When the Cubs finally won the World Series, it was as if a huge weight was lifted off our collective backs. It was basically the exact opposite feeling of when Obi-Wan felt all the people of Alderaan screaming and then become silent on that one really really bad day they had in a galaxy far, far away. It has been, inarguably (unfortunately or fittingly, depending on your point of view) the best era of Cubs baseball in franchise history. And now, through a number of questionable decisions and roads not taken, this run might be over. Many of our favorite players, the ones who made 2016 possible ..read more

I remember a time when the Cubs really sucked and I could get tickets for a dollar and sit in pretty much any seat I wanted (except for the really good ones next to the dugouts, those ushers really were vigilant). Those days are long gone, as Wrigley Field has priced me out of going there as regularly. So I just save for that one good bobblehead day, and hopefully it also turns out to be a good opponent and ultimately a Cubs win. Ever since the Cubs won the World Series, and maybe it’s because I’ve gotten older, it hasn’t seemed as urgent for either the team or myself in terms of getting back ..read more

In a ruling that pretty much surprises no one, a federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by noted Very Bad Ump Angel Hernandez: Umpire Ángel Hernández has lost his lawsuit against Major League Baseball alleging racial discrimination. https://t.co/GV9yi4LtPj — AP Sports (@AP_Sports) March 31, 2021 Man talk about a backfire. Angel Hernandez sued MLB for not getting promotions due to discrimination and now it’s on record and stamped as true by a judge that he didn’t get the promotions because he’s… simply bad at his job. pic.twitter.com/IPe4977XSF — Jomboy (@Jomboy_) March 31, 2021 ..read more

Has it really been that long since we did a Dreamcast? The answer, unfortunately, is yes, because life is busy, but that’s no excuse for not taking this hobby more seriously. Or maybe it is. Anyway, this is just a great opportunity to talk baseball and Star Trek with fellow nerd and sports enthusiast Adam Roy. We discuss the fine art of refereeing/umpiring, the corollaries between baseball in Star Trek versus real life, and our hopes that baseball shall persist until we can go to games with grandchildren. Forgive the rust, I really am trying! Follow us: Anno Rice Thanks for listening! By th ..read more

As I motor on in my current (new) job and am about to take on another (part-time) job, I realized that I haven’t touched this blog since January, so it’s time to start doing something again, especially with the regular season almost upon us. Since last we spoke, the Cactus League season appeared to start on time, and the weather for the most part has looked good down in Arizona. Alas, the pandemic continues to be an issue, and while the Cubs have been adhering to safety protocols for the most part, not everyone has been as stringent: In since-deleted social media post, Strop was shown out wi ..read more

The title of this one is a reference not only to the Chicago Cubs, but also to the fact that I haven’t blogged in a while and figured I should probably set up some kind of work-life balance to try to squeeze something out on a regular basis. Perhaps starting a new job (as of next week) will help, as the last one was very stressful and left me sorely lacking in energy to do much else other than sharing a post on Facebook or Twitter (and don’t get me started about how bad I am at updating the Instagram). However, as a Cubs fan, there isn’t much to get excited about thus far in the offseason. Put ..read more

Has it really been that long since we blogged? I guess the answer is yes, and it’s something of a miracle that this site is still around after two-plus months of idleness. Going to have to break out the Swiffers to get rid of all this dust, and catch up to everything that’s happened since the Cubs got bounced out of the expanded playoffs. You can, of course, see that we were pretty up-to-date on the Facebook page (probably should switch to the other platforms more), but as for actual content, there’s so little time and energy left over after having to hole up away from the plague rats that it ..read more

So, the Chicago Cubs ended the season having earned the right to play at home in the first round of the playoffs… …and then proceeded to join the rest of their Central division brethren in going 0-for-7 in the postseason. Which, yes, means that the division series will only have teams from the West and East divisions. I guess the Central divisions really did suck! But no, not really, having just a three-game series (even though it’s better than the one-and-done of the previous Wild Card “rounds”) doesn’t leave much room for error and also maximizes the chaos. However, having only scored one ru ..read more

The Cubs did clinch the NL Central during their loss to the White Sox on Saturday, and decided to switch to “whatever” mode shortly after, earning the right to chill and wait for their eventual first round opponent. It’s a testament to the patience, attitude, and resilience of the team and its coaching staff that they not only clinched the division with a nice cushion, they also did it while staying safe and healthy: The Chicago Cubs will finish the 60-game regular season as the only team in MLB without a single player testing positive for COVID-19. That's a pretty remarkable feat. — Russell ..read more

Boy, you think the Cubs had turned a corner, and then suddenly they drop a key series to the literal worst team in MLB. Naturally it is easy to think that if this were an actual 162 game season without a pandemic lurking, this set of Cubs would be blown up or upgraded, depending on whether they could actually bank all those wins at the beginning. Given the perspective of rampant chaos both on and off the field, however, let’s explore this question posed by Patrick Mooney of the Athletic: How will you remember this Cubs era if there’s another September collapse? https://t.co/57RXJOdtDE — Patr ..read more