Sports
Chatwood should be the current closer for the @Cubs until Kimbrel gets back. He clearly has the best arm in the pen.
Go Cubs Go
The Chicago Cubs have one of the best home records and one of the worst road records, and they have the best run differential in their division. People seem to be scratching their head over how the same team can be so good at home and so bad on the road. The problem is not the hitting, although they could be more consistent. To me the problem is the bullpen, they are giving up too many runs in the 6 thru 9th innings. Nobody in the pen is reliable.
Twenty years ago the bullpen wasn’t so important because starting pitchers pitched more innings and more often completed games. Now, starting pitchers are only expected to pitch six innings and that means you got have more pitching than ever before.
The Cubs overall pitching staff is not good enough. You might see an uptick in performance if they make the playoffs because the starters tend to go longer and you tend to narrow the pen down to a handful of pitchers, but I don’t expect the Cubs to get beyond be first round if they do make the playoffs.
I don’t know what specific things the Cubs need to do for next year. I don’t think the problem is with the managing or coaching, it seems to point to the talent in pitching. Lester and Hamel will be a year older and there doesn’t appear to be any replacements coming from the minors. The window on the talent the Cubs do have is getting smaller and it will be a shame if they only make it to one World Series.
Many fans were wondering if the Cubs were going to make a big splash at the trade deadline–and did they ever. The Cubs have done the unthinkable and acquired the best player in baseball but at a steep cost: Wrigley Field.
Source: Cubs acquire Mike Trout for entirety of Wrigley Field and a player to be named later – The Heckler
Bill Buckner dies: Former MLB player passes away at 69
Before Anthony Rizzo, before Mark Grace, before Leon Durham, there was Bill Buckner. He along with Dave Kingman are among my earliest memories as a Cub fan. Sorry to learn of his passing. It’s been a rough weekend for my sports heros.
The Cubs and Brewers are both really good teams, which makes their games so entertaining to watch.
Cubs are threatening to score double digit runs again having 7 runs through 5 innings in Arizona.
Only at the top of the fourth inning and two hours in to Cubs/Brewers game. Why so slow? Bad pitching and fielding, which is why any rule change MLB may make to require relief pitchers to face at least 3 batters is idiotic. You don’t want rules that keeps bad pitching in games, they will go on and on.
Nothing, not mound visits, and not replacing pitchers makes games go longer than continual walks and hits.
I find this article about how the Ricketts acquired the Chicago Cubs fascinating.
Warmest day so far and it happens to be in opening day. ‘nuf said. Go Cubs go!
Happy opening day! Looking forward to the Cubs starting the 2019 season this afternoon.