A Chicago Cubs Fan Community Since February 9, 2005
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is going to look very familiar, as it just ran last month as part of my “walkoff heroes” series. I’m running it again because, well, John Baker was one of the Cubs position player pitchers in the divisional play era, and he does have a singular distinction: In that era, of […]
about 1 month ago | 3 reads
Also by suggestion from the article I posted here Monday, let’s take a look at former Rays closer Pete Fairbanks, now a free agent. Fairbanks, originally a ninth-round pick of the Rangers in 2015 from the University of Missouri, was traded to the Rays in 2019. He’s been the Tampa Bay closer for the last […]
about 1 month ago | 3 reads
Happy Wednesday, BCB readers! We’ve got lots of good little news bites to keep you entertained today, including some roundups of trade rumors, looks at some free agent signings that teams are hoping will be the thing they need to compete next year. Some highlights we’ll touch on today are the wild totals being accumulated […]
about 1 month 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. Happy Birthday to Marvell Wynne* and other former Cubs. The spitball is grandfathered in, and […]
about 1 month ago | 3 reads
It’s Tuesday night here at BCB After Dark: the grooviest get-together for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. Come on in out of the cold. It’s so good to see you this evening. We can check your coat for you. We still have a few tables available. There’s no cover charge. […]
about 1 month ago | 3 reads
It’s the most wonderful time of the year as the holidays approach. If your calendar is anything like mine the time from Thanksgiving through New Years is filled with opportunities to catch up with loved ones, holiday parties with old friends, and more. This Saturday, Dec. 20, the Bleacher Bunch podcast including some of your […]
about 1 month ago | 4 reads
Caleb Thielbar was one of Jed Hoyer’s better reclamation projects in 2025. After posting a 5.32 ERA in 59 relief appearances for the Twins in 2024 at age 37, Thielbar appeared done. But Hoyer and his team saw something they liked, so they signed Thielbar to a one-year, $2.75 million deal. And Thielbar had possibly […]
about 1 month ago | 5 reads
The 2012 Cubs were, by design, a bad team. New President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein had torn down the previous structure to rebuild, and what was left was not very good. After an unexpectedly good 15-10 July, the Cubs began August winning just six of their first 24 games, never winning more than one […]
about 1 month ago | 4 reads
Thanks to BCB reader JayWent, who suggested I write an article about Japanese third baseman Munetaka Murakami and the chances the Cubs might be interested in him. Murakami is listed at 6-2, 213, which makes him a pretty large man for a Japanese player. By comparison, Seiya Suzuki is 6-0 and 182. Murakami bats left-handed […]
about 1 month ago | 4 reads
Luke Weaver is the latest name floating around in the blogosphere. Michael King is said to have reduced his potential landing spots to three AL East cities. The sources are credible but nothing is definite yet. *means autoplay on, (directions to remove for Firefox and Chrome). {$} means paywall. {$} means limited views. Italics are often used on this page […]
about 1 month ago | 4 reads
It’s the start of a new week here at BCB After Dark: the hippest spot for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. Come on in out of the cold. We’ve got a fire going in here. We can take your coat. We still have a few tables available. Bring your own […]
about 1 month ago | 2 reads
Eight years have passed since the last Cubs position player to pitch, Doug Dascenzo, who pitched in four games for the team covering five innings. There was great hope for the 1999 Cubs entering the season. And, in fact, the team started out well. After defeating the Diamondbacks June 8, they were 32-23 and just […]
about 1 month ago | 2 reads
As you know, I have posted a series of articles here on players who could be free agent or trade targets for the Cubs this offseason. As a refresher, here are links to all those articles (except for two players who have already signed elsewhere). Dec. 5: Luis Severino (trade) Dec. 4: Edward Cabrera (trade) […]
about 1 month ago | 1 read
Good morning.
about 1 month 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. Happy birthday to Johneshwy Fargas* and all of you who celebrate your natal anniversary on […]
about 1 month ago | 2 reads
The Cubs decided to go old-school in 2005 and 2006. From 1993-2004 they had put names on the back of home uniforms. Names had been on the back of Cubs road uniforms since 1982. But in 2005 management decided to go back to the pre-1993 look and take the names off. What they did not […]
about 1 month ago | 2 reads
Sources tell us that Burl Carraway is no longer in the organization. He was once a promising prospect with a big fastball from the sinister side, but his future didn’t turn out so well. So far, the offseason cache contains two MLB relievers and one player signed to a minor-league deal. *means autoplay on, (directions to […]
about 1 month ago | 2 reads
Earlier this week I posted here about the eight Cubs players with MLB experience who will likely take the field for their home countries in the World Baseball Classic: Pete Crow-Armstrong and Matthew Boyd (U.S.), Seiya Suzuki and Shota Imanaga (Japan), Owen Caissie (Canada), Daniel Palencia (Venezuela), Miguel Amaya (Panama) and Javier Assad (Mexico). A […]
about 1 month ago | 2 reads
“Wake Up Dead Man,” the third film in the “Knives Out” series from director Rian Johnson, came out in theaters briefly in October and is now available for streaming. As a (now retired) member of the Directors Guild of America, I have access to screeners of various films for DGA Award consideration. This film was […]
about 1 month ago | 1 read
This is another photo from BCB reader Clark Addison. As you know, Mark Prior suffered two serious injuries that eventually ended his MLB career. The first one was a collision on the basepaths with Marcus Giles of the Braves. That happened in the bottom of the second inning July 11, 2003, after Prior had walked. […]
about 1 month ago | 4 reads
Former Cub and Ray Christopher Morel is now a Marlin, sources reveal. It sucks about Devin Williams, who would surely have been a fine Cub. Also revealed: several MLB players have signed with teams that aren’t the Dodgers. Dennis Franz still wants to know “What is a Met?” Insiders predict that the Dodgers plan to […]
about 1 month ago | 4 reads
Thirteen years have passed since Larry Biittner’s turn on the mound for the Cubs. Position player pitching was still pretty rare in Major League Baseball. And then came the spring of 1990. You have to remember the context here: The Cubs had come off a division title year in 1989 in which they won 93 […]
about 1 month ago | 3 reads
The Cubs have not yet made any sort of major free agent signing or trade acquisition this offseason. In fact, the Winter Meetings were pretty quiet on the transaction front, with the exceptions of the signings of Pete Alonso, Robert Suarez and Edwin Diaz, all by teams other than the Cubs. This, you already know. […]
about 1 month ago | 1 read
Happy Friday, everyone! Winter Meetings are over, and we have a big wrap-up of everything that happened, who signed where, and who the winners and losers were this year as we get closer to the end of 2025. There are some player moves to keep up with, including two players who won’t be heading back […]
about 1 month 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. HRod had a couple of good years, and other stories. Today in baseball history: Cubs […]
about 1 month ago | 2 reads