Travis Wood Might Be Pretty Good and Other Bullets

travis wood cubsYour shot at redemption is waiting in the form of this Friday’s one-day fantasy baseball contest. Sign up now for free, and put together your money-winning roster. Full details here.

  • I’m going to commit a cardinal statistical sin in service of a broader point. Travis Wood’s ERA since joining the Cubs is 3.96, placing him right around league average. That makes him a fine 4th/5th starter in almost any rotation. Great. But hasn’t he seemed a lot better than that? Well, if you take out two wind-aided blowout awful starts in July 2012 (in which Wood gave up 16 earned runs in just 9.2 innings), that Cubs ERA drops to just 3.34 in over 170 innings of work. That’s … pretty freaking awesome. Now, as I said in the first sentence in this Bullet, you can’t really take out a guy’s worst starts to make him look good – you could perform that operation with many players and make them seem better than they are. In this instance, however, I offer the information only as a reference to why you might be feeling that Wood has been better than his overall number suggest. And obviously he’s had great success so far this year: 4 starts, 26 innings, 2.08 ERA, 1.038 WHIP. We’ll see a regression in some of those numbers as they catch up with his meh K/BB rate and his luckily low hit and HR rates. But we could be looking at a really solid number four here, even when the Cubs are competitive.
  • As the lights flicker: if you’re looking to get best sports betting odds, check out Carbon Sports, because they have that.
  • It sounds like Michael Bowden is taking last night’s loss, in which he pitched a scoreless inning, and then gave up three runs in the next to lose the game, particularly hard. I can’t be too mad at him, though. In his second inning of work, he gave up a two-strike single on a nice piece of hitting, a bloop double that should have been a single or caught, a double to a great hitter in Jay Bruce, and then a single to Cesar Izturis. I can grouse about half of that. Maybe. All in all, I thought Bowden looked pretty good.
  • Dale Svuem confirmed that, when discussing players and demotions on Sunday, he wasn’t referencing Anthony Rizzo and Starlin Castro, specifically, as news articles made it seem. Instead, he was speaking generically in response to a question that included Rizzo and Castro. “You guys asked me if those guys couldn’t get sent down. I said nobody was exempt [from] it,” Sveum told the media, per Paul Sullivan. “They’re not the only ones. You guys were pushing them [in the line of questioning].” Sveum isn’t always the most artful guy in his phrasing, but, like I said yesterday, if your choices are “Sveum is saying the Cubs might send Rizzo and Castro down to AAA soon,” and “Sveum is offering a platitude that no player is guaranteed a roster spot no matter what,” it sure makes sense to choose the latter when there’s a little bit of gray.
  • Here’s another hypothetical rendering of a 6,000 square foot JumboTron at Wrigley Field. I want the Cubs to get what they want, and I am also very much in favor of a large video board at Wrigley. But I’m starting to think that 6,000 square feet might be a touch too big. As always, it depends on how well it’s done and integrated, but it’s hard to see how something that big could be tastefully included in the otherwise quiet surroundings. Maybe 2/3 that size?
  • Speaking of the renovation, Dusty Baker says he’s glad it’s finally happening, noting the sub-par player facilities.
  • Brandon Phillips talks about his comments last year upon learning that he’d lost the Gold Glove to Darwin Barney. He still thinks that was the wrong call. (Brandon: U Mad? He Mad.)
  • Someone among you has been submitting BN links to Reddit from time to time. I just wanted to say thanks.
  • The “Fire Dale Sveum” petition is a thing that exists, because of course it is. I would sooner sign the “Build a Death Star” petition.
  • written by

    Brett Taylor is the Lead Cubs Writer at Bleacher Nation, and you can find him on Twitter at @BleacherNation and on LinkedIn here. Brett is also the founder of Bleacher Nation, which opened up shop in 2008 as an independent blog about the Chicago Cubs. Later growing to incorporate coverage of other Chicago sports, Bleacher Nation is now one of the largest regional sports blogs on the web.

    more cubs news

    Pre-Gamin’: Cubs at Rangers – Lineups, Pitching Matchup, Broadcast Info, Game Thread

    *SHORT COURTS: It's Time To Bring The Home Court, Home! Looking for a unique way to celebrate your athlete or team before you peruse the FIRST CHICAGO CUBS LINEUP of the Year? Don't miss out! For just one more week...

    The Cubs Are Among the Most Returning-y Teams

    I am still mostly incapacitated at the moment, so apologies for the short shrift on such an otherwise blessed day. In between pokes and prods, I wanted to share a chart I saw that was pretty interesting, even if unsurprising:...

    Maybe the Cubs Are the Favorites in the NL Central, After All?

    ESPN was the first to throw some love the Cubs way this week, with an overwhelming majority of their writers, analysts, and editors picking the Chicago Cubs to win the NL Central in 2024. But the love doesn't end there....

    The Season Begins, Love for Morel, Counsell’s Value, and Other Cubs Bullets

    You know where you want to spend your Opening Day morning? The hospital! Suffice to say, this is not how I imagined getting HYPED for the Cubs' opener. I guess I'll just have to think about all the possible lineup...

    Cubs vs Rangers: The First Series of the Year!

    Cubs vs Rangers — THE REGULAR SEASON IS HERE! Wake up and rejoice. Later tonight, the Cubs will begin their march toward October Baseball against the (reigning World Series champion) Texas Rangers in Arlington. Justin Steele is getting the nod...

    The 2024 Chicago Cubs for Dummies

    Boom. We made it. The offseason is over, and the Cubs regular season - and those elevated expectations - begins tomorrow. But in case you slept through the winter, I'm here to catch you up on everything you need to...

    I’m Expecting More This Year, Cubs — It’s Time to Start Winning

    There's no way around it: The Chicago Cubs did *not* have the offseason we hoped they might after making Craig Counsell the highest paid manager in MLB history. Not that they did poorly, mind you. Cody Bellinger, Shota Imanaga, and...

    I Dug Deep on the Cubs 2024 Schedule (And I Like What I See)

    Finally, with Cody Bellinger in the fold, we can start focusing more seriously on the season ahead. So today, I thought we'd take a look at the Cubs 2024 schedule. You can flip through the Cubs 2024 schedule right here...

    Here’s What I’m Betting on the Cubs for Opening Day

    I get it. Sports betting isn't for everyone — like, say, the interpreter for an international baseball superstar — but some of us quite enjoy it! If you are one of those people, this article is for you. Below, I'm...

    WAKE UP, BASEBALL IS BACK

    The day has arrived. Opening Day. The most glorious day on the baseball calendar, save for the day of each Chicago Cubs World Series win, of course. See, I get to say things like that on Opening Day. Maybe the...

    Latest News

    Rome Odunze Has a Visit With the Bears Coming Soon

    If you aren't already familiar with Rome Odunze's name or game, your time will come. The University of Washington wide receiver is one of the top prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft. At this point of the year, I've officially...

    Matt Eberflus Opens a Window to the Chicago Bears Draft Plans

    NFL coaches are notoriously tight-lipped. And in his first two seasons as Bears head coach, Matt Eberflus has been no different. But every once in a while you'll catch Eberflus peel back the curtain and provide some insight regarding the...

    How to Watch Braves vs. Phillies: Live Stream or on TV

    The Atlanta Braves, with Spencer Strider on the mound, take on the Philadelphia Phillies (who will counter with Zack Wheeler) in their opening game of the season, at 3:05 PM ET on Friday.Keep reading to find out all the details...

    Jonas Valančiūnas Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Bucks – Thursday, March 28, 2024

    On Thursday at 8:00 PM ET, the New Orleans Pelicans play the Milwaukee Bucks, and Jonas Valančiūnas' 3-pointer prop for this clash requires just one trey.Jonas Valančiūnas' Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the BucksJonas Valanciunas' over/under for three-pointers in this game:...

    What Would be the Best Draw for the Chicago Bulls in the Play-In Tournament?

    Nine games stand between the Chicago Bulls and the Play-In Tournament. I know ... yippie! Practically locked into the No. 9 seed, this puts them in line to host the No. 10 seed at the United Center in Round 1....

    Top 25 College Basketball Picks and Best Bets: March 28

    The Illinois Fighting Illini and the Iowa State Cyclones hit the court in one of four games on the college basketball slate on Thursday that include a ranked team.How to Bet on Top 25 Games[lasso rel="draftkings-promo-1" id="299003"]Top 25 Games for...

    What Does a Chicago Bears NFL Draft Trade Down Look Like?

    You'd think we'd be well-versed in trade-back options after months of wondering what kind of haul it would take for the Bears to move off taking quarterback Caleb Williams with the first pick of the 2024 NFL Draft. But trading...

    Diamondbacks vs. Rockies Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, March 28, 2024

    The Arizona Diamondbacks begin their season as -226 favorites in a home tilt against the Colorado Rockies on Thursday at 10:10 PM ET, live on ARID.Arizona's Zac Gallen and Colorado's Kyle Freeland have been named the starters for this contest.Diamondbacks...

    Mariners vs. Red Sox Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, March 28, 2024

    The Seattle Mariners start their season as home favorites (-155) in a matchup with the Boston Red Sox on Thursday at 10:10 PM ET, live on NESN from T-Mobile Park.Seattle's Luis Castillo and Boston's Brayan Bello have been named the...

    Guardians vs. Athletics Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, March 28, 2024

    The Cleveland Guardians look to start their season with a win as road favorites (-145) in a season-opening matchup with the Oakland Athletics. First pitch is on Thursday at 10:07 PM ET on NBCS-CA, live from Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.Cleveland's Shane...

    more cubs news