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 …
Welcome to March
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, …
Random Cubs Practice Game Thread Until Further Notice
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 …
Your Very First Cubs Game Thread of 2023: Giants @ Cubs, Saturday 2/25 2:05 PM CT (UPDATED: With Lineups)
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 …
What Springs to Mind?
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 …
The Quest For Exceeding Expectations
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 …
Dreamcast 57: Into the Greg-iverse
RC invited the Gregs of North Side Bound to talk prospects in the Cubs system that is markedly improved from the last few sell-offs. You can find a better summary at the Podbean page along with links to their socials and website, but they will have some episodes of their own podcast dropping soon that should be fun to check …
MLB Rules Tidbits Just Before Spring Training
The World Baseball Classic pitchers are supposed to have reported by today, but many of them are already in camp, so it’s just a formality, I guess. I shared something in the last post’s comments regarding the new rule restricting when a position player can pitch, but now it seems official, along with another not-so-controversial-anymore rule: In all regular-season extra-inning …
World Baseball Classic 2023
As spring training arrives next week, there will be a few star (and honestly a bunch of non-star) players reporting a bit earlier than usual (including the Cubs’ Seiya Suzuki, who is already in Arizona) because they’re participating in the World Baseball Classic. Marcus Stroman will also play again, this time representing Team Puerto Rico after having pitched the USA …
Unfinished Business
The Cubs had just announced their spring training roster, which includes the non-roster invitees. So that’s 72 total players officially in the dugout, not including the random minor leaguer they pluck from the other camps to complete the game once the roster guys are done for the day, and not including the extra lefty or split-neutral reliever they should probably …