Chicago Cubs: Game of Thrones and the Cubs’ Long Winter (Part 1)

Chicago Cubs: Intimidating – regardless of age

Jake Arrieta, once the most feared man on the “mountain,” has become dead to most Cubs’ fans and has since seen his career resurrected in Philadelphia.  He isn’t really the same guy he used to be, but he can still be intimidating as heck.

The right-hander was the most feared pitcher on the planet in 2015.  He had the best half season anyone this side of Bob Gibson and Cy Young has ever had.  He threw two no-hitters in the span of a year and had as good a year of baseball as any pitcher has ever had when you combine his 2015 second half and 2016 first half. He was the man.

Hitters wet themselves before they went up to the box.  No one had a chance. When Pittsburgh fans trash-talked him on Twitter before the NL Wild Card Game in 2015, he plainly said, “whatever helps keep your hope alive, just know, it doesn’t matter,” and then went out and threw a shutout making big league hitters look like little leaguers. He looked like a man among boys.

More from Chicago Cubs News

• Cubs starting pitching has been thriving on the North Side
• Make no mistake: the Cubs are very much about power hitters
• Cubs: It’s time to start thinking about potential September call-ups
• Cubs: P.J. Higgins deserves to be in the lineup on a daily basis
• Cubs might start to limit Justin Steele’s workload soon

Hmmmm. You’re saying we need someone who can squash mere mortals’ skulls and look intimidating just walking around? Looks like we’ve found The Mountain.

What the heck, Game of Thrones producers have changed the guy three times anyhow, why not go for a fourth? (OK, OK Thor is pretty much the biggest dude on the planet, so maybe he can finish out the show).

But, if we were going to recast the show with Cubs’ guys, wouldn’t Jake have to play “The Mountain That Rides?”  We could just call him “The Mountain(Man) Who Wins,” as our once-favorite bearded pitcher compiled a career 68-31 record while with the Cubs.

And, while Jake is basically dead to many Cubs’ fans (just as The Mountain is really no longer alive), he is still intimidating at times taking the hill while looking a bit different in red pinstripes.