https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/page/175/?d=7enhttps://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/however-you-slice-it-david-ross-mismanaged-his-pitchers-friday-r327/As I've documented recently, David Ross doesn't run a bullpen quite the way most other managers do in MLB in 2023. He seems to have a flatter hierarchy and less bifurcated mentality about his relief corps, and it can be difficult to tell (from the outside) in whom he truly has faith at a given t...327Sat, 09 Sep 2023 12:36:01 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/ian-happ-and-the-zen-of-knowing-you-suck-at-something-r325/The Cubs signed Ian Happ to a contract extension in April partly on the strength of the good season he had from the right side of the plate in 2022. He has always been a patient, powerful hitter from the left side, but last year, he was a more complete switch-hitter than he had ever previously s...325Fri, 08 Sep 2023 14:11:00 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/the-last-missing-piece-to-make-the-cubs-offense-elite-r324/It's no surprise, really, that Dansby Swanson has gone through some prolonged slumps this year. Throughout his strong, decorated career, he's been a streaky hitter. In 2021, he batted .189/.267/.316 in April; .278/.312/.557 from May 1 through June 7; .206/.277/.363 from June 8 through July 6; .3...324Fri, 08 Sep 2023 12:30:00 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/this-is-not-a-rebuild-season-2-episode-5-its-a-pennant-race-r323/With the Cubs having turned a corner and become contenders for more than just a Wild Card berth and quick exit, the gang is a little giddy. Discussion topics include, but are not limited to: Jordan Wicks's excellent season, thrilling first few starts in MLB, and place in a potential playof...323Thu, 07 Sep 2023 12:54:00 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/attendance-isnt-what-it-used-to-be-at-wrigley-field-because-tom-ricketts-wants-it-that-way-r322/Firstly, let's be clear: I don't wish to question or impugn the authenticity or enthusiasm of anyone who has attended Cubs games at Wrigley Field recently. The crowds have been lively, and the team has given them ample opportunities to stand, roar, and sing. They've done it with all the gusto th...322Wed, 06 Sep 2023 16:38:02 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/destination-the-show-episode-4-r320/Join JD Cameron and Jeremy Nygaard for Episode 4 as they discuss the Cubs draft with Baseball America's draft expert, Carlos Collazo. Listen to Carlos' reflections on the Cubs class, under the radar picks, and prospects who are off to a fast start in pro ball. Carlos also reflects on the current...320Wed, 06 Sep 2023 15:11:00 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/how-much-do-prospect-rankings-really-affect-the-cubs-r315/This is a topic I’ve juggled plenty in the past, having originally started with prospect rankings when I began writing about sports many moons ago. There was a lively discussion on a Pete Crow-Armstrong piece a few weeks ago (that ended up being mostly about how to evaluate Matt Mervis, for some...315Wed, 06 Sep 2023 14:12:01 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/this-cubs-team-will-pass-whatever-test-you-give-them-r321/In sports, it's common to see perfectly good teams (who everyone knew to be good all along) talk incessantly about how no one ever believed in them. Unearned indignation is the one performance-enhancing drug no one has banned yet. If and when the 2023 Chicago Cubs achieve something significant e...321Wed, 06 Sep 2023 12:35:02 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/tonight-watch-whether-kyle-hendricks-finds-the-fastballs-edge-early-r319/It's not as though Kyle Hendricks has ever had as wide a margin for error as most pitchers enjoy. With his relatively simple pitch mix and lack of velocity, he needs to have good movement and location to get opponents out consistently. He's more dependent on the former (and less so on the latter...319Tue, 05 Sep 2023 17:01:00 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/finessing-them-with-more-genius-than-gas-justin-steele-seeks-the-cy-young-r318/It's strange to think of Justin Steele as a pitcher dependent on deception and command. He's not as young as we tend to imagine, but he's sufficiently new on the scene to feel like a young arm. He hits 95 miles per hour, occasionally, and his cutter sits just south of 92 on average. His secondar...318Tue, 05 Sep 2023 12:46:01 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/cubs-hitter-of-the-month-august-2023-r314/Wow!  What a month!   The August Chicago Cubs were a team on a mission. Winning 12 of 13 series, this team was a game UNDER .500 on June 10th and after this run, they are nearly a 10 games over .500. As much as there has been some bickering on Cubs-Twitter about lineups, bullpen manage...314Sun, 03 Sep 2023 16:16:00 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/aug-2023-cubs-pitcher-of-month-javier-assad-mark-leiter-justin-steele/The Cubs went a scorching 18-9 in August, further solidifying themselves in the Wild Card race and garnering a legitimate shot at the division crown. The team also posted a 4.28 ERA throughout the month, good for 14th in the league. It wasn’t a dominant month from the mound, but the pitching sta...313Sat, 02 Sep 2023 16:16:02 +0000