A Chicago Cubs Fan Community Since February 9, 2005
‘Twas the night before Cub Christmas, and in 2025The Cubs won 92, hooray! Playoff hope came aliveBut the Brewers ended that dream on October 11.We’re all waiting. C’mon, Jed, bring us to baseball heaven. Tokyo was where the ‘25 Cubs season beganIt was a very nice trip, but no wins came in Japan.After some more […]
3 months ago | 2 reads
Good morning and happy holidays. Ho ho ho.
3 months ago | 5 reads
On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, Bleed Cubbie Blue is pleased to present a Cubs-centric look at baseball’s colorful past. Here’s a handy Cubs timeline, to help you follow the various narrative paths. “Maybe I called it wrong, but it’s official.” — Tom Connolly, HoF Umpire. Happy birthday to Nicholas Padilla and other former Cubs. Today in baseball history: Cubs Birthdays: […]
3 months ago | 1 read
Welcome back to BCB After Dark: the jolliest joint for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. So glad to spread some holiday cheer with you. Come on in out of the cold. The mistletoe is over the door. The stockings are hanging by the chimney. There are still a few tables […]
3 months ago | 2 reads
The Cubs signed Jon Jay as a free agent going into the 2017 season largely because Dexter Fowler had left and they needed a center fielder. Jay had a reputation as a good fielder, though not much of a hitter, and as a good clubhouse guy. And Jay was just that. Good in the clubhouse. […]
3 months ago | 2 reads
Another right-handed reliever to add to the 2026 Cubs bullpen: Jacob Webb is 32 and was the 18th-round pick of the Braves in 2014 out of Tabor College in Kansas. He made his MLB debut for the Braves in 2019 and pitched three seasons for them, then spent 2022 in the Diamondbacks’ minor league system. […]
3 months ago | 0 reads
As we approach the end of 2025, it’s time to post various year-end reviews. So as has been my practice in previous years, I am today posting 10 of what I think are the best Cubs photos of the past season. The Cubs in Japan Here, the Cubs (first-base side) and Dodgers (third-base side) lineup […]
3 months ago | 0 reads
After free agents and DFA’d guys were deleted from the Cubs’ 40-man roster last month, just 31 players remained. That seemed like a small number. So far this offseason, just three other players have been added back to that 40-man roster, leaving it at 34. I thought that still sounded pretty small, so I decided […]
3 months ago | 0 reads
Matt Shaw is in the news again, That’s all I’m going to say. Chase Strumpf is calling it a career. Framber Valdez and Pete Fairbanks are in the air. The next real event is the Cubs Convention, Friday, January 16, through Sunday, January 18, 2026. *means autoplay on, (directions to remove for Firefox and Chrome). {$} means paywall. […]
3 months ago | 2 reads
Welcome back to BCB After Dark: the grooviest spot for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. We’re so glad to see you. Come on in out of the cold. We’ve got a fire going in here. There’s no cover charge. There are still a few tables available. Bring your own beverage. […]
3 months ago | 2 reads
Before Miguel Montero became a Cubs postseason legend with his NLCS grand slam against the Dodgers and key hit in the 10th inning of Game 7 of the 2016 World Series, he pitched one inning for the Cubs. In 2016. In that great season. Yes, the Cubs needed a position player in a blowout. The […]
3 months ago | 0 reads
It’s a holiday week so you’d figure any deals made by teams, notably the Chicago Cubs, would be minor. And that’s what we have today: Christian Bethancourt is 34 and played in 24 games for the 2024 Cubs. In those games, covering 59 plate appearances, he batted .281/.305/.509 with three home runs and 15 RBI. […]
3 months ago | 4 reads
FanDuel Sports Networks are the RSNs that were once branded Bally Sports Networks, and prior to that were part of the Fox Sports Network group. They’ve gone through quite a bit of churn and change over the last few years as media companies have lurched from linear TV to streaming and several mergers have happened. […]
3 months ago | 2 reads
With the Cubs having added some players to the 40-man roster (which now stands at 34) since our first payroll look this offseason, I thought it was time for another article updating things as they stand as we head into the holiday weeks, where not much action is likely to happen. Before we get to […]
3 months ago | 1 read
Happy Monday, friends. We’re fast approaching Christmas, which means we’ll likely see a slower week of activity around ye olde hot stove, as things get quiet before picking up again in the new year. We’ve still got some little news bites to keep you busy to start the week, as we mull over the White […]
3 months ago | 1 read
On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, Bleed Cubbie Blue is pleased to present a Cubs-centric look at baseball’s colorful past. Here’s a handy Cubs timeline, to help you follow the various narrative paths. “Maybe I called it wrong, but it’s official.” — Tom Connolly, HoF Umpire. Comiskey buys a team, Bobby Bonds, Ryan Freel, and more. RIP Ryan*. Today in baseball […]
3 months ago | 3 reads
Here’s one more from BCB reader Clark Addison. As I have noted in some previous sleuthing photos, this has to be from 2005 or 2006, one of the two seasons this century where the Cubs removed names from the back of home jerseys. The key to the year is No. 5. In 2005, that number […]
3 months ago | 3 reads
“I want you to know that I am going to remain a loyal Cubs fan,” said Archbishop-elect Ronald Hicks, who will head the Archdiocese of New York after leading the Diocese of Joliet. “However, I am going to start rooting for the New York sports teams. And I already love your pizza. I love it […]
3 months ago | 3 reads
Here’s yet another one from BCB reader Clark Addison, and I cropped the photo at the top of the post to take away one significant clue. Can you figure out which game this is from just the Cubs waiting to greet the walk-off home run hitter at the plate? (It’s obvious it’s a walk-off home […]
3 months ago | 2 reads
Michael King is off the board, having signed a multiple-out deal to return to the Padres. Munetaka Murikami has to sign by Monday or go back to NPB. Tatsuya Imai’s posting window expires January 2. So there’s hope for some developments soon. *means autoplay on, (directions to remove for Firefox and Chrome). {$} means paywall. {$} means limited […]
3 months ago | 3 reads
The Cubs bullpen was a strength for the Cubs in 2025 but with Andrew Kittredge returning to the Baltimore Orioles, Drew Pomeranz signing with the Los Angeles Angels and Brad Keller inking a two-year deal with the Phillies, the late innings of Cubs games will look a lot different in 2026. The Cubs have been […]
3 months ago | 11 reads
Last month, I wrote about Chris Denorfia’s walk-off home run, a blast that still stands as the only one in MLB history to win a scoreless game in extra innings. Before he did that, though, the versatile Denorfia became another Cubs position player to take the mound. It happened Aug. 19, 2015 at Wrigley Field […]
3 months ago | 9 reads
Pirates right-hander Mitch Keller was one of the names most mentioned in trade rumors around last summer’s deadline. Along with basically every top starting pitcher rumored to be dealt last July, Keller stayed right where he was, in the Pirates rotation. Keller has been, if nothing else, a durable starter. He has made at least […]
3 months ago | 8 reads
Good morning.
3 months ago | 4 reads
On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, Bleed Cubbie Blue is pleased to present a Cubs-centric look at baseball’s colorful past. Here’s a handy Cubs timeline, to help you follow the various narrative paths. “Maybe I called it wrong, but it’s official.” — Tom Connolly, HoF Umpire. Today we feature financial skullduggery and other such fare, just the thing for a holiday […]
3 months ago | 7 reads