re: CHC Thread | The Struggle is Real | CHC (Wood) @ STL (Martinez) (ESPN)

There have always been Cubs threads. We did more of a season (SPLOOSH emporium) thread last year.

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Where were these threads last year? the year before that...

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I definitely started threads last year...especially at the end. Maybe not as regularly as they are now, but let's be honest...the Cubs stunk and were depressing at the MLB level.

My threads were more covering the prospects ( The Chicago Cubs Super Prospect Futureboner Sploosh Emporium (TM)). But the prospects are now here, so boom.

To answer the question about WGN, the WGN America superstation does NOT cover Cubs, White Sox or Bulls games anymore. WGN only broadcasts the games in the Chicagoland area...not nationwide.

Last year was more fapping about Bryant and Soler. Oh wait, I guess nothing has changed.

The Cubs have always been one of the most popular teams on the MSB. It is like the Rockets on here in terms of popularity.

This is definitely a big early season series on the road against a surging Cardinals team. Bryant seems to be going through growing pains right now. At first pitchers were scared to pitch to him, so he saw a lot of balls on the edge of the zone. Now, the scouting reports are coming in, and he needs to make his adjustments. He'll be fine, no doubt, but I agree with this article that states that Bryant needs to turn on the power surge if the Cubs are going to contend this year.

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To keep that going, the Cubs obviously will need more offensive production. They were 11th in NL hitting and last in strikeouts on Sunday, and have scored only six runs in their last four games.

Surprisingly, Bryant is still homer-less after 54 at-bats, after becoming a sensation in March with a major-league-leading nine homers in spring training. The home run barrage even led to a commercial for an energy drink that ends with Bryant taking a goat with him from Iowa to Chicago.

It's no big deal yet, though quite an anomaly. Bryant averaged one home run for every 11.7 at-bats during his two-year minor-league career, and one for every 11.4 at-bats last year while hitting 43 at Double-A Tennessee and Triple-A Iowa.

Asked Sunday morning if he's anxious to get that first one out of the way, Bryant shrugged.

"I can go the whole season without hitting a home run, as long as we're winning games, and right now we're doing pretty good," he said. "We'll see. I know the type of player I am. It's a percentage. I hit home runs and I'm just due, and (Saturday) I was due for a bad game. It happens."

Bryant went 1-for-4 Sunday with a blooper that turned into a game-tying double, after his four-strikeout performance on Saturday. Maddon isn't concerned about Bryant's mini-drought, and he wants his players to put a bad day to bed once it's over.

"Twenty-four hours can make a huge difference in anybody's life, and in anybody's baseball game," he said.

Bryant is still adjusting to major-league pitching, while facing the daily pressure that comes from being the next in a long line of alleged Cubs phenoms.

There's no doubt he'll be fine in the long run. But if the Cubs hope to contend this year, Bryant has to flip the power switch on soon.

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I'm excited that Grimm is rehabbing. That'll help the bullpen if he can get back in a couple of weeks.

It was disappointing to have Lester, Arrieta, and Hammel this weekend and lose 2 of 3 to the Brewers. However, they were injury plagued, and played more like most expected them to play this year. They aren't nearly as bad as their record.

Here's to at least a split this week in St. Louis.

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Also didn't your thread get anchored last year, which also helped keep the random drop by of 'cubs suck' to a minimum?

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It did get anchored after a long run on the first page. Then I tried an offseason and Spring Training thread that got quickly anchored because I guess one thread on one topic that lasts a long time is frowned upon in this establishment.

go cubs

Jorge Soler with the day off today. Was struggling in the cold, but went 7-23 this past homestand.

Fowler CF, Coghlan LF, Rizzo 1B, Bryant 3B, Montero C, Castro SS, Denorfia RF, TWood P, Russell 2B

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Dan Vogelbach is the Cubs offensive player of the month for April--.362/.470/.594, and struck out just 10 times against 14 walks (!!!).

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That's it...I'm sold. Bring the DH to the national league.

gotta find a roster spot for the guy. No chance anyone is breaking through at 1b for the cubs for a long time.