https://northsidebaseball.com/chicago-cubs-news/cubs/page/185/?d=7enhttps://northsidebaseball.com/chicago-cubs-news/cubs/september-call-ups-luke-little-and-the-amazing-incredible-so-good-very-awesome-season-r286/In September, the Cubs roster will expand to 28 players. What should the Cubs do with those precious extra roster spots in the heat of a playoff race? Right off the bat, we should note that the Cubs will add one pitcher and one hitter once the calendar flips to September. I already made case...286Wed, 23 Aug 2023 01:32:00 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/chicago-cubs-news/cubs/remembrances-of-cubs-games-past-r283/Let's take an afternoon stroll down memory lane. Have no fear, dear reader! I’m not about to ramble on for 900 long pages like Mr. Poust did in his similarly titled signature tome. But having finally caught up with all those spinning plates, what could be better than sitting here at the...283Tue, 22 Aug 2023 16:18:01 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/chicago-cubs-news/cubs/yan-gomes-was-monday-nights-hero-and-has-changed-the-cubs-plans-at-catcher-r285/When the Cubs surrendered a three-run lead in the bottom of the eighth inning Monday night, it looked like another frustrating loss to a bad team was in the offing. One batter into the top of the ninth, the vibes had turned around gorgeously. On a first-pitch fastball over the inside edge of...285Tue, 22 Aug 2023 12:28:17 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/chicago-cubs-news/cubs/3-up-3-down-playoff-edition-r281/The Cubs are back in a postseason position as of this writing. What can we expect this week, though? Have you ever gone on a “Stay-cation?” This was my kiddos' last weekend before school, so we took some time to enjoy the city. I have spent most of my professional life in Chicago. I highly r...281Mon, 21 Aug 2023 17:16:23 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/chicago-cubs-news/cubs/the-cubs-suddenly-have-a-shot-at-the-first-wild-card-spot-r280/As we make a Monday check-in on the Cubs' playoff odds, what jumps out is that they've surged upward--but not primarily because of the division standings. The Cubs still have two series left against the NL Central-leading Brewers, and winning two out of three games in both would not only pul...280Mon, 21 Aug 2023 17:10:16 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/chicago-cubs-news/cubs/how-good-are-the-2023-cubs-compared-to-the-2016-cubs-part-three-the-pitching-staff-r278/Back in 2016, the Chicago Cubs made history. Now, the team is merely just trying to return to the playoffs. How does this year’s roster compare to the drought-busting legends of then? The premise behind this is simple: at each position, we’ll take a look at which roster had the better player...278Mon, 21 Aug 2023 14:13:01 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/chicago-cubs-news/cubs/choosing-drew-smyly-over-jordan-wicks-for-tuesday-night-is-stupid-r279/The Cubs will send Drew Smyly to the mound to start Tuesday night's game in Detroit. That's a mistake, and a bizarre one, given their other recent choices. With the fifth spot in the Cubs' rotation coming up for the first time in a week and a half, a decision was due at the end of the team's...279Mon, 21 Aug 2023 12:36:38 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/chicago-cubs-news/cubs/how-good-are-the-2023-cubs-compared-to-the-2016-cubs-part-two-the-outfield-r277/Back in 2016, the Chicago Cubs made history. Now, the team is merely just trying to return to the playoffs. How does this year’s roster compare to the drought-busting legends of then? The premise behind this is simple: we’ll look at which roster had the better player(s) at each position. As...277Sun, 20 Aug 2023 12:37:01 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/chicago-cubs-news/cubs/how-good-are-the-2023-cubs-compared-to-the-2016-cubs-part-one-the-infield-r276/Back in 2016, the Chicago Cubs made history. Now, the team is merely just trying to return to the playoffs. How does this year’s roster compare to the drought-busting legends of then? The premise behind this is simple: we’ll look at which roster had the better player(s) at each position. As...276Sat, 19 Aug 2023 18:16:02 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/chicago-cubs-news/cubs/its-time-for-the-cubs-to-emulate-the-braves-r275/Losing a series-opening contest against the Royals Friday was the latest reminder that the Cubs' newfound status as credible contenders doesn't mean they have it made. They remain flawed, and overcoming those flaws might mean shifting their approach to their own roster. Let us look to the At...275Sat, 19 Aug 2023 13:18:15 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/chicago-cubs-news/cubs/this-weekends-cubs-rotation-shuffle-brings-the-justin-steele-plan-into-focus-r274/With Marcus Stroman sidelined indefinitely, the Cubs have rearranged their starting rotation for this weekend's series against the Royals. It makes clearer how the team intends to manage their ace's workload, but it raises other questions, too. After his start Saturday in Toronto, Justin Ste...274Fri, 18 Aug 2023 15:10:00 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/chicago-cubs-news/cubs/the-bullpen-wizardry-of-the-chicago-cubs-r270/Ever since the Kansas City Royals won back-to-back American League pennants in 2014 and 2015, teams have tried to copy their method of “shortening” games by prioritizing dominant bullpens. Over the last three years, it’s hard to say anyone’s gotten more bang for their buck from their relievers t...270Fri, 18 Aug 2023 12:04:01 +0000