https://northsidebaseball.com/chicago-cubs-news/cubs/page/202/?d=7enhttps://northsidebaseball.com/chicago-cubs-news/cubs/the-third-54-report-cubs-drop-another-winnable-contest-r23/The Cubs fell to the Reds on Monday night, opening up their road schedule for 2023 by falling to 1-3 overall. It was one of those games that could tilt either way, and losing it was another tough pill to swallow. If it’s true that every team will win 54 games and lose 54, and that seasons hi...23Tue, 04 Apr 2023 12:58:13 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/chicago-cubs-news/cubs/and-they-said-dansby-swanson-couldnt-hit-r22/Nobody said Dansby Swanson couldn’t hit. But juxtaposing him with the other three shortstops in this year’s free agent class, it’s easy to see how one could arrive at the perception of him that pervaded over the winter. Compared to the trio of Trea Turner, Xander Bogaerts, and Carlos Correa,...22Tue, 04 Apr 2023 12:51:14 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/chicago-cubs-news/cubs/this-is-what-cubs-losses-will-look-like-in-2023-r21/Opening Day was a delight, because it showed you exactly what you can expect wins to look like for this iteration of the Cubs: manufacturing runs, capitalizing on a few breaks via aggressiveness on the bases, solid pitching, and outstanding defense. Since then, they’ve laid down just as clear a...21Tue, 04 Apr 2023 09:13:02 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/chicago-cubs-news/cubs/the-best-bullpen-version-of-javier-assad-r20/One of the best and most intriguing stories to emerge from the Cubs’ spring was the emergence of Javier Assad as a potential bullpen weapon. That experiment got off to a rough start on Saturday, but it can still end well. The young righty just needs to make some adjustments. Having seen him...20Mon, 03 Apr 2023 11:15:02 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/chicago-cubs-news/cubs/the-third-54-report-cubs-fall-to-0-1-in-a-way-r19/The Cubs collapsed after late June 2021, and the rebuild that dare not speak its name began right then. That makes this the third season of the project, and if we’re that far into it, losses like Saturday’s can’t be treated as excusable moral victories. With an assist from Jed Hoyer, David Ross...19Sun, 02 Apr 2023 12:25:26 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/chicago-cubs-news/cubs/the-cubs-new-identity-was-on-full-display-on-opening-day-r18/Though Jed Hoyer kicked off the offseason by stating an intention to build a powerful offense, the Cubs ended up with exactly the opposite identity. Their victories will come via pitching, defense, and timely, aggressive offense. On Thursday, we saw what that looks like. There’s a little ext...18Sat, 01 Apr 2023 11:11:23 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/chicago-cubs-news/cubs/cubs-4-brewers-0-stroman-swanson-lead-cubs-to-opening-day-win-r17/Marcus Stroman was strong on the mound on Opening Day. Dansby Swanson came up big with the glove and the bat in his Cubs debut. The Cubs used one big inning and some Brewers misplays to take a 4-0 Opening Day win.  Box Score SP: Marcus Stroman: 6 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 8 K (69 pitches, 41 st...17Thu, 30 Mar 2023 21:57:30 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/chicago-cubs-news/cubs/podcast-this-is-not-a-rebuild-episode-24-bill-james-was-just-dead-wrong-r16/Just in time for Opening Day, Episode 24 of This is Not a Rebuild is ready for you.   In the Jerry Morales Episode of the podcast, Matt Trueblood, Todd Trueblood, and Tom Nurse discuss the 2023 Cubs, but also Manny Alexander; whether Bill James's whole career was an accident, basically;...16Thu, 30 Mar 2023 15:06:07 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/chicago-cubs-news/cubs/grizzled-veteran-joins-new-team-r15/Hello. I’m Randy Holt, and I’ll be joining the crew here at Northside Baseball. Let’s get to know each other. It’s been a minute since I referred to a Chicago Cubs website as a writing basecamp. Long enough, anyway, that recalling the last time–when I was a freshman in college–made me feel v...15Thu, 30 Mar 2023 13:50:57 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/chicago-cubs-news/cubs/5-bold-predictions-for-the-2023-chicago-cubs-r14/It’s Opening Day 2023, and today is our last chance to put ourselves out there before games commence. Here are five bold predictions for the 2023 Chicago Cubs, a team with intrigue everywhere but not (yet) a clear path to the playoffs. Hopefully, these five predictions balance being interest...14Thu, 30 Mar 2023 13:06:05 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/chicago-cubs-news/cubs/what-luis-torrens-can-do-for-the-cubs-r13/The most surprising inclusion on the Cubs' Opening Day roster knows a little bit about being viewed as out of place in these situations, and has experience as a third catcher. Who is Luis Torrens, and what does he bring to the table?   As Spring Training came to a close, the Cubs were u...13Thu, 30 Mar 2023 12:08:27 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/chicago-cubs-news/cubs/how-marcus-stroman-explains-the-2023-cubs-we-hope-r12/When Marcus Stroman takes the field and picks up the ball to throw the first pitch of the 2023 season for the Chicago Cubs, he’ll be the perfect standard bearer for them. Stroman is an amalgam of so many tweaks and tinkers, so many tricks and tenacities, that he is at once endlessly analyzable a...12Wed, 29 Mar 2023 12:32:07 +0000