My Year With North Side Baseball: The Cubs Squad We Dreamed Of

[RavenCub30]

Image courtesy of © David Banks-Imagn Images

For years, as the wheels from my Brown Line "L" train gave off sparks, racing toward Harold Washington Library, I silently pined for the chance to write about Chicago Cubs baseball. Almost a year ago to this very date, once the passionate and devoted staff here welcomed me aboard, the pining stopped.

My first piece? A proposition, nay, a plea for former Cub Christopher Morel to be installed as the club's leadoff hitter. I thought it was a heck of a fun read, and some of you went along with it, while others met it with much consternation. Fond memories to be sure. One year later, this team is positioned as one of the best in the game, relying much more on constants than hypotheticals or experimentation. Morel brought more theatrics than a performance of Hamilton,  but this squad, led by certified superstar Pete Crow-Armstrong, brings award-worthy drama too; they're just a lot better at it than before. 

If you'd like to learn more about why I believe this club is special, please read some of my other articles. Short of a complete stranglehold on their division, the Cubbies are presenting as more of a lock for the postseason with each half inning of baseball logged. Games like the Brewers' first trip to Wrigley in 2025 proved as much, with the likes of Nico Hoerner galloping around the bases, while the outfield pulled off some of the most astonishing hustle plays you'll ever see. Good teams don't need to tinker around with different formulas to win consistently; they know who they are and stick to what works. A lot is working for the Chicago Cubs ball club right now, including at third base, one of Christopher Morel's previous haunts. 

By way of incomprehensible fortune, I get to frequent Wrigley Field in the same way residents of Andersonville get to frequent their local Jewel-Osco. One of those occasions was the debut of the North Side's favorite Maryland Terrapin, Matt Shaw. The 23-year-old third baseman, as the organization's top prospect and first-round draft pick, arrived with more weight on his shoulders than Atlas. Spoiler alert: he crumbled under it, blinded by the bright lights of big market baseball and forced to make his way back to Iowa. A metamorphosis in his attitude and visible maturation has Shaw up with the big club and playing third base at a very high level, snatching up difficult bounces and making laser-accurate throws. What, for a time, was a revolving door position for the Cubs, marked by devastating miscues and inconsistency, is now one of the squad's numerous strengths, with Shaw locking down the hot corner.

By the way, in case you were wondering, Shaw bats in the nine spot most nights, building a steady resume of productivity, while Cub veteran Ian Happ is back and mostly thriving in the leadoff spot, setting the table for the human wrecking ball that is Kyle Tucker. Although this lineup has experienced an offensive slump lately, most nights, it's a foundation we can count on—a far cry from where the team stood at this time last year. 

What kind of times lie ahead for this electric Chicago Cubs baseball team? A year removed from deck-shuffling, throw stuff at the wall and see what sticks moves, Craig Counsell has his squad playing with its best hand yet. The North Siders, at the time of this writing, are the best show in town, but even despite that, it feels like we've barely scratched the surface of what they will be, and their next act might be even better. While we wish him well, the magic wasn't in Christopher Morel; it's in this Chicago Cubs team. 

View full article