8/22 Nationals (Lannan) @ Cubs (Marquis) - 1:20 WGN

[17 Seconds]

And the best we can do against the Nationals this year is split our season series. Sad.

 

At the end of the year, are you gonna care?

 

If it costs us the division I will

 

If we lose the division, it's not going to be this game that's the cause. It's gonna be the 18 more that we lose down the stretch.

 

If we lose the division by 1 game, splitting the season series vs the worst team in baseball will have had nothig to do with it? Interesting logic.

 

If we lose the division by 1 game, that means we're losing to the likes of the Reds, Pirates, and Astros down the stretch. Those are division teams, that we play a ton of. Those records are much more meaningful than a couple of 3 game series against the Nats.

 

How about this? This game is a tradeoff for the one against the Marlins that we should've lost....

 

You're missing the point. You sid that it won't matter that we split the season series vs the Nats at the end of the season. If we end up losing the division by 1 game, it absolutely will have mattered. Yes there would be a big collapse in September, but that doesn't change the fact that we wouldn't have lost the division if we took care of the worst team in baseball.

 

All I'm sayin is that this team has not clinched anything yet, so people need to stop acting like we've got things wrapped up.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

While I will fully realize the insignificance of it later, this game is pissing me off.

[UMFan83]

You'd think the Nationals haven't beaten a Major League Baseball team this year.

 

They've beaten less Major League teams than we've lost to.

[Choonch]

I think part of the frustration is due to the fact that the Brewers just destroyed the Nats in their 4 game series.

 

Also, when people quote the "even bad teams win 40% of the time" mantra, while that's true...I'd say that the chances of them beating the one of the top teams in baseball in a given year is much, much lower.

[Banedon]

You'd think the Nationals haven't beaten a Major League Baseball team this year.

 

It took extras for them to beat the Pizza Hut team from the Mustang League, but to be fair, the Pizza Hut team was the returning champs.

[TruffleShuffle]

Also, to whoever said that if the Cubs played the end of the season 120 times they would miss the playoffs 1 time: what did your little magic number crunching box say were the chances that the Cubs would lose this game against the Nats?

Probably about 40-50 times likelier than missing the playoffs

 

yeah, when they had their largest lead the cubs were a 7 in 100 shot at losing the game - this being ONE game, mind you, not a month's worth of games. so yes, the cubs can still miss the playoffs, but if you're really hung up on that 1 in 120 chance, i feel pretty sorry for you because you probably are not going to enjoy sports ever.

[bukie]

I think part of the frustration is due to the fact that the Brewers just destroyed the Nats in their 4 game series.

 

Also, when people quote the "even bad teams win 40% of the time" mantra, while that's true...I'd say that the chances of them beating the one of the top teams in baseball in a given year is much, much lower.

 

Yes, probably closer to 30%.

[David]

Every year there are games you win that you should have lost and games you lose that you should have won. Guess which one this is for the Cubs...so far.

 

Also, to whoever said that if the Cubs played the end of the season 120 times they would miss the playoffs 1 time: what did your little magic number crunching box say were the chances that the Cubs would lose this game against the Nats?

 

Looks like Accuscore had it as a 30% chance of Nationals victory. Much better odds than 0.8% chance of not making the playoffs.

 

It was like 80% when we had the 4-0 lead.

 

FWIW... 20% is still a crapload bigger than .8%

[swordsman]

Also, to whoever said that if the Cubs played the end of the season 120 times they would miss the playoffs 1 time: what did your little magic number crunching box say were the chances that the Cubs would lose this game against the Nats?

Probably about 40-50 times likelier than missing the playoffs

 

Exactly, so why is everyone flipping out when it happens?

[Banedon]

And the best we can do against the Nationals this year is split our season series. Sad.

 

At the end of the year, are you gonna care?

 

If it costs us the division I will

 

If we lose the division, it's not going to be this game that's the cause. It's gonna be the 18 more that we lose down the stretch.

 

If we lose the division by 1 game, splitting the season series vs the worst team in baseball will have had nothig to do with it? Interesting logic.

 

If we lose the division by 1 game, that means we're losing to the likes of the Reds, Pirates, and Astros down the stretch. Those are division teams, that we play a ton of. Those records are much more meaningful than a couple of 3 game series against the Nats.

 

How about this? This game is a tradeoff for the one against the Marlins that we should've lost....

 

You're missing the point. You sid that it won't matter that we split the season series vs the Nats at the end of the season. If we end up losing the division by 1 game, it absolutely will have mattered. Yes there would be a big collapse in September, but that doesn't change the fact that we wouldn't have lost the division if we took care of the worst team in baseball.

 

All I'm sayin is that this team has not clinched anything yet, so people need to stop acting like we've got things wrapped up.

 

Nope. You're missing the point. One loss DOES NOT MATTER. Doesn't matter if what the margin of win/loss at the end is. It's a collective thing. This loss would matter exactly as much the other 49 this year. To put more importance on this game is ignorant.

[TruffleShuffle]

And the best we can do against the Nationals this year is split our season series. Sad.

 

At the end of the year, are you gonna care?

 

If it costs us the division I will

 

If we lose the division, it's not going to be this game that's the cause. It's gonna be the 18 more that we lose down the stretch.

 

If we lose the division by 1 game, splitting the season series vs the worst team in baseball will have had nothig to do with it? Interesting logic.

 

If we lose the division by 1 game, that means we're losing to the likes of the Reds, Pirates, and Astros down the stretch. Those are division teams, that we play a ton of. Those records are much more meaningful than a couple of 3 game series against the Nats.

 

How about this? This game is a tradeoff for the one against the Marlins that we should've lost....

 

You're missing the point. You sid that it won't matter that we split the season series vs the Nats at the end of the season. If we end up losing the division by 1 game, it absolutely will have mattered. Yes there would be a big collapse in September, but that doesn't change the fact that we wouldn't have lost the division if we took care of the worst team in baseball.

 

All I'm sayin is that this team has not clinched anything yet, so people need to stop acting like we've got things wrapped up.

 

people also need to stop being terrified of the slight chance that everything will go wrong.

[bukie]

Exactly, so why is everyone flipping out when it happens?

 

Because the Cubs are a perennial winner with a storied history of World Series titles, and a loss to the Nationals at the end of August permanently tarnishes any possibility of a happy ending this season may have.

[UMFan83]

Every year there are games you win that you should have lost and games you lose that you should have won. Guess which one this is for the Cubs...so far.

 

Also, to whoever said that if the Cubs played the end of the season 120 times they would miss the playoffs 1 time: what did your little magic number crunching box say were the chances that the Cubs would lose this game against the Nats?

 

Looks like Accuscore had it as a 30% chance of Nationals victory. Much better odds than 0.8% chance of not making the playoffs.

 

It was like 80% when we had the 4-0 lead.

 

FWIW... 20% is still a crapload bigger than .8%

 

Hmm... I guess the computer doesn't take Jason Marquis into account.

[David]

Seriously, some people have a terrible idea of how to handle rooting for a winning team.

 

Weren't any of you guys Bulls fans in the 90s? Jeez.

[JeffH]

people also need to stop being terrified of the slight chance that everything will go wrong.

 

Define "slight".

[bukie]

Seriously, some people have a terrible idea of how to handle rooting for a winning team.

 

Weren't any of you guys Bulls fans in the 90s? Jeez.

 

Maybe they're expecting a 90's Bulls team, the kind of team that loses 10 games in 6 months.

[David]

 

Hmm... I guess the computer doesn't take Jason Marquis into account.

 

 

Good point.. Fangraphs doesn't. Wish it did. Probably wouldn't make a huge difference, though.

[Choonch]

In the grand scheme of things, this loss doesn't mean anything, it's merely annoying.

 

However, I'd like to clinch ~ 10-14 days before the end of the season so we can get some of the regulars an extended rest. That makes these games a bit more stressful.

[Banedon]

people also need to stop being terrified of the slight chance that everything will go wrong.

 

Define "slight".

 

.8%

[David]

Seriously, some people have a terrible idea of how to handle rooting for a winning team.

 

Weren't any of you guys Bulls fans in the 90s? Jeez.

 

Maybe they're expecting a 90's Bulls team, the kind of team that loses 10 games in 6 months.

 

Good point...

[Guest]

Seriously, some people have a terrible idea of how to handle rooting for a winning team.

 

Weren't any of you guys Bulls fans in the 90s? Jeez.

 

It's pretty funny, actually.

[JeffH]

Seriously, some people have a terrible idea of how to handle rooting for a winning team.

 

Weren't any of you guys Bulls fans in the 90s? Jeez.

 

There ain't no Michael Jordan on this team to bail it out when the inevitable crash comes.

[TruffleShuffle]

people also need to stop being terrified of the slight chance that everything will go wrong.

 

Define "slight".

 

well political polls and predictions generally use 95% likelihood as the breaking point, and the cubs are well above that to make the playoffs. so i dunno, i'd say a 1 in 100 chance of missing the playoffs is pretty damn slight.

[Banedon]

In the grand scheme of things, this loss doesn't mean anything, it's merely annoying.

 

However, I'd like to clinch ~ 10-14 days before the end of the season so we can get some of the regulars an extended rest. That makes these games a bit more stressful.

 

lol....well shoot I'd like to clinch a month ahead of the end of the season, but lets just take clinching at all, shall we? :)

[Ding Dong Johnson]

was that Ronnie Belliard?