacement for him outside of the organization, which would be hard to do this late in the season anyway. Hopefully Morrow can come back soon and return to his form from earlier in the season, but I still like the Cubs with Chavez, Wilson and De La Rosa along with Cishek and Edwards, who are due for a boost soon. Kyle: I think you're going to see a lot of Randy Rosario in that position with Strop out. It wouldn't surprise me if you saw Justin Wilson in there as well. Mark: I think it'll either be Rosario or Wilson, but don't leave out Chavez or De La Rosa. All of those guys can get the job done. Kyle: Dakota Mekkes is a prospect that can be very eye appealing. If you looked at his numbers with Iowa this season: 31.1 innings, 1.44 ERA, 41 strikeouts, and only one HR allowed. With that being said, Mekkes will get his shot with the Cubs but I doubt it will be within the next two weeks. Mark: I think it's too late to introduce someone like that to the team without the experience, especially in the middle of a playoff push. If Morrow and Strop are out longer than expected, perhaps, but I wouldn't expect him with this kind of pressure. Kyle: Jason Heyward was running in the outfield earlier this week and he told the media that he anticipates to play baseball again this season so I'd say that's a pretty positive look. I didn't think I'd say this - but I feel like the Cubs are missing Jason Heyward's presence in the lineup and in the field. Mark: Hamstrings are a tricky injury to come back from as they can easily be aggravated upon return if it's too premature. This is where the depth the Cubs have is so important, even with Schwarber also being out and Happ and Almora struggling at the plate. Kyle: You're not wrong. In 28 games & 123 AB's - Zobrist is hitting .285 with 4 HRs, 17 RBI, & 22 runs. Most definitely potential for a lead off man. I'm not sure if that's the best order though. I think between those five players you listed, the best order would be Murphy - Bryant - Rizzo - Baez - Zobrist. Mark: I've wanted Zo in the leadoff for a while, but I understand not putting him there because he's so good with runners on base. Murphy's going to heat back up again soon and then that problem should solve itself. Until then, sure. Kyle: If the Cubs were to land Harper, I think someone would be on the move because of how deep the outfield would be - there would be to many. If I had to pick someone to go, it would be between Almora or Happ and my gut feeling says Almora. I say that because Theo loves Schwarber like his son & with Happ - he gives you that IF/OF versatility where if someone goes down, he can fulfill it at pretty much any position unlike Almora. Mark: What about Russell? Really don't know what kind of haul he would bring in but his defense is still elite and having so many guys that can fill the gap for him makes him just as expendable as anyone else you listed. Out of those guys, I think Happ would be the first to go personally. I just have always felt like he's not in that core group of guys for whatever reason. Schwarber isn't going anywhere. Kyle: It's hard to say. Maddon seems to like Gore a lot in pinch running situations - rightfully so. Which come Oct. when it's a tight game and you need someone quick on the bases, you have your go to. Right now I would say Bote, Happ, and Gore. La Stella the odd man out. Mark: I love the speed Gore brings to the table, but in October, you need people that can get on base in the first place, and La Stella is a true pro at that. Happ and Bote for sure, probably La Stella, I don't see Gore making it. Kyle: NL Central: Cubs NL East: Braves NL West: Dodgers WC: St. Louis @ Milwaukee NL Rep: Cubs Mark: Same as Kyle but swap St. Louis with the Rockies. Cubs in 4. Kyle: This just got weird.
Mark: He doesn't seem like an outie guy. Innie. Despite a slow start and periods of inconsistency, the Cubs had a successful first half of the season and were able to head into the All-Star break with the best record in the National League at 55-38. The offense is booming on all cylinders, which is a pleasant surprise considering the notable struggles of Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant.
While their struggles aren’t anything to be seriously concerned about, the pitching for the Cubs is an area that may need attention. I’m aware that the Cubs have the second-best ERA and Batting Average Against in the National League and that they lead the league in shutouts. A large part of their success has been their bullpen, and while they have been outstanding top to bottom, they’re in danger of being over-used. That’s why there have been chatter about the Cubs trading to boost their rotation. Theo Epstein has gone on the record saying he doesn’t expect to make a blockbuster deal at the deadline and that the issues the Cubs have can be solved within the clubhouse. That doesn’t change the fact that there’s a pitcher on the market already worth 6.0 WAR with a 1.68 ERA. Jacob deGrom, the 30-year-old stud for the New York Mets, is either going to be offered an extension very soon or will be dealt before the deadline to a contender. Despite the Cubs success, a regression from Jon Lester is to be expected, Jose Quintana and Kyle Hendricks are trending upwards but are inconsistent, Yu Darvish is a massive question mark and Tyler Chatwood cannot be trusted. This team will only go as far as their pitching, and deGrom can take this team from good to elite in an instant. deGrom is signed for the next three years to an affordable contract so the Cubs wouldn’t have to break the bank to get him, but it would cost some key players. The Cubs don’t have the prospects anymore to pull off a blockbuster deal, but they’re deep enough to land a player like deGrom. I’m not a GM, but my guess is that it would cost the Cubs Ian Happ/Albert Almora/Addison Russell as the center piece of the trade followed by Mike Montgomery, David Bote, and some minor league prospects as well. While that is a lot to give up for a pitcher that’s already 30, the rotation in Chicago would be Lester, deGrom, Hendricks, Quintana and Darvish. If they’re all healthy, who’s the weak spot there? They’d also all be together for the next three years, so the rotation moving forward would be set in stone while keeping the bulk of this star-studded offensive cast together. I don’t want to lose Russell, Happ or Almora. They are all valuable players, but the Cubs have the ability to fill those holes with players they currently have. deGrom is pitching the best baseball of his life and the Cubs need that anchor in this rotation. Chatwood wouldn’t be needed and Darvish could take as long as he needs to get ready. While this deal is unlikely to happen, it’s fun to imagine the possibilities of this rotation for the next three years. By: Ryan Melson (@RyanMelson1)
As we sit about six weeks into the season, I am scratching my head trying to figure out who Tyler Chatwood is as a pitcher. At times, I am watching a guy with ace potential. His 3.35 ERA this season looks awfully nice coming from the fifth spot in the rotation. Other times, I am watching a guy who cannot hit the strike zone. Chatwood can cruise through the game for five straight hitters without anyone making hard contact, then he will walk the next two batters on eight straight pitches. The wildness of Chatwood is quite alarming. Through 37.2 innings, Chatwood has 32 walks. Chatwood’s 32 walks leads Major League Baseball. He is on pace for 135 plus walks this season, which would shatter his career high 77 walks in 2017. Let’s hope Chatwood is not trying to chase Nolan Ryan’s 157 walks in 1972. Despite Chatwood walking nearly a hitter an inning, hitters are having a difficult time getting hits off of him. Chatwood has allowed 26 hits this season, which is less than the amount of walks he has issued. Currently, Chatwood has his highest WHIP (walk-hits per innings pitched) since his first two seasons in the league. The only reason his WHIP is high is because the amount of walks he has issued. Justin Verlander has allowed the least amount of hits per 9 innings this season at 4.528. Corey Kluber has allowed the eighth least hits per 9 innings at 5.7. Chatwood’s 6.3 hits allowed per 9 is not far off from Kluber. Hits per 9 innings shows how dominant a pitcher is over a hitter. Chatwood has done a very nice job of limiting the amount of hits off of him. Another promising stat is Chatwood’s strikeout rate. Chatwood is striking out 9.08 hitters per nine innings, averaging more strikeouts than innings pitched. His 38 strikeouts so far this season has put him on pace for 160 plus strikeouts and leads the Cubs starting staff right now. To put what Chatwood is doing in context, Jake Arrieta’s strikeout per nine innings in 2016 and 2017 were 8.7. Arrieta has only 5.8 strikeouts per nine this season, so Chatwood has been better overpowering hitters better than Arrieta this season. The most strikeouts Chatwood had in a season came last year with the Rockies and he had 120. Chatwood’s strikeout numbers are on the rise. Not only does that say Chatwood is understanding his wicked arsenal of pitchers better, he does have overpowering pitches that can strikeout hitters. The trend of Chatwood’s strikeouts are not surprising when you watch the movement on his pitches and the amount of velocity on his fastball. Chatwood’s ground ball percentage is actually lower than it has been in years past. This season, Chatwood has a 51.7% ground ball percentage when hitters make contact. In 2017, Chatwood had a 58.1% ground ball percentage. Chatwood’s career ground ball percentage is 54.6%. If Chatwood continues to get more ground balls for the Cubs infield and he continues his magnificent strikeout rate, Chatwood could be poised for his best season in MLB, despite the walks. Chatwood is on pace for his best WAR season since he came into the league, but is walking people at this rate sustainable? Traditional logic says no, but Chatwood’s first seven starts continue to prove me wrong. If Chatwood can get his walks under control, then he could become much more dominant than he has been because his strikeout rates are high, his groundball rate will be more frequent, and the Cubs infield behind him is outstanding. By: Christian Otteman (@cotteman7) Hello Cubs Live nation, and welcome to a semi-regular segment that I’ll be calling the Thursday Thinkpiece. In this series I’ll be examining some questions to facilitate some new and unique conversation and offer a change of pace from the in-depth content the team is providing in following this year’s Cubs. In this week’s segment I’ll be breaking down one of my favorite topics to discuss with fellow fans: what is your absolute favorite Cubs game in your history as a fan? Before we delve into this discussion, I want to set one simple but important ground rule: playoff games are disqualified from this conversation. These games obviously carry infinitely more weight than their regular season counterparts and, with the past few postseasons in mind, this conversation would likely consist of only a handful of games if we include playoffs. The point of this topic is to get into the nitty-gritty of the regular season and to dig into those weird and wonderful games that stand out among a sea of (mostly) forgettable contests. The big comebacks, the historic moments, and the downright weird games are part of what makes being a baseball fan—and a Cubs fan in particular—so gratifying. Before I get to my personal favorite game, here’s a couple runners-up in this category that deserve an honorable mention: July 27th, 2015: Cubs 9, Rockies 8 Or as I like to call it, the beginning of the new age Cubs. Heading into the bottom of the 9th, things seemed bleak at best for the north siders: in classic Cubs fashion, they had seemingly snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, blowing a 7-4 lead to face an 8-7 deficit heading into the bottom of the 9th. The pendulum of momentum was completely in the Rockies’ favor until future rookie of the year Kris Bryant stepped up to the plate with 2 outs, and hit a booming walk-off home run to left-center—the first walk-off of his career. I vividly remember watching this game with my brother and going ballistic in our living room while simultaneously trying not to wake up the rest of our family. This game felt like such a turning point for this team, as well, who went on a second-half run for the ages to set themselves up for a deep playoff run. August 24th, 2014: Cubs 2, Orioles 1 A bit of an oddball in this discussion, as it was a fairly pedestrian game in most cases, save for the fact that Tsuyoshi Wada took a no hitter into the 7th inning. I could have easily chosen a no-hitter from Zambrano or Arrieta in place of this game, but being at Wrigley Field for this game made it infinitely more memorable. The tension was palpable as Wada’s pitch count rose throughout the innings, each inning lasting seemingly longer than the last. The disappointment as Steve Pearce of all people launched a ball onto Waveland to end Wada’s outing was absolutely soul-crushing, cementing this game as one of my favorites to reminisce about with my family. July 31st, 2016: Cubs 7, Mariners 6 (13 innings) This game really had it all—a crazy comeback, a big stage on Sunday Night Baseball, some classic Joe Maddon voodoo magic (see also: Travis Wood, left fielder) and to cap it all off, a Jon Lester walkoff bunt for good measure. The boo birds were flying early in the game when Brian Matusz allowed a two-run shot for the third straight inning, with many questioning Maddon’s methods, a trend that’s become all too common in this team’s era. Slowly but surely, the Cubs chipped away, and were able to send the game into extra innings with the help of a couple wild pitches in the ninth. The walk-off was one of the highlights of an incredibly memorable 2016—the fact that Jon Lester, one of the worst hitters in MLB history, pinch-hit to win the game with a squeeze bunt was incredible—and the Heyward helmet toss afterwards made it all the more satisfying. Of course, these games are all great in their own rights, but none of them hold the honor of being my favorite Cubs game of all time. That title belongs to the game that took me from being a casual Cubs follower to a die-hard fan that lives on every game of the season: June 29th, 2007: Cubs 6, Brewers 5 I don’t even know where to begin with this one. I suppose it doesn’t hurt to give a little context: it was just another summer day at my West Michigan home, and the neighborhood kids had started a game of pickup basketball by the time I got home from swim practice. Pledging to join in on the next game, I sat down on the couch and turned on the TV just in time for the first pitch of the Cubs game. Though I was born and raised a Cubs fan, this was the first game I watched start to finish on TV, but I don’t think anybody would have blamed me if I stopped watching after the first inning. The Brewers absolutely shelled Rich Hill in the first with a five run inning capped off by a three-run shot by Kevin Mench. Milwaukee’s dominance in the first came as no surprise, as they already held a seven-and-a-half game lead on the Cubs in the division before the halfway point on the season. As much as I wanted to prove my competence in basketball and break some ankles outside, something told me to see this game through—and the payoff in the ninth was more than worth it. With two outs, one man on, and the Cubs down one, Aramis Ramirez delivered: Everything about this moment was perfect: Len Kasper’s call. Aramis doing a Sammy Sosa-esque hop as he watches the ball fly into the left-center bleachers. The deafening cheers coming from around Wrigley as Ramirez was mobbed by his teammates at home. It was this single moment that sold me on being a Cubs fan for life, which is why it is unquestionably my favorite Cubs game of all time.
So now I’ll turn it over to you guys—what Cubs game stands above the rest as your favorite and why? Was it because it was your first game at Wrigley, or that you witnessed an outstanding moment in person, or that you had an encounter with one of your favorite players, or something else entirely? Let the Cubs Live team know your thoughts, and we’ll see you soon for the next Thursday Thinkpiece! |
Kyle MalzhanFounder who is an aspiring journalist who covers the Chicago Cubs daily. Archives
April 2020
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