Playoff Roster - C Position

[Balsa]

playoffs?

[Soul]

Presumptuous playoff thread #82.

[MembersOnlyJacket]

We were talking about this in the game thread today.

 

If the cubs make the playoffs; what catchers do we carry? My guess is Kendall and Soto. Some people are convinced it will be Kendall and Blanco.

 

So, what are your thoughts? and why?

 

I think people are still having a hard time adjusting to the fact that Piniella doesn't really care about who is a proven veteran and who isn't. If this was Dusty Baker's team, yes, it'd be Blanco and Blanco would be playing as often as Soto is right now. But, it's Soto who's getting the AB's and he will be on the playoff roster if the Cubs get the chance to fill one out. In fact, the case can be made that Soto should be starting right now given that Kendall is 8-50 in September and Soto is 11-19.

 

"I like experience this time of the year, although Soto has done a nice job. We'll see," Piniella said.

 

Not saying this means Soto wont be on a playoff roster if we make it, but its clear today was just an offday for Kendall and nothing more.

 

And, from the Sun-Times today:

 

''It's a lot of food for thought,'' manager Lou Piniella said after Sunday's game. ''What a job he's done. It's awfully impressive.''

 

Piniella had said before the game that he prefers more experience on the field this time of year, suggesting he would stick with veteran Jason Kendall as his every-day catcher.

 

We'll see how this plays out. Hopefully, more playing time for Soto.

[Roast]

Presumptuous playoff thread #82.

 

We've got a lead in the division and what should(Key word)be a cake-walk schedule the rest of the way. Oh yeah, and it's mid september. I think it's about time that we can start talking about this stuff.

[Derwood]

Presumptuous playoff thread #82.

 

We've got a lead in the division and what should(Key word)be a cake-walk schedule the rest of the way. Oh yeah, and it's mid september. I think it's about time that we can start talking about this stuff.

 

with a one game lead and a week of games against teams we haven't been able to beat much?

[Mephistopheles]

70% playoff probability iirc

[BigSlick]

70% playoff probability iirc

 

Yeah.

 

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/statistics/ps_odds.php

[Roast]

Presumptuous playoff thread #82.

 

We've got a lead in the division and what should(Key word)be a cake-walk schedule the rest of the way. Oh yeah, and it's mid september. I think it's about time that we can start talking about this stuff.

 

with a one game lead and a week of games against teams we haven't been able to beat much?

 

Regardless; it's september 17 and we're in first place, it's time to think playoffs.

[TheDude]

Kendall and Soto. Start Soto against a lefty, Kendall a righty. When Kendall is in the lineup, I'd probably drop him in the 2-hole, but Lou has fond of JJ in that spot against right-handers. And JJ has produced out of that spot, so maybe it's moot.

[Soul]

Presumptuous playoff thread #82.

 

We've got a lead in the division and what should(Key word)be a cake-walk schedule the rest of the way. Oh yeah, and it's mid september. I think it's about time that we can start talking about this stuff.

 

with a one game lead and a week of games against teams we haven't been able to beat much?

 

Regardless; it's september 17 and we're in first place, it's time to think playoffs.

 

I am thinking about playoffs. I'm thinking about how one slip and a Crew sweep of a series would be all it might take to flip it in their favor. Seems like it's pretty much up for grabs still.

 

But hey -- I don't want to tell anyone what to discuss. I'm just commenting that it still seems a bit presumptuous.

[Rob]

Presumptuous playoff thread #82.

 

We've got a lead in the division and what should(Key word)be a cake-walk schedule the rest of the way. Oh yeah, and it's mid september. I think it's about time that we can start talking about this stuff.

 

with a one game lead and a week of games against teams we haven't been able to beat much?

 

Regardless; it's september 17 and we're in first place, it's time to think playoffs.

 

I am thinking about playoffs. I'm thinking about how one slip and a Crew sweep of a series would be all it might take to flip it in their favor. Seems like it's pretty much up for grabs still.

 

But hey -- I don't want to tell anyone what to discuss. I'm just commenting that it still seems a bit presumptuous.

 

It'd be presumptuous to be skipping starts to begin putting our postseason rotation the way we want it. Talking about who might make the roster seems pretty reasonable though.

[Have a seat, Neifi]

We're fans- we're the ones who are allowed to look ahead and presume and assume and all that other stuff. It's the players who should be focusing on the next game and the next game only.

[swordsman]

Granted I have only give each of these posts a single reading and while I am probably the boards most pathetic when it comes to preserving mojo and not wanting to upset the baseball gods, all the playoff language in this thread seems to be pretty measured and couched in the requisite "if"s.

[jaxxradio]

IF the Cubs get into the playoffs, its a no brainer.. Soto is the guy.

 

Getting this team into the playoffs concerns me more than the roster. The schedule scares the bejeebers out of me. The Reds have been playing very well, the Bucs have played the Cubbies VERY well and the Marlins have zero pressure on them.

[CubinNY]

IF the Cubs get into the playoffs, its a no brainer.. Soto is the guy.

 

Getting this team into the playoffs concerns me more than the roster. The schedule scares the bejeebers out of me. The Reds have been playing very well, the Bucs have played the Cubbies VERY well and the Marlins have zero pressure on them.

Yep, it's time to step up. If they can't put away these pathetic teams they don't deserve to be in the playoff.

[NCCubFan]

And, from the Sun-Times today:

 

''It's a lot of food for thought,'' manager Lou Piniella said after Sunday's game. ''What a job he's done. It's awfully impressive.''

 

Piniella had said before the game that he prefers more experience on the field this time of year, suggesting he would stick with veteran Jason Kendall as his every-day catcher.

Yep, Kendall definitely has more experience allowing base runners to steal, throwing the ball into the outfield, allowing batters to reach on dropped third strikes, etc. That experience is invaluable; Kendall has to play regularly.

 

Sincerely,

Ned Yost

[jaxxradio]

I wouldn't necessarily call the Reds and Pirates pathetic. If Capps was the closer from day one, the Pirates are in this race and the Reds do have some solid talent (I know I'd like to have Harang in my rotation and Dunn in my outfield).

 

Having said that, the Cubs are better than those two teams and need to play like it.

[Roast]

I wouldn't necessarily call the Reds and Pirates pathetic. If Capps was the closer from day one, the Pirates are in this race and the Reds do have some solid talent (I know I'd like to have Harang in my rotation and Dunn in my outfield).

 

Having said that, the Cubs are better than those two teams and need to play like it.

 

Thats a pretty shocking statement, but I just looked at some stats and...well....its a possibility.

 

Capps is 17-19 in save opportunites; the rest of the team is 14-29

 

Thats fifteen blown saves. If Capps could have saved 13 of those...

 

They'd lead the division by a game and a half.

 

Now obviously, that's a lot of what if's...but its interesting to think about.

[Drew Doughty]

I wouldn't necessarily call the Reds and Pirates pathetic. If Capps was the closer from day one, the Pirates are in this race and the Reds do have some solid talent (I know I'd like to have Harang in my rotation and Dunn in my outfield).

 

Having said that, the Cubs are better than those two teams and need to play like it.

 

Thats a pretty shocking statement, but I just looked at some stats and...well....its a possibility.

 

Capps is 17-19 in save opportunites; the rest of the team is 14-29

 

Thats fifteen blown saves. If Capps could have saved 13 of those...

 

They'd lead the division by a game and a half.

 

Now obviously, that's a lot of what if's...but its interesting to think about.

 

you can blow saves before the 9th inning, so that's a flawed way of looking at things.

 

Solomon Torres only blew like 3 saves while he was the closer (pretty much the first two months of the year).

 

If Matt Capps was their closer, and if Jason Bay performed as expected, and if Zach Duke wasn't terrible, and if they didn't have a revolving door of nothing in place of a 5th starter, they might be contending within the division.

[jaxxradio]

Torres blew at least six games.. as much as I love Tracy as the manager, he screwed up by not putting Capps in as the closer from the get go.

[SouthSideRyan]

Torres blew at least six games.. as much as I love Tracy as the manager, he screwed up by not putting Capps in as the closer from the get go.

 

It's the same story as Marmol. Who's pitching those 7th and 8th innings if Capps isn't in the beginning of the year. Blowing a game in the 9th is the same as blowing a game in the 7th.

 

If you want to blame Tracy for costing them games, blame him for running the utterly horrible Chris Duffy out there the entire first half of the year.

[Drew Doughty]

he has blown 6 games. 2 of them came after losing the job to capps. he also recorded another loss but i don't think he blew the lead in that game.