wrigleyville nation

Just Warming Up: Kris Bryant Pulls Away as MVP Frontrunner

Becky SarwateLeave a comment

Bryant

“This coming Labor Day weekend, I’ll make my third 2016 trip to Wrigley Field for Sunday’s game against the San Francisco Giants. I’m always excited to hear Bryant’s walk-up song, ‘Warm It Up Kris,’ the classic early 1990s rap tune tendered by Kris Kross. I’m not even sure Bryant was born when the song was briefly popular, but any writer has to love the name symmetry and fans (especially with a couple beers in the belly) can’t help but bounce to the peppy beat.

But we’ll be cheering Bryant’s plate approaches a little extra loudly because, as of this week, he’s the National League MVP frontrunner. All by himself. According to the latest report, ‘[the] third baseman for the Chicago Cubs and occasional outfielder, received eight of the 10 first-place votes in USA TODAY Sports’ NL MVP power rankings.'”

Read the full post at Wrigleyville Nation.

Are You Ready for Some Football Wrigleyville Nation? Probably Not

Becky SarwateLeave a comment

Cubs

“This season has been an emotional roller coaster. Wrigleyville Nation hasn’t been able to look away for a minute. And with the Cubs’ back to being the best team in baseball, with certain playoff odds (Don’t take my word – as of this morning, Baseball Prospectus lists them at 100 percent), I have little energy or enthusiasm for a fantasy draft. How we can we possibly think of football at a time like this?!

Obviously this post is written with a little bit of tongue-in-cheek, but just a little. My NFL fantasy league draft is set for September 4 and I have to give the commitment some real thought. In years prior, I welcomed gridiron distractions from lackluster baseball seasons, but this is the dawn of a new era. If the baseball gods smile fortunately upon the North Side of Chicago, we’ll be watching Cubs action through October – eight full weeks past the NFL kickoff. What’s a sports fan with only so much emotional bandwidth to do?”

Read the full post at Wrigleyville Nation.

Just What Exactly Have the Cubs Given Up to Get Chapman?

Becky SarwateLeave a comment

CubsWin

“At the risk of going full-bore Pollyanna, we were supposed to be better than this. The Cubs organization should have wanted no part of Chapman. We have dance party rooms and petting zoo field days. Violence and recklessness are not the Maddon/Epstein values. Right? To follow my work is to know I want to the Cubbies to prevail as much as any other diehard. It’s in my very bloodstream. But not at the expense of moral degradation.”

Read the full post at Wrigleyville Nation.

Cubs Not Fowl with Dexter Back in the Game

Becky SarwateLeave a comment

Dex 2

“Though he was rested during today’s away win against the Milwaukee Brewers, it sure feels good to have Center Fielder Dexter Fowler back in the Cubs lineup. The 2016 All-Star with the fanciest moniker in baseball was missing for a month with a hamstring strain, but finally took the field for Friday’s opener in Wisconsin. Any lingering concerns about his health were erased with a big 3-4 performance at the plate, including a home run.”

Read the full post at Wrigleyville Nation.

Keep Calm Cub Fans: This is Not 1969

Becky SarwateLeave a comment

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“This self-defensive crouch is understandable. I share many of Bill’s concerns. I was at the July 4 home game against the Reds, a rare recent victory for the Cubs. I bore firsthand witness to Kris Bryant’s bizarre turn in left field. The two-time All-Star and 2015 Rookie of the Year repeatedly struggled to communicate with center field. Half-jokingly I said to my partner Bob at the time, “No dance party room for him.” For all the current reasons Bill mentions, and the PTSD that is the legacy of any survivor of the Tribune era, it’s logical to wonder if this rough streak is the beginning of the end.

But it isn’t. This is not 1969. Let’s everybody just calm down, take a restorative breath and review the latest statistics from the Baseball Prospectus Playoff Odds Report. Factoring in the Cubs recent slide, the likelihood of a division win remains 95.6%. A playoff appearance of any kind carries a 98.5% confidence rate. With the All-Star break imminent, I like those odds. We all should.”

Read the full post at Wrigleyville Nation.