April 2014 Report Card

After a tough 2013 season for Cubs fans, April 2014 looked much the same early on with many of the same struggles the Cubs had throughout 2013, including struggles with runners-in-scoring-position and blown saves by closer Jose Veras. With some fresh young faces joining veterans Jeff Samardzija, Nate Schierholtz, Emilio Bonifacio, and Jose Veras on the team, the early projections for the season ranged from closing in on a 0.500 record to being lucky to lose less than 100. While April finished with a 9-17 record, the Cubs showed a lot of positive steps towards the future and April was a lot better month than the record suggests.

What’s the Better Outcome for 2014?

I read an article on FanGraphs the other day in which Dave Cameron listed off the five things he believes about the 2014 season. The first of these is that the Cubs might be a better team than most people think. He even goes as far as to say the Cubs could finish the 2014 season at or near 0.500, which would be a huge leap forward for a team that was four games away from losing 100 for only the fourth time in franchise history last season.

2014 Opening Series Recap

The 2014 season opened for the Chicago Cubs with a three-game set in Pittsburgh. Coming out with a 1-2 record is about what we should’ve expected from this team as Cubs fan, but there were a lot of bright spots in the series, and one glaring weakness that seems to have carried over from previous years. While the team looked incapable of driving in runs for most of the series, I think the positives are a lot more exciting and can give us a better look at what this team is capable of throughout the season.