Who Bats Second for the Cubs? And Other Bullets

starlin castro featureThanks for the kind words about The Little Girl’s ear procedure yesterday (tubes out). It went perfectly well – she was a champ, made friends with the staff, and got to take her tubes home in a gross bag because she asked for them. It was a minor and totally routine procedure, but anytime anesthesia is involved, you flinch just a little.

  • Jesse Rogers answers some Twitter questions, the first of which is about the top two hitters in the order. His thoughts on the subject are actually very similar to my own: Dexter Fowler will bat first, and second is likely to be Starlin Castro, even though it would be interesting to think about someone like Jorge Soler there (because of his discipline, and because there are still some big bats behind him). For me, I still buy the idea that the best overall hitter in your lineup should bat 2, and that guy on the Cubs right now is very clearly Anthony Rizzo. The nice thing is that the Cubs have a manager who will think deeply about these very issues. (But, if you’re betting, I’d still put money on a Fowler-Castro-Rizzo top of the order when the season starts, assuming everyone’s healthy. And that’s fine, because the differences discussed here are very small, and it’s not like Castro’s a bad hitter, himself.) Your thoughts on the two-hole, and who should be there, assuming the current roster remains largely unchanged?
  • Patrick Mooney writes about the possibility of a long-term deal with Dexter Fowler, something about which both sides would technically be open … but no one is expecting it right now. Part of the reason Fowler was such a perfect fit for the Cubs, aside from the obvious positional/lineup/OBP stuff, is the fact that he’s under contract for just one year, which gives the Cubs an opportunity to see what they have in the outfield by the end of the 2015 season. They are not committed to some huge deal on a guy they may not have room for in a year. This way, the two sides can let the year play out, see about the fit, see about the youngsters, and re-evaluate late in the season or after the season.
  • WBBM has released its broadcast schedule for Spring Training, and they’ll be home to the audio for eight games. That’s about the same as WGN Radio had done in recent years for Spring Training. The full broadcast schedule (radio and TV) usually comes out about this time each year, though I wonder if there will be a slight delay, given the late-arriving WGN-9 and ABC-7 deals. Last year, WGN-TV carried four games, CSN carried six games, and the rest were all at least available as audio on WGN Radio and/or Cubs.com. MLB Network also picked up a few games, and I’d expect that again this year, too. Whatever games make it to TV wind up on MLB.tv, by the way.
  • Bruce Miles has some fun with Ernie Banks’ numbers.
  • Javy Baez’s team in Puerto Rico won the league there, so that’s cool. He finished up with an 0-4 night, with one strikeout. Now we see if he goes on to play with the team in the high profile Caribbean Series, which starts next week (it pits each of the winners of the various winter leagues against each other).
  • Dave Cameron argues that the present issue in baseball isn’t the reduced run-scoring (which is low, but still in a historically “normal” range), it’s the reduced contact at the plate – i.e., not just increased strikeouts, but also increased walks and HBP. The less balls are put in play, the argument could go, the less exciting the game. I’m glad we’re collectively talking about these issues, and I remain open-minded about just about anything in this arena.
  • 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

    Riding the Roller Coaster, Cubs Optimism on Wicks, Pinch-Hitting for Mervis, and Other Cubs Bullets

    This weekend sure was a roller coaster, eh? We were riding high Friday night, with a convincing win against the Red Sox following a series sweep of the Astros. But just 48-hours after that, the Cubs had lost twice (once...

    REPORT: The MLB Uniforms Are Being Addressed

    I imagine it was a fire drill for all involved ever since it became clear that the new Nike-designed, Fanatics-manufactured MLB jerseys (and pants) were a problem for many players. What was intended to be an improvement turned out to...

    Cody Bellinger Already Playing Catch, Taking Swings

    When a guy fractures his rib(s), that's not an injury where we have a pretty well-set idea in our minds about how long he'll be out. It depends on the extent and location of the fracture(s), the natural healing speed...

    Enhanced Box Score: Red Sox 5, Cubs 4 – April 28, 2024

    Yeah, I don't know how that could have ended any other way....an in-between blooper that bounces of Dansby Swanson's glove*, which simultaneously leads to the first earned run Mark Leiter Jr. has allowed this year and a walk-off win for...

    Mike Tauchman Ties the Game with an 8th-Inning, Three-Run BLAST!

    Nothing about this game so far had been enjoyable. From the broadcast, to the Cubs prouduction, to all the luck seemingly going the Red Sox way. But after finally chasing Tanner Houck out of the game, the Cubs were able...

    Pre-Gamin’: Cubs at Red Sox (6:10 CT) – Lineups, Pitching Matchup, Broadcast Info, Game Thread

    CUBS LINEUP — Before today's finale, the Chicago Cubs have won three of four Rubber Matches this season: Dodgers (win), Padres (loss), Mariners (win), and Diamondbacks (win). Let's see if they can make it four out of five. Chicago Cubs...

    Cubs Roster Moves: Jordan Wicks (IL) and Luke Little (Iowa) Replaced by Two Relievers Out of Triple-A

    As expected, Jordan Wicks is hitting the injured list with the always-dreaded left forearm strain. But he's not the only Cubs lefty on his way out the door this Sunday afternoon. Sahadev Sharma has the scoop on the three other...

    Should We Have Seen Wicks’ Injury Coming? Rizzo Makes Us Smile (2x), Hicks Dealing, and Other Cubs Bullets

    In case you missed the bad news last night — no, not the Cubs biggest loss since 2010 ... and, no, not Christopher Morel's early exit either after colliding with Alexander Canario, either — Jordan Wicks was scratched from today's...

    Cade Horton Dominates Once Again in His Latest Start

    Another day, another dominant Double-A start from top Cubs pitching prospect Cade Horton. The 22-year-old righty went 5.0 scoreless innings for the Tennessee Smokies, allowing five hits, no walks, and striking out six. https://twitter.com/MLBPipeline/status/1784397003340034131 There sure doesn't seem to be...

    Oh, Noooo: Jordan Wicks Has Forearm Tightness and Won’t Start Tomorrow

    At the end of a nice winning streak, it was easy enough to shrug off a throwaway 17-0 loss to the Red Sox. And I didn't even let Christopher Morel's tumble and early exit throw me, as he was apparently...

    Latest News

    Cardinals vs. Tigers Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Monday, April 29, 2024

    The St. Louis Cardinals (13-15) visit the Detroit Tigers (16-12) on Monday to start a three-game series, with the first pitch at 6:40 PM ET from Comerica Park. The Cardinals are listed as -111 favorites, while the underdog Tigers have...

    Orioles vs. Yankees Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Monday, April 29, 2024

    The Baltimore Orioles (17-10) host the New York Yankees (19-10) at 6:35 PM ET Monday for a sluggers' duel between two of the best home-run hitters in baseball. Gunnar Henderson has racked up nine homers this season (No. 2 in...

    Marlins vs. Nationals Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Monday, April 29, 2024

    The Washington Nationals (13-14) and Nick Senzel (2 HR in his last game) are underdogs (+125) on the moneyline for their matchup with the Miami Marlins (6-23) on Monday at 6:40 PM ET on MASN2.Trevor Rogers takes the mound for...

    Mets vs. Cubs Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Monday, April 29, 2024

    The Chicago Cubs (17-11) enter Monday's matchup with the New York Mets (14-13) following their 1-2 series defeat to the Red Sox. The Mets, coming off of a series loss against the Cardinals, are listed as -130 favorites for Game...

    Blue Jays vs. Royals Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Monday, April 29, 2024

    The Toronto Blue Jays (14-15) host the Kansas City Royals (17-12) on Monday to begin a three-game series, with the first pitch at 7:07 PM ET from Rogers Centre. The Blue Jays are listed as -150 favorites, while the underdog...

    Twins vs. White Sox Probable Starting Pitchers – April 29

    The Chicago White Sox (6-22) begin a three-game series against the Minnesota Twins (14-13) on Monday at Guaranteed Rate Field. First pitch is at 7:40 PM.The probable starters are Joe Ryan (1-1) for the Twins and Garrett Crochet (1-4) for...

    Brewers vs. Rays Probable Starting Pitchers – April 29

    The Tampa Bay Rays (13-16) begin a three-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers (17-10) on Monday at American Family Field. First pitch is at 7:40 PM.The Brewers will give the nod to Bryse Wilson (2-0) versus the Rays and Ryan...

    What is Juice in Sports Betting? Understanding the Vig

    In sports betting, you've probably heard the term "juice" thrown around. What is it? It's a cut the sportsbook keeps for taking your bets. Let's break down juice which is also called vig. Want to learn more? Check out our...

    Blue Jays vs. Royals Probable Starting Pitchers – April 29

    The Kansas City Royals (17-12) open a three-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays (14-15) with a Monday matchup at Rogers Centre. First pitch is at 7:07 PM ET.The probable starters are Yariel Rodriguez (0-1) for the Blue Jays and...

    Cardinals vs. Tigers Probable Starting Pitchers – April 29

    The Detroit Tigers (16-12) begin a three-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals (13-15) on Monday at Comerica Park. First pitch is at 6:40 PM.The Cardinals will call on Steven Matz (1-2) against the Tigers and Kenta Maeda (0-1).Cardinals vs....

    more cubs news