https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/page/129/?d=7enhttps://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/week-in-review-cubs-officially-eliminated-from-postseason-show-some-frustration-r1125/Accepting unfavorable--yet, and worse, inevitable--outcomes is nauseating. That's why, as we begin the final week of the Cubs' 2024 season, searingly painful images of what this team could have been will linger in our minds, long after the Commissioner's Trophy is handed out in early November....1125Mon, 23 Sep 2024 11:14:01 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/which-cubs-have-had-successful-seasons-and-how-do-we-even-answer-that-question-r1123/Baseball seasons are so long that almost every team and individual season end up rendered in gray, rather than black-and-white. So, in a gun steel-and-charcoal campaign, where are the light gray silver linings--and who gets to decide on their value? Success is a hilarious concept within the...1123Fri, 20 Sep 2024 11:26:01 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/fitting-cody-bellinger-into-the-2025-cubs-roster-if-we-must-r1122/He's not a bad player, but he's not a good fit, either. How do you solve a problem like a likable former MVP? Even with a brief run of success at the end of August into September, it was always going to be a stretch for the Chicago Cubs to be playoff-bound. If you’re like me, you’ve been thi...1122Thu, 19 Sep 2024 22:01:51 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/in-pitching-philosophy-cubs-might-need-to-recalibrate-balance-between-zigging-and-zagging-r1121/Exploiting market inefficiencies is not a substitute for a personality.   Earlier this month, I wrote about the Cubs' unique usage of a pair of pitches that rarely go together: cut-ride fastballs and power changeups with ample arm=side run. That's just one crystallizing way to understan...1121Thu, 19 Sep 2024 13:58:21 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/offseason-targets-and-options-for-the-cubs-lineup-r1118/Now that the Cubs have hit the dreaded 0% playoff odds, it's time to analyze why they fell short in Tom Ricketts's stated expectation to win the division. In May and June, it was a deficient offense. They were the second-worst offense in the league for that long stretch. Take out those two month...1118Thu, 19 Sep 2024 11:25:01 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/has-nico-hoerner-figured-things-out-in-a-resurgent-second-half-r1119/It’s been a disappointing season for Nico Hoerner. His offensive numbers are down, with Cubs fans noticing when he isn’t as clutch as he was in 2023. To the people who are frustrated with Hoerner for not producing like last year, though, we have some rejoinders to offer.  Though thoroughly u...1119Wed, 18 Sep 2024 14:14:01 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/the-one-vital-huge-reason-why-justin-steele-is-back-and-should-pitch-down-the-stretch-r1120/Don't overthink this. On Tuesday, the Cubs announced that Justin Steele will return from the injured list and start the final game of their series against the Oakland Athletics Wednesday afternoon. After being sidelined with elbow soreness for the last fortnight, Steele comes back with a cha...1120Wed, 18 Sep 2024 13:07:30 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/juan-soto-or-corbin-burnes-for-the-cubs-this-winter-why-not-you-know-both-r1117/And don't say the obvious reason. With as much energy and era-defining excitement as there is in Major League Baseball these days, the game is better when the Chicago Cubs are elite. Due in large part to a much more passive spending strategy in free agency than the club's most loyal fans wou...1117Wed, 18 Sep 2024 11:08:02 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/why-cubs-fans-should-keep-a-close-fond-eye-on-christopher-morel-r1116/If you just want to root for laundry, skip the expense of the ballpark and go to a laundromat. Every season near the trade deadline, fans watch nervously, hoping not to see their favorite players get traded. When they inevitably do, the aim is to keep following them, stay up to date--but slo...1116Tue, 17 Sep 2024 13:50:34 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/shota-imanaga-new-pitch-changeup-grip-paul-skenes/The Cubs' best starter began this season as a two-pitch specialist, playing with other offerings only at the margins. Now, he seems to add a new pitch every other outing. Given the enormity of the cultural and linguistic barriers Japanese players often face when they arrive in the United Sta...1115Tue, 17 Sep 2024 11:38:02 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/cubs-season-ticket-price-hike-2025-tom-ricketts/Chicago Cubs season ticket holders were informed of a price increase averaging 3 percent for the 2025 season this week. The sport continues to make itself less accessible to the general public. The Chicago Cubs will only be playing 79 home games next year, as opposed to the normal slate of 8...1112Mon, 16 Sep 2024 13:13:02 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/anthony-santander-free-agency-home-runs-outfield-dh-bellinger-contracts/In the sticky, confused web of decisions facing the Cubs this winter, one big-ticket free agent feels like a trap to me. Looking ahead to the looming offseason, the Chicago Cubs have their work cut out for them. While technically not mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, a coupl...1113Mon, 16 Sep 2024 11:08:02 +0000