Just a Few Random Thoughts During Much-Needed Cubs Respite

A few folks have previously lamented my tendency to delve into personal matters here, so consider this fair warning to those who agree that I’m not going to stick solely to the nuts and bolts of Cubs baseball for this one. Some of that is because I don’t feel like being either doom and gloom or like blowing fake sunshine up your backsides. More of it is because, as has often been the case with this endeavor, I’ve reached another of those points where it’s necessary to reset and recharge.

To that end, I want to first address the issue many of you have experienced with all the pop-up ads and the videos and whatnot that litter the site. I’ve mentioned before how our ad revenue has plummeted over the years, and turning off the videos slashes those lowered rates by 50% or even two-thirds. I don’t expect you to feel sorry for me/us, but I do want to make sure you understand why it can sometimes be more of a pain to navigate the site.

Part of the problem is that we simply don’t have as many writers as we used to, and my energy is no longer what it once was. There was a time when I’d be able to fire off three articles a day without batting an eye, but now it can be a struggle to get more than a lineup breakdown published. It’s just very difficult to compete with bigger sites that have more resources to deploy, and the plain fact is that social media and SEO carry the day.

Without the ability to devote more time and effort to pushing content across multiple platforms, we’ve fallen well behind in that race. And since we don’t have the personnel to cover every facet of the Cubs and the rest of MLB, it’s more difficult to have something that hits. As much as I’d love to say that quality still matters, the truth is that volume is more important.

Absent the intrusive ads, and barring an angel investor, we probably won’t be able to keep this thing running for much longer. Even a paywall probably won’t be enough, as I can’t imagine there are enough people out there willing to pay for whatever it is we’re doing. Then again, I keep shelling out $20/month to watch the Cubs on a Marquee app that leaves a lot to be desired.

The team is part of the problem with this whole situation, as the Cubs just aren’t giving people nearly enough motivation to want to spend their free time perusing articles about their slide into mediocrity. If I’m having trouble finding anything worthwhile to write about, I know it’s just as difficult to muster the brainpower to read it. Especially when various clips and highlights are available on IG or TikTok with zero effort required. Why read a recap when you can watch a reel?

It’s not different from those who steadfastly believe that Ian Happ sucks just because they think no good player has ever slumped. Even though he’s on pace to have the best season of his career, a very significant number of Cubs fans have been offering to drive him to the airport as soon as his contract is up. I think those folks are going to be in for a very rude awakening when they realize just how costly it’s going to be to replace him.

The same probably can’t be said for Jameson Taillon and Shōta Imanaga, who have combined for 36 earned runs on 42 hits (16 homers) with 21 strikeouts and nine walks in 30.1 innings over their last six starts combined. That’s not just bad, it’s tossing chicken fat into the trash can and setting it out in the summer sun. To make matters worse, they’re the only two available starters from the original five members of the rotation. And while Ben Brown has been a revelation, Jordan Wicks may be about to have his flame extinguished.

A lot of people have been asking why Javier Assad isn’t up with the big club after being sent to Iowa to get stretched back out as a starter, and all I can figure is that the front office wanted to make Wicks prove it one way or the other. I mean, you don’t need to be stretched out if all you’re getting from the starter is 6.1 innings in two outings. He’ll probably figure it out once he eventually ends up elsewhere, but it’s getting harder and harder to imagine that Wicks will put it together in a Cubs uniform.

For whatever reason, the talent that spurred the Cubs to draft Wicks with the 21st overall pick out of Kansas State in 2021 just hasn’t translated to the MLB level. There’s really no value in trying to assign blame for why things haven’t worked out, unless, of course, that’s what gets you off. It’s kind of like the Peter Principle, and Wicks may have simply reached his level of incompetence, for lack of a better term.

That might be exactly the right term for former Cubs pitching director Craig Breslow, who was hired to run baseball operations for the Red Sox despite a decided lack of front office experience. Lauded as the smartest man in baseball during his time as a big leaguer because he graduated from Yale with a 3.5 GPA while majoring in molecular biology and biochemistry, Breslow joined Chicago’s front office in 2019.

A press release announcing the hire noted that the former reliever would “help to evaluate and implement data-based processes throughout all facets of Baseball Operations.” He was promoted to assistant GM/VP of pitching just over a year later and was hired as Boston’s Chief Baseball Officer in 2023. Breslow’s tenure has been rocky, to say the least, and a report from Tim Healey of the Boston Globe indicated that some believe the baseball boss may need something like an interpreter.

This seems to be a case where Breslow may either be communicating at too high a level to be effective or that he’s so convicted in his decisions that he’s unwilling or unable to accept any pushback. Just look at how the Sawx cleaned house with the coaching staff earlier this season. Though I’m not privy to all the goings-on in this situation, I have to wonder whether Hoyer did such a good job of reining Breslow in that he looked a lot better on paper, so to speak, than he was in practice.

As Jon Heyman and many, many others can surely tell you, having a good editor makes a world of difference.

That brings me around to my final topic, which deals with biting off more than you can chew and getting burned out as a result. When I agreed to step in to guest-host an episode of the Wrigleyville Nation podcast, I figured it would be easy enough. I’ve been a frequent guest there and on other pods or radio shows, and talking isn’t a problem. Figuring out how to record a Google meeting and then convert the file to mp3 format in order to upload it, however, was not on my agenda.

I managed to get it figured out and you can listen to the episode here, but it was evident by the end of the show — if not earlier — that my brain was completely fried. My capacity for critical thought was just gone, and I’m still dragging ass today. What a great way to spend my birthday eve, huh?

So that’s why I’m really glad the Cubs aren’t playing today and why, in addition to just making things more enjoyable, I really hope they get back to playing competent baseball soon.