Cubbies Gazette

 I decided to sit down and look at the Cubs' 2022 schedule. And, I noticed a few things of interest, so I'll point them out. The Cubs' Opening Day is in Cincinatti verses the Reds. They play a three-game series against them, then go home to Wrigley for their home opener vs the Cardinals. The volume and level of excitement during that game should be pretty high. The Cubs face all four of their division rivals during the first four series of the year. It goes Reds-Cardinals-Brewers-Pirates. So, a lot of great first games for the season, and also a good indication of how the Cubs will do in the division.  The Cubs will be facing every single team from AL East (Rays, Orioles, etc.), but not a single team from AL West. Also, the Cubs will only face one rival from AL Central, the White Sox. Of course, you have your usual Marlins, Giants, etc. matchups, but the Cubs do see a lot of time playing the Reds and Brewers in 2022. The Cubs will play the Reds in the authentic Field of Dre...

 Enjoying some nice cold Wisconsin winter right now, with single digit temperatures...anyway, it's the kind of weather you like just burying yourself in blankets and dreaming of the Cubs winning another World Series. Yesterday, I posted a poll of who would you rather have back to the Cubs, Castellanos or Schwarber, and Schwarber got the win with a 75% to 25% vote. So, based on that opinion alone, it seems like Cubs fans would like to give Schwarber another chance, and get him back in a Cubs jersey. I'm going to take a look at this question from a couple different viewpoints, and also what brought up this question to begin with. It started when MLBTR laid out possible landing spots for Schwarber and Castellanos, and the Cubs were listed as one of the options that should be seriously considered. Here is their take on the Cubs and them:    The Cubs’ decision to non-tender Schwarber looked foolish in 2021, but I don’t expect them to respond by signing him to a large free agen...

  Yep. I want Carlos Correa too. He's a great defensive and offensive player that would add a lot to the Cubs. I hate to burst your bubble, but it's not a guarantee that he's signing with the Cubs. They may be the front runners for him, but with the new CBA contract in the future, and the price...it's still not a given that the Cubs will get Correa. So, as a backup, I made a list of some of the top defensive shortstops in the league who could be possible trade options for the Cubs if they don't get Correa. 1. Nicky Lopez Lopez was the top defensive shortstop in 2021, having a 24 OAA (Outs Above Average) according to Statcast. That was not only the great thing about Lopez in 2021. He had a .300/.365/.378 with a 106 wRC+ and a 4.4 WAR. He had a low 13.1% K rate and a good 8.7% BB rate. Although he never hits the ball hard, and his 26.9% HardH rate is in the bottom 3% of the league, his success is obvious.  His 2021 season was the first time in his three-year MLB caree...

  I like going back and watching some crazy, funny, or awesome Cubs moments, and this is certainly one of them. To give you a background, David Ross tested positive for covid, so had to isolate and couldn't manage the team at the games. As a result, bench coach Andy Green filled in for him, even down to the ejections. Apparently, Green got all worked up about the Pirates' guy's slide into Alcantara, and well...you can just watch it for yourself.

 Recently, I realized that Ross is entering his final year of contract as Cubs manager (though there is a club option for 2023), and I thought I'd take a little time and evaluate him as a manager. Now, an MLB manager manages the lineups, pinch hitters, pitchers, challenges, etc., so sometimes it can be difficult to properly evaluate a manager because he has to work with whatever the team gives him. Ross led the Cubs to a NL Central pennant but lost to the Marlins in the first series. In 2021, the Cubs had a losing record of 71-91, but that can't be entirely blamed on Ross. Considering the group he was working with, and the players that were on the *verge* of breaking out, plus all the Cubs' core players being traded, I still think he did a respectable job. I notice a couple things in particular that really stand out to me in regard to Ross, so I'll mention them here: The bullpen. You have to remember, that a year ago at this time Tepera and Chafin were not considered do...