CandidCubs

In an offseason that has had a roller coaster of emotions, Cub Spring Training isn't hitting the same way I thought it would. Image courtesy of © Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports I have counted down the days until Pitchers and Catchers since I was a kid. I have tried so many different sports and activities to keep me distracted over the variable length of time between the last Cubs game and the rebirth of hope in February. It went faster for a stretch of hyper-competitive Cubs teams that have raised the bar of my fandom and have forever altered my perception on what Cubs baseball is to me. Like an explosion in the quietest of nights, the Cubs landed Craig Counsell to replace David Ross at the start of this offseason. I remember the hectic morning and complete shock as the new rolled in. This wasn't just a surprise to the fandom; it was a surprise to the media. As the days passed after the announcement, the legend of Jed Hoyer (and his silence) grew. If Jed could pull off such a move, what else could he keep secret? I look to this moment as the place where my fanaticism intersected with speculation and delusion. I dreamed up deals that could get done, scoffed at other teams who whispered the words "Shohei Ohtani", and felt my team had this super-powered silent assassin. As Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and others signed with the Dodgers and little detail of Jed's pursuits continued to come out, I found irrational cynicism waiting for me. What is Jed doing? Is the silence work, or are thoughts of high-end payroll targets truly a pipe dream? The reports shared by baseball pundits as the ink dried on megadeals for one now obscenely talented California team did not bring comfort, or clarity on the Cubs involvement. Cubs Convention was soon here, and the "Cody, Cody, Cody" chants led by players and even spurred on by Jed brought a renewed sense of optimism. Shota Imanaga signed; he had been stationed in Chicago almost without a soul knowing. The silent assassin lived again. The questions and dreams filled my mind once more. Will they move Christopher Morel for young, controllable pitching? Maybe Matt Chapman being available has shifted the market price, making that move non-viable. Well, it would only be logical for the Cubs to wait for Chapman to sign before you make that type of move. That is what this offseason has been. A series of waiting on what has felt like empty promises. This roster was one game away from postseason contention last year, but they do not feel like they have improved. However, there are still players available. The tune changes with Bellinger back in the fold. Landing Bellinger "and"--and Chapman? And Jordan Montgomery? So much is still, technically, possible--moves the needle in a division that is not strong. The farm can be used to supplement at the deadline. There is still so much hope. But as Ted Lasso has taught me: "It is the hope that kills you." View full article

I love the Cubs. So much. Writing for Northside baseball has been such a joy. I am never positive how well I reach our audience, but I love the feeling of contributing to this big universe of Cub content that I spend so much time consuming. However, I have always wanted to try doing a podcast. I have played around with Tik-Tok to get a feel of what short form content would feel like, along with practicing my pacing and information. Then I met Sean through the Fan Feature process. We hit it off and somehow started talking about our mutual interest in doing a podcast. About 2 months later, some hilarious tech tests behind us, we are getting ready to launch. Stay tuned here for more details and the posting of episodes. Target episode date - February 23rd.

I am excited to announce the beginning of a new passion project. This will be a weekly podcast discussing the latest Cubs News, results, and opinions shared by me and HotStoveCubbies. Stay tuned for formal details coming soon!

I didn't let the facts get in the way of a good story. Big of me to admit, this week's feature is on Cody Delmendo of CHGO Cubs. Image courtesy of Cody Delmendo, @Chgo_Cody I have been a huge proponent for therapy. In 2020, like many others, I struggled with the conditions of the pandemic. There were so many things that were contributing to my struggles: job stress, safety concerns, no baseball or anything to balance work, etc. I needed a safe place to tackle these issues and I feel I have come out the other side in a better spot. Sometimes, I need Cubs therapy, and I share health providers with thousands of blue-bleeding fans across the Chicago area: Luke, Ryan, Cody, and Brandon. This week, I was lucky enough to find out my baseball insurance covers private sessions with CHGO Cubs’s Cody Delmendo. For many Cub fans, Cody is the beer bat-celebrating, big-of-him personality on the widely popular video podcast. As a person who has great interest in Cubs media and fan interaction, his work is inspiring and appreciated. However, his story makes all of his success so much more to celebrate. Cody started his path towards Cub obsession pretty young, catching the bug from his grandfather while growing up in central Illinois. He wasn’t always an Illinois resident, but moved into his grandparents house with his mom prior to the 1998 season. This was the season that really switched his red heart to blue. I found so much to relate to in his Cub story: excitement for Mark Prior’s debut; the Kenny Lofton and Aramis Ramírez trade in 2003; memories of ballhawks aggressively fighting on TV for the latest souvenir Sammy Sosa deposited on Waveland. Even while acknowledging the importance of the 2016 team, Cody spoke so highly of the '98 season. We even shared admiration of the 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks, a mutual favorite Fall Classic while we waited for our beloved Cubbies to participate in the postseason. I especially enjoyed our discussion around Sosa and the Hall of Fames--the Cubs one, and that in Cooperstown. I will not share the details of our conversation, but bring Sammy home. The path to CHGO wasn’t easy. Cody studied journalism at Eastern Illinois (“The Harvard of the Midwest”). Shortly after graduating, he tried his hand at sports reporting. The grind of working the high-school sporting scene while living paycheck to paycheck would weigh on anyone. It was easy for me to relate to the burnout he struggled with. In an attempt to pivot to a more stable career, Cody found solace in several social media roles that brought him to the city of Chicago. In 2020, Cody decided to start a Cubs podcast with a friend from college. This passion project ran headlong into the unfortunate timing of the world shutting down. On top of that, layoffs hit his company, leaving him job searching and eagerly awaiting the return of MLB. As we know, baseball returned, and so did the On Tap Sports Cubs Podcast on which he starred. On top of the show, he was able to do writing for the website. Cody shared so much detail on the struggles and successes, which really highlighted to me why he is such a strong member on CHGO. It is a really special skill to appear both genuine and informed. I clearly am not the only one who noticed this trait, as a chance networking opportunity for On Tap led to a game-changing DM on Twitter. The joy and feeling of validation resonated in Cody’s voice as he shared details of the CHGO pitch. In an age of technology and social media, things are not always puppies and rainbows. Cody cautioned the disadvantages of sharing thoughts and the keyboard warriors who can come out to share their displeasure. Cody took this opportunity to share strategies and advice to me on this topic. I appreciated this moment, as sharing your personality and opinion in this day and age can be hard. It is this continued self-confidence Cody radiates, while acknowledging the struggles that have shaped his career. I asked him about the catchphrases I have come to know him for: “Big of me to admit it” “Don’t let the facts get in the way of a good story” I had a profound interest in how these moments happened. In the context of their show, they felt natural and earned, which is how they got started. Cody credited a friend from Twitter for the idea of the post-game Beer Bat chug after wins. I also assured him we are not all designed to chug things. You can find Cody Delmendo on Twitter as @Cody_CHGO, along with his daily appearance on CHGO Cubs. In this specific case, the facts on Cody make a really good story. View full article

When I began writing about the Cubs, I started doing it for my love of baseball and the need for a place for all my baseball thoughts. Meet Evan Altman, an excellent example of what passion for the Cubs can do, and this week's Fan of the Week. Image courtesy of Evan Altman I want to set a scene. Imagine it is dark outside for a moment, and you are sitting in your father's lap. It is the middle of the summer, so naturally, the feeling of baseball lingers in the air. You are currently located in Northwest Indiana, where TV channel counts are in the single digits, and the angles to get the radio to pick up your favorite station need to be just right. As you sit there, your dad turns on the radio, and the most comforting sound erupts, grabbing the signal from north Chicago: “Chicago baseball is on the air!” The voice is as warm as the sweaters the announcer has been known to wear. As you listen to the start of the game, you hear your voice giving analysis on the flagship radio station for your childhood team. Dramatization can be fun, but this snippet is a full-circle analogy of this week’s fan of the week. Since I started loving the Cubs, I searched for as much as I could consume. Books, articles, and writings became blogs, podcasts, and radio hosts. This is how I was introduced to Cubs Insider and its owner, Evan Altman. Cub Origin Story Evan had that same Cub-fan energy I have come to expect in these interviews, with similar origin notes. We met via a video call in his “Cub Cave,” expertly decorated with Cubbie Blue Benjamin Moore paint, a blue striped wall made to look like the Cub’s home whites, and hung memorabilia envious of any Cub fan. I have begun to appreciate the small items that connect our stories, creating a deeper meaning of fandom. Evan grew up in northwest Indiana (my college stomping grounds) in a world of no cable, 4 TV stations, and connection to Pat and Ron. His fandom grew from accessing WGN Cub games and radio sessions on the farm with his grandfather and father. Evan joked that he didn’t choose to be a fan as much as he became a part of his family’s fandom, a point I related to fondly. He grew up attending more Sox games based on cost and drive time. Even with the exposure of the south side squad, the “vibes” were clearly different for the Cubs. In his career, he had been the “Cubs guy” at the different jobs he took post-college. He read different articles and blogs on the Cubs found on the internet but gravitated to a writer at Yahoo that he found regularly commenting on. He decorated a fund world of the internet where Yahoo comment spaces rivaled the darkest corners of Facebook. He read this writing regularly and thought he could do it better. “I learned early on that you don’t criticize if you do not bring a solution.” This idea led him to apply to the Yahoo Contributor Network, a space for interested writers to apply with sample works to write about sports teams. Altman’s writing created connections with Chicago Now, a Chicago Tribune company, ultimately bringing him to a partnership/ownership of Cubs Insider. Passion and fandom drove the pen in all these ventures, not finances. Evan found a love for Minor League Baseball, and his Indiana ties introduced him to leadership within the Myrtle Beach Pelicans and the South Bend Cubs. Since then, he has been featured on 670 The Score for podcasts, guest appearances, and analysis. Best Cub Memories Evan took some time to answer this question. He thought out loud of instances of meeting Cub legends like Billy Williams, Ryne Sandberg, and others. There was no boasting in these thoughts but a genuine, humble reflection and disbelief of what he has been fortunate to accomplish. But his answers were fantastic. After being lucky enough to attend Games 1 and 4 of the 2016 World Series, some superstition led to an early exit from his local watering hole; he remembers telling folks that if he left, they would win. In the rain delayed trip home, Evan was able to make it to see the rally and the win. I enjoyed sharing what that win meant to us. Evan admitted that, to this day, it is something he believed would never actually happen. During college in 2001, he went to Wrigley Field for a game against the Astros in September. The motivation for the day was getting to Wrigley. It had been a minute since his last trip, and he motivated his friends to make it for the day. Little did he know upon arrival that this game was the pre-scheduled “Fan Appreciation” game. If you may recall, the baseball season was paused in 2001 as we mourned the tragedy earlier that month. Sammy Sosa famously ran out to the outfield, waving an American flag to the crowd upon the restart of games in Wrigleyville. However, plans for such events had been in the works and were likely harder to move. The schedule had shifted a bit, but the Fan Appreciation date remained. Evan remembered arriving at the park and feeling the usual magic we have all experienced once inside one of the world’s great treasures. However, this day ended up being memorable beyond the usual Wrigley goosebumps. He recalled seeing back-to-back home runs by Fred McGriff, Rondell White, and Todd Hundley. After our conversation, I found the box score and was instantly jealous of his attendance at a Kerry Wood start. What’s next for Evan? I loved his humble answer, as he appreciated what he has been able to do for a sport and team he loves. He never imagined being asked to contribute analysis and his voice on the flagship radio station of his childhood team. That is an energy to strive for. When he isn’t being a super dad for his kids Addison and Ryne (yes, those are Cub names), he can be found on Twitter as @DEvanAltman and at CubsInsider.com. Want to tell your Cubs story? Want to share your Cubs fan space? Click this link to apply, and you may be the next feature! View full article

Ever dream of breaking a Cubs signing three days before the media? Do you love Darwin Barney? Meet Sean Chapin, a small king of Cub Twitter. Image courtesy of Sean Chapin Sometimes, when you meet someone, you immediately click. A commonality helps ease you into a conversation that seems to flow like water. It is generally the Cubs that can get me to this point. Hot Stove Cubbies helped. A few weeks ago, I shared a thought on Twitter and saw it was retweeted. Soon after, I saw many likes roll in. I sent a quick, direct message to thank the account for the share and the support. That was the start. Sean Chapin, known as Hot Stove Cubbies, had the energy of a Cubs fan I knew I would immediately enjoy talking to. As you may realize, if you are a regular reader of this series, I tend to ask the same few questions to guide the conversation and learn about peoples' Cubs stories. Sean and I talked for 40 minutes on the care given to the modernization of Wrigley Field, along with pontificating on the offseason that had not yet come to pass for the boys in blue. From the broad topics of Christopher Morel, Theo Epstein’s big swings, and the Bryce Harper non-negotiations, Sean and I had a quick rapport. Like many of my days in childhood, Sean spent time with his grandmother watching WGN. He recalls early memories of Chip Caray and Steve Stone and their comforting regularity. As he got older, work days with his dad shifted his identification with the Cubs with Pat Hughes and Ron Santo. Sammy Sosa and the home run chase of 1998 captivated Sean. Hopefully, the Chicago Cubs Hall of Fame voters can see how instrumental that season was in establishing diehard fans. Baseball left the standing of a slow sport to a full-on addiction. Days became about seeing his at-bats and tracking the race. The obsession was born. Sean attended his first Cubs game at Wrigley Field in 2005. He recalls Greg Maddux pitched against the Red Sox. It turns out we were both at the game that day. In 2005, Sean started a BlogSpot called “Hot Stove Cubbies.” It was a passion project to air out all of the Cub thoughts that came to him during the day. Reviewing the early days, he joked about how “awful” his writing was. He wrote regularly for 3-4 years until something changed: fatherhood. As I can relate, the business of new kids (4 boys in total!) kept him away from the regular commitment he wanted to keep. Then, media technology advanced with the invention of Twitter, a source of immediate, character-limited content that made finding your interests and sharing your thoughts easier. This was the perfect resource for Sean to pick back up and share his thoughts. After 6,000 followers and a few inside news breaks, Hot Stove Cubbies has become a must-follow in the Twitterverse for thoughtful Cubs content. His most prominent Twitter “win” broke the Jason Marquis signing after getting information from some sources. Other highlights include a tweet from Ozzie Guillen and a follow from 2003 fifth starter Glendon Rusch. Sean credits his ability to remain authentic while maintaining thoughtful interactions as a reason for his continued follower growth. Sean’s best Cub memory came at an Iowa Cubs game in Des Moines, where he currently makes his home. His oldest son, who was five then, adored Darwin Barney. I reminisced with Sean about the scrappy second basemen with nifty hands and a solid glove. Barney had a rehab assignment at the time. His son, decked out in Cubs stuff, got a ball tossed to him from the man himself. Indeed, it is a lasting memory for his son and a core memory for Sean. You can find Sean on Twitter/X at HotStoveCubbies. Please give him a follow today! Do you have a story you want to share? Looking to announce your arrival to this open-armed community of blue-bleeders and ivy-huggers? Check out this brand-new application form to help us get in touch! View full article

The final Fan of the Week for 2023 takes us back to look at why this idea started, and invites you to share your story in 2024! Image courtesy of Jeff Ragauskis I had an idea. I wanted to engage with new Cub fans but I wasn’t sure where to start. This summer, while engaging with the Cubs Man Cave Facebook Page, I realized I wanted to selfishly visit every cave I saw. The decorations. The Jerseys. The bar set-ups. The custom pieces. I wanted to wrap myself up in this corner of fandom and never let go. As Gru from Despicable Me would say, “Liiiighhhhht Bulb!” (This is how I imagine one would write out the Gru voice from the hilarious Steve Carrell) Fan of the Week was born and I was on my way. I never realized how rewarding this experience was going to become in the short weeks and how amazing the stories I would hear would be. I have grown addicted to telling Cub fan stories and seeing the unique ways they honor the team. Thank you so much to Jay, Pat, Crawly, and Juan for giving me your time. Ever been curious who the man behind Candid Cubs is? Probably not, but I am going to tell you anyway. I am a “cradle Cub-fan” who lives in the South Suburbs of Chicago with my wife, 2 kids, and 2 golden doodles. I am doing my best to make them love this sport. My strongest baseball memories tie back to my Grandmother’s passionate fandom and the WGN days. Baseball became a religion for me; a feverish pursuit of mastering the knowledge and the strategy of this game I saw on TV. I can’t tell you the first time I went to Wrigley Field. I can tell you that it feels the same way every time I go. I am a purist: I walk in the main gates under the unrivaled red marquee, walk up the first set of stairs, and let the light slowly reveal my mecca of brick and ivy. The first glimpse of the hand-operated scoreboard each season still gives me goosebumps. I did whatever had the word baseball attached to it growing up: baseball cards, MLB Showdown (A baseball card strategy game), video games, little league, etc. It used to bother me how the Cubs were the one thing people knew about me. As I aged, I understood why. The hint should have been my high school boycott of white colored sox in 2005 so people would not confuse that I was supporting their playoff run. My heart in those days had been built on Mark Grace and Slammin' Sammy Sosa, but destroyed by Alex Gonzalez, the Dodgers, and the Diamondbacks. I married my best friend right after college. When I love something, I am all in and want as much as possible. Rachel was, and still is, that for me. In 2016, she told me she was pregnant with our first child during the 7th inning stretch of a Cub game in April. I joked that if the Cubs won the World Series, I got to name the baby. Kyle Anthony Frank was born on December 16th. No Cub memory will top that year or story for me. The only thing close was playing catch with my dad on the field. Since I was young, I knew I wanted a space for my Cubs stuff in my future home. I dreamed of lining a room with the same brick and ivy I had fallen in love with. I wanted to feel when i entered the space the same magic I felt at Wrigley. That dream is impossible, but I have gotten close. During the pandemic, I picked up a few more hobbies and re-captured the love of Star Wars with my kids. Part of my space highlights my Movie fandoms, but the large portion is reserved for Cubs stuff. It is always hard to pick a favorite item. Some days, it is my autographed Kerry Wood 20K game flag, which I won via social media. Other days, it is my autographed Kyle Hendricks jersey from my parents. Recently, it is the Ernie Banks statue that was my grandma’s, who felt it needed a home in my shrine. Truly, it has to be my wife’s gift of patience and time to start this project in 2021. As I have learned while interviewing fans for these articles, these spaces are never truly complete. I long to make an Wrigley-themed arcade cabinet filled with Retro Baseball games. Like many others, I would also love some Wrigley seats, and an autographed Nomar Garciaparra Cubs jersey. I have blogged on and off for years, with most of my engagement with other Cub fans coming from Twitter/X. I have always been a sharer, and I look to connect with people of similar mind and values. I have been told at times in my life my active sense of empathy has made me candid on my thoughts and troubles. That, and my adoration for alliteration, birthed CandidCubs. Early this year, a friend of mind nominated me for an appearance on Baseball Bucket List Podcast (I highly recommend adding this to your rotation of Podcasts). This summer, I joined the crew here and I have been trying to use the energy from my career shift to grow this community and my brand. I have found every minute of this so enjoyable for my fandom and for my soul. The growth and readership I have seen is a cherry on top of this endeavor that started to simply share my love of baseball. As I tell my kids, “my head is only filled with boogers and baseball stuff.” In 2024, I am looking to do so many more, but I need your help. Each article, I enjoy setting around an hour for a video call to meet and greet, along with asking some of the questions you have seen each week. As the Cub season gets closer, those questions will shift to the hotter topics surrounding the team. Do you have a story you want to share? Looking to announce your arrival to this open-armed community of blue-bleeders and ivy-huggers? Check out this brand new application form to help us get in touch! I wish you and yours a happy and healthy holiday season. I am excited to share some of your stories in 2024. View full article

From Bulls to Cubs, a Fan Cave can take many shapes. However, this week's feature's memories are driven by the family he made them with. Meet Juan Robles, this week's featured Cubs fan. Image courtesy of Juan Robles Inspiration is a powerful thing. I don’t think any of us really know where it comes from, but I am sure we respect its ability to come from virtually anywhere. For me, I can remember what I was doing when I had an idea to meet more Cub fans and share their stories. This past summer, I received an invite from Juan Robles (not the ballplayer linked here, but go learn about a guy if you want!), Cubs fan and South Sider, to the Cubs Man Cave Facebook group. I felt the invite was exactly what I was looking for at the time: a community of fans that had manifested spaces in their homes to pray to the altar of all things Cub. I will admit, it is not likely as dramatic as I have made it sound. However, it was Robles’s inspiration for the group. I more formally met Juan (formal by modern standards, via video call) this week, to get a better view of his Cubs Man Cave, or C.M.C., as his Facebook page calls it. I was eager to get different angles of the space that has many a time inspired my own. I was not prepared for how incredible the space was. From corner to corner, relics of 2016, the 1990s, and more stretched in a meticulous arrangement. The walls were highlighted with beautiful framed jerseys, with signatures of Cub heroes of yesteryear. Like all the spaces I have seen thus far, this one dripped with personal touches, along with commonalities that make being a diehard for this team so special. Cub Fan Origin Story Juan told me about his family moving to Chicago back in the 1940s and their work at the Leaf Candy Factory. He recalled how Leaf used to issue baseball cards in their gum and candies, naturally giving them some access to baseball tickets. On Sundays, Leaf would share tickets to families to attend games at Wrigley. A family tradition and adoration was born. Juan and I joked about our “cradle Cubs fan” upbringing. He remembered going to games in the 1970s was a family affair. I enjoyed hearing Juan talk about the excitement of the teams in the late 1980s. It reminded me of talks in my own Cubs family about the few competitive teams that popped up prior to the most recent run of Cubs success. Juan’s grandfather was well-known for sporting his Cubs hats and memorabilia down to visit family in México, helping spread the good news that is Chicago Cubs baseball. Top Cubs Memory One thing that became so apparent in my talk with Juan was his love of his family, and how the passion for the Cubs grew as more of his kids and relatives partook in his passion. Juan smartly married into another Cubs fan family, which helped them raise five Cubs fan children. Robles had so many memories come to mind in search of the pinnacle moment, but they all tied back to the people and family with whom he shared them. In the 1980s, he recalled going to a game in the bleachers with his father, a friend of his father, an uncle, and his sister. It was Hispanic Heritage Night at the ballpark and Juan’s father sported a sombrero along with his Cubs paraphernalia. While they were seated, a gentleman came over and asked if he could borrow the sombrero in exchange for some cold Budweisers when he brought it back. Juan’s father agreed, and watched from afar as this man ran around dancing and taking pictures in the hat. True to his word, the gentlemen returned the hat with Budweiser for the group. The gentleman was Harry Caray. Juan’s father is now in his 90s, but can recall the details of this particular story when asked to this day. Cub Cave Origin Not all Cubs Caves start the same. For Juan, his original space was dedicated to the Chicago Bulls and Michael Jordan. He recalled setting up shop in the basement in his home to start a space in the early 1990s. Everyone in Chicago had Bulls fever, including Robles and his family. He shared stories of Bulls memorabilia and signatures he collected while Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Dennis Rodman were making basketball history. We chuckled about how far from those days the Bulls may be now. Juan is a regular at memorabilia trade shows and Fanatics-sponsored events. He has always loved collecting things. It wasn’t overnight, but as he began collecting Cubs stuff, the basement lost its reds and began to match the blue in his blood. Juan’s framed jerseys were a highlight for me, sharing where he had gotten deals and pieces done. Favorite Cub Item When this came up, there was a pause followed by a camera repositioning to show me the piece: A custom, World Series patched, “Bryzzo” jersey. Juan had combined the letters “B-R-Y” and a '1' from a Kris Bryant jersey with the “Z-Z-O” and a '4' from an Anthony Rizzo jersey. He got to attend a Fanatics fan event and show Bryant and Rizzo the jersey, along with getting each of them to sign it. He beamed as he recalled how cool Bryant and Rizzo thought the jersey was as well. Dream Item As I have come to painfully learn, it is hard to ever be done curating your collection. We all have ideas and items we pursue, but can find something we didn’t even know we wanted to fit until we see that next thing. Robles next move is to make a replica Wrigley Field marquee, highlighted with LEDs. That is a project he anticipates working on soon. I really enjoyed my time meeting Juan, and his patience for my laser focus on my phone notifications. We chuckled when I alarmingly grabbed my phone when the word “Ohtani” and the Cubs insignia lit up my iPhone via an MLB app push. It turned out to be an announcement of him winning yet another award, much to my hearts dismay. Much like the collectors in us, we are both eager to see what the Cubs do next. You can find Juan Robles on Facebook, running the Cubs Man Cave Facebook group. Do you have a space or fun memorabilia you want to share? Want to share your Cub fan story? Send me an email at Candidcubs@gmail.com and you could be featured next! View full article

This has to be one of the more challenging to read off-seasons in recent years, given the cloud of apprehension from the fanbase on actual intention to spend, vs the clear involvement in the Ohtani sweepstakes. Currently, I have so many mixed feelings about the situation. I am excited that the Ohtani pursuit is legitimate, as I still have not really recovered from the absence of the Cubs from the Bryce Harper pursuit. I realize their is likely significant cash-flow restraints tied to decisions made as the Ricketts repaired bad assets and invested in Wrigley. That being said, it will be sobering that financial intent and fit doesn't necessarily guarantee success. The front office by all indications is making a play for Ohtani, but the real work will come if he does not select the Cubs. If he does come to Chicago, there are other items that need to be addressed on this roster. The rumors and the smoke (as little as Jed and team seem to leak) show a broad reach of ideas and questions. It is becoming clear that this offseason may define Jed's tenure as President.

I really like the idea. He has an interesting profile and I could see him being a nice match-up play, which seems to fit Counsell's strengths as a manager. I wonder if this is a piece that can be included in the Glasnow deal.

I like the features on the prospects. I feel like I can get a feel for the dramatic shift in development strategy. So many of the prospects mentioned really have an extremely strong, singular skill, with average surrounding factors. I believe the baseball world would refer to these as "toolsy." The walk rate could be as simple as AAA hitters seeing more spin than AA, leading to walks on his feature pitch when Fastball command disappeared. I have become a bit of a prospect hoarder and I have not wanted to see anyone leave. However, as mentioned in the comments, I am more comfortable with the floor of a Wicks vs Brown's upside.

I love the commentary here. The average game time dropped from 3hrs, 6 mins to 2 hrs, 42 mins. It is interesting that there was a dramatic shift in game times in 2011 to 2012, moving up to the 3 hour average. This has to be a cognizant addition of additional advertisement time? Source (https://www.statista.com/statistics/1310998/mlb-game-length/) I love the progress that has happened without meaningful changes to the fabric of the beautiful game

He has some incredible pieces not pictured, including impressive photo walls with authenticated and signed player photos. It really could replace the current Cub Hall of Fame at Wrigley.

If you have follow the Cubs, it is very likley you have run into Paul "Crawly" Dzien. From podcasts, to one of the most important ring bearers in fan history, Paul has lived a Cub fan dream. He is this weeks Fan/Fan Cave Feature. I have loved the Chicago Cubs a very long time. I don't remember the exact moment that I fell in love with the game, but I remember how it happened. The magic. The pageantry. The attention my grandmother gave to every word and pitch. 30ish years of complete baseball consumption. In those years, I have consumed so many different Cub-related things. Sammy Sosa Softball video games. Podcasts. Books. Blogs. I remember reading Crawly''s Cub Kingdom on MLBBlogs years ago. Today, I met Paul "Crawly" Dzien. If you have followed the Cubs has passionately as me, (which is highly likely given you are reading this on a Cubs website), you have heard Crawly's name before. His blog had a large following. He has re-emerged on the social scene via Instagram and Twitter. Currently, he co-hosts a podcast with Dustin Rhoades sponsored by 670 the Score called "Fly The W" The start of our video call was a treat, being immediately transported to his work-in-progress Cubs cave. I recognized the Fly the Wood Designs Angry Cub bear lit up in the background, as it is the same piece featured in my own cave. I try to start these conversations with simple pleasantries and an introduction of who I am and what I am looking to accomplish. The transition to Cub talk was quick and seamless, as passionate fans like Crawly are drawn to the subject like a moth to a flame. I am can strongly relate. Cub Fan Origin Story Crawly shared his early Cub exposure came from his father and Great Uncle. His Great Uncle had played D-league ball for the Kenosha Cubs in the 40s. His father grew up on Irving Park and Paulina in Chicago. His father would walk to Wrigley following under the Redline. At that time, tickets for games were cheap. If you stayed after games to help clean up, you would get rewarded with free tickets for the next day. Crawly remember very generationally stereotypical scenes in his childhood: the women of his family would gather in the kitchen while the men would be holding scotch and discussing baseball. In his family, it was exclusively Cubs baseball. 1984 was the year Crawly remembers really catching "the bug," recalling his father letting him and his brother stay up to watch the clincher that year. Having been born in 1946, this was Crawly's fathers first taste of a winner for the boys in blue. I was entranced with our conversation on his thought of rolling it back out in '85 and winning. He didn't know at the time it would take until 1998/2003 to really have as close to something as meaningful. In that period, Crawly fell in love with the names we all know and adore: Ryne Sandberg, Andrew The Hawk Dawson, Greg Maddux, Sean Dunston, Mark Grace, Sammy Sosa, and many more. I could feel the passion of his fandom in his stories, along with commonality of long losing experience Cub fans prior to 2016 had felt. Crawly's fandom snowballed into something "bigger than himself." His blog and opportunities presented themself to him based on pure desire. "I rather get struck out at the plate than sit on the bench," Crawly said. Crawly was reflective of some of the more painful Cub fan moments, having seen so many celebrations of other teams on Wrigley's turf. He credited Joe Maddon's philosphy to helping him shift his fandom perspective. Specifically the following quote: "Never permit the pressure to exceed the pleasure of the moment." Crawly was right. His lifelong friendships, family connection, and opportunities clearly outweighed any of the tougher times. He has been a season ticket holder since 2000 and has a steak of 24 straight Opening Days. Thinking he isn't counting 2020? False. Crawly managed to get on a rooftop to watch the game from afar. Top Cub/Baseball Memory For the 2017 season, the Cubs were preparing to celebrate "it" happening the whole season with promotions, giveaways, and call backs. Why not, we only waited 108 years? Crawly remembers asking Crane Kenney at Cubs Con that year specifically about replica rings. I laughed, remembering that being the first thing on my mind after the Cubs won. For context, on Opening Day in 2006, the White Sox gave away replica World Series rings to their fans to celebrate the 2005 team. Forever envious of my White Sox friends, I hoped to one day to see the same giveaway fro the Cubs. To Crawly's surprise, Kenney revealed a far different plan. The Cubs held a contest to find the top Cub fans to present the World Series rings to the players. The contest required you to submit a 1 minute video stating your case. Crawly went right to work, initially trying to capture his family's history in the short video, using Imagine Dragon's "Believer" as the background. If you do not recall, that was the song the team took the field to for home games in 2016. He noticed right before submission there was a strict "no licensed music" rule. He pivoted and found unlicensed Google music and resubmitted. To Crawly's surprise, he was selected. The day of he described to me sounded like a movie script. He got extra tickets from the Cubs and friends. Paired with his season tickets, he was able to bring his mom, dad, wife, and two kids. He remembers being the first at the meeting spot on Sheffield. He found out each person's video helped the Cub select the player they would present the ring to. Crawly had been given Miguel Montero, NLCS hero and catcher. Crawly described the feeling of being on the field in front of 40,000 strong. That is a feeling he say she will never forget. Origin of Crawly's Cub Cave/Favorite Pieces Crawly had shared with me scenes from his borderline museum. His collection is one that is hard to rival. The theme is 1945-2016, highlighting his family Cub story and the best players from that time. The collection is robust and meticulous curated. The walls are layered with authenticated photos with every represented player's autograph. His bathroom even features a picture of the troughs, and a wall of Cub's more undesirable moments. I am looking for a stronger word than jealous. I will have to get back to you. Crawly easily identified his signed double jersey from his ring bearer game. It features the ticket, Miggy's game worn jersey, and his own jersey. In addition to that item, he highlighted a Cubs guitar that happened to be a giveaway in 2007. Dream Cave Item Even for a man that seems to have everything, Crawly expressed frustration to some missing pieces from his collection. For his coming 2016 World Series wall, Crawly has collected every rostered player, coach, Tom Rickkets, and Theo's autograph for his photos. Except for one. Apparently, tracking down John Lackey for an autograph has been especially difficult. For our friend Crawly, please be on the look out for Lackey. He just needs 10 minutes of his time. Want to hear more from Crawly? He can be found weekly on his podcast "Fly the W" with Dustin Rhoades. In addition, he can be found on Instagram and on Twitter as @crawlyscubs. Do you have a Cub story you want to share? Do you have a Cub cave you would like to be featured? Reach out to me at candidcubs@gmail.com to apply to be our next feature! View full article

Craig Counsell spoke to a packed press room at Clark and Addison Monday morning. Here are a few things that caught my attention. At 10 AM on Monday, November 13th 2023, Craig Counsell was introduced as the 56th manager in Cubs history. We have reached nearly a week since the whirlwind announcement from the baseball media world, as the surprise news changed expectations, opinions, and analysis of the 2023 Offseason. Counsell came off as cerebral and analytical in his responses in the nearly 40 minute press conference at Clark and Addison. These are likely traits that Jed Hoyer was looking for in his conversations with Counsell on November 1st. Counsell indicated that he didn’t pick up the call at first, having to call Jed Hoyer back to set up time. The speedy timeline unfolded to the media as a phone call followed by a same day meeting prior to leaving for New York. In the 40 plus minutes, a few phrases and quotes lept out to me as Counsell answered the questions presented. Here are the particular ones that caught my attention: “Decisions you make are rewarded over the Marathon” If you have followed Counsell’s career to this point, it would not be a surprise hearing such a comment. Shortly after retiring from his playing career in 2012, Counsell was hired as a special assistant to the GM in the Brewer’s front office. Counsell commented on respecting the interaction between the analytics/FO and players, and a manager needing to bridge the connection. I expect those who were critical of David Ross’ “marathon” management will find a bit more maximization of the roster. "Player development does not stop when it gets to the big leagues. The norm is a massive struggle. Trying to create some empathy there as a group is probably the most important thing to do." Similar to Ross, Counsell was a long time big leaguer. The 16 year vet had a very serviceable career, being a part of the 1997 World Series Champion Marlins, and the 2011 World Series Champion Diamondbacks. Continuing on his connections theme, Counsell flexed his player empathy muscles in a mutual appreciation of a game designed around greater than 70% failure. "The challenge of this is different and that challenge excites me. The brand the Chicago Cubs are, you can't help but get excited about that." Inevitably, questions came up about the departure from Milwaukee. Many questions were framed around the differences in resources and market. Counsell handled this portion tactfully in describing the desire of a different challenge. He described the situations as different, which presented an opportunity to try something new. Jed's vision is "the health of what we look like going forward." "I believed in how Jed sold the vision." I am sure Cub fans had their eyes and ears glued to the conference during the discussion of the vision that brought Counsell aboard. Admittedly, Counsell described the Cubs as “close” and as competitive, but no additional tea leaves were revealed by Hoyer, who magically hid this hiring form the national view as well as he did. "Do you have the courage to be yourself throughout this process, that is the first thing you learn in this position." Ultimately, this is the type of comment the Cubs are looking for. Counsell is an established manager with an extraordinary reputation across the league. The Manager of the Year finalist has won divisions with PECOTA blasted rosters using his acumen and developed gut feels. In a game with thin margins, it is easy to discern the lack of interest in Hoyer in finding out if Ross established this feel. The Cubs are big game hunting once again. The league has taken notice. Now we await the vision Counsell and Hoyer are carrying into a competitive window for this ball club. What did you think of today’s conference? Anything that sticks out to you that you liked or disliked? View full article

@1908_Cubs 100 Percent! I have a space of my own and it has only made my wants list grow. I would love to move to a video format for a few. I also have thought of hosting a live chat show from my "Cub Cave" to interact with the community and show off my space.