"We have an obligation..."

[Banedon]

''What makes it a little more difficult is the teams we're playing are contending for postseason. We have an obligation to put representative teams on the field and try to win some baseball games.''

 

I couldn't disagree with this more. We have a bigger obligation to win the World Series. Set your teams up for the postseason, and then worry about fielding the best team after that. Losing teams don't worry about this stuff when they're playing all the kids from their farm system at the end of the year...why should a contending team worry about it?

 

I'm not saying we should run out scrubs every day...but I don't think we should put the obligation to be competitive at the end of the season over the obligation to be competitive in the postseason. Maybe that's not what he's saying...but it's just one of those baseball idioms that drives me nuts.

[jyoung55]

I'd take that pandering line Lou is giving at somewhere below face value. He's going to rest people and get some of the other players chances to play so that he can set the playoff roster.

[Banedon]

I'd take that pandering line Lou is giving at somewhere below face value. He's going to rest people and get some of the other players chances to play so that he can set the playoff roster.

 

And if that's the case, I admit overreaction. It just pushed that right button on me...

[Backtobanks]

There's a fine line between resting your regulars and having them lose their sense of timing. Stagger days off for Theriot, DLee, Ramirez, Soriano, DeRosa, and Soto while using your starters for 5 innings. Give a lot of ABs to Pie, Ward, Hoffpauir, Fukudome, McGahee, etc. and innings to Wells, Wuertz, Guzman, Hart, Wells, etc.

[SouthSideRyan]

I think it's a combination of jyoung's post and backtobanks. Lou knows how to play the game to not get in any trouble with Seligula. He's also the type that believes he needs to keep all his guys ready to go.

[mdwilla]

Lou needs to give Soto and Extended break now , if his hand is still lingering he should be shut down and given a rest until the playoffs. Marmol had his 80th appearance last night and would welcome 4 0r 5 days off before sharpening up again the last two games before the playoffs. This is a good time for Lou to give starts to Ward, Fontento,Blanco and keep them sharp for the playoffs.

[evv98]

I would love to see all of the regulars get two or three days off this week. With his hand, Soto should get even more.

 

My biggest fear is injury at this point. I would hate to see any of our regulars go down just before the playoffs.

[CubColtPacer]

My fantasy news says that Lou is going to give Soto the next 3 games off. He also says that he plans to rest Marmol for a few days. Those are 2 of the most important to get rest, so between that and moving Harden back I'm mostly satisfied with how they're handling this last week.

[Cynosure]

''What makes it a little more difficult is the teams we're playing are contending for postseason. We have an obligation to put representative teams on the field and try to win some baseball games.''

 

I couldn't disagree with this more. We have a bigger obligation to win the World Series. Set your teams up for the postseason, and then worry about fielding the best team after that. Losing teams don't worry about this stuff when they're playing all the kids from their farm system at the end of the year...why should a contending team worry about it?

 

I'm not saying we should run out scrubs every day...but I don't think we should put the obligation to be competitive at the end of the season over the obligation to be competitive in the postseason. Maybe that's not what he's saying...but it's just one of those baseball idioms that drives me nuts.

 

I don't think we should run our lineup out that we beat St. Louis 5-1. However, Lou is right about owing it to baseball to put out a lineup that is seriously capable of competing and winning. I'd like to see half starters/half scrubs alternating games from here on out.

 

If we jogged out the ICubs for the rest of the season we'd be rolling over and the Brewers would be easily pushed out of playoff contention.

[kente777]

''What makes it a little more difficult is the teams we're playing are contending for postseason. We have an obligation to put representative teams on the field and try to win some baseball games.''

 

I couldn't disagree with this more. We have a bigger obligation to win the World Series. Set your teams up for the postseason, and then worry about fielding the best team after that. Losing teams don't worry about this stuff when they're playing all the kids from their farm system at the end of the year...why should a contending team worry about it?

 

I'm not saying we should run out scrubs every day...but I don't think we should put the obligation to be competitive at the end of the season over the obligation to be competitive in the postseason. Maybe that's not what he's saying...but it's just one of those baseball idioms that drives me nuts.

 

Banedon, I think all Lou is doing is letting the commissioner and the other playoff teams know that he will not lay down against teams who are still contending, which really is every teams responsibility. I think he fully understands the importance of resting players and getting to the World Series. I see his statement as nothing more than a politically correct statement meant to cover his butt.

[C.C.]

My fantasy news says that Lou is going to give Soto the next 3 games off. He also says that he plans to rest Marmol for a few days. Those are 2 of the most important to get rest, so between that and moving Harden back I'm mostly satisfied with how they're handling this last week.

 

 

Sounds good to me. Something tells me that this might linger though out the playoffs. One of those things that Soto has to play through.

[Peoriaman]

I'd take that pandering line Lou is giving at somewhere below face value. He's going to rest people and get some of the other players chances to play so that he can set the playoff roster.

 

 

exactly. Lou is saying the right thing, but will do the right thing for the Cubs.

 

Soto will get a few off, but it would be a mistake to "shut him down till the play-offs".

 

It also works in our favor to keep the Mets from clinching early. We want Santana to pitch this weekend.

Edited September 23, 2008 by Peoriaman

[jersey cubs fan]

I'd take that pandering line Lou is giving at somewhere below face value. He's going to rest people and get some of the other players chances to play so that he can set the playoff roster.

 

 

exactly. Lou is saying the right thing, but will do the right thing for the Cubs.

 

That's how I take it. He's got to keep playing the regulars while giving them occasional rest. He can't just sit Soriano, Ramirez and Lee for a week.

[Warren Brusstar]

''What makes it a little more difficult is the teams we're playing are contending for postseason. We have an obligation to put representative teams on the field and try to win some baseball games.''

 

I couldn't disagree with this more. We have a bigger obligation to win the World Series. Set your teams up for the postseason, and then worry about fielding the best team after that. Losing teams don't worry about this stuff when they're playing all the kids from their farm system at the end of the year...why should a contending team worry about it?

 

I'm not saying we should run out scrubs every day...but I don't think we should put the obligation to be competitive at the end of the season over the obligation to be competitive in the postseason. Maybe that's not what he's saying...but it's just one of those baseball idioms that drives me nuts.

 

Banedon, I think all Lou is doing is letting the commissioner and the other playoff teams know that he will not lay down against teams who are still contending, which really is every teams responsibility. I think he fully understands the importance of resting players and getting to the World Series. I see his statement as nothing more than a politically correct statement meant to cover his butt.

 

Whatever marginal gain there is by resting regulars is more than overcome by the possibility of forcing the Mets to throw Santana on Sunday (and limiting him to only one start in the NLDS).

[BigbadB]

I would love nothing more than to see all the NL playoff hopefuls (excluding the Cubs) burn their best pitchers this week.

[Peoriaman]

"Now that we've clinched home-field advantage through the rest of the playoffs, we'll give everybody a chance to play," Piniella said. "You can see that this year home field is really important. All the teams that are in or are playing for playoff position have played really, really well at home. This year, especially. We'll rest some people and try to put a team on the field that's fresh."

[MasterBlaster]

Meh, Lou is just giving lip service to the league and the commissioner to head off any whining about us tanking games. Our guys will get good rest, and we will still field a competetive team regardless.

[inari]

I'm especially happy to hear that Geo will be getting rested. I was hoping he'd play every other day, but three straight days off also works.

[MPrior]

Seligula.

 

This is awesome and needs more attention brought to it. Well played, sir.

[chuckywang]

Let's say there are two equal teams fighting with each other for a playoff berth. However, the first team had a very easy first half of the season, then a hard second half. The second team had a hard first half and an easy second half.

 

I don't think it's fair to the second team that they needed to play the hard part of the schedule in full whereas the first team might get a break since they might play the hard part of their schedule against bench players.

 

I know the common argument for Cub fans is "Just win more in the first few months so you don't find yourself in this position". But due to the differences in schedules, one team might have a better opportunity to do that compared to another team.

[WilcoFan]

"If we were playing non-contending teams, nobody would be saying a word," Piniella told reporters in New York before Thursday's loss to the Mets. "What's the sense of trying to take care of everybody else? Take care of yourself ..."

[David]

Lou basically just says stuff. Sometimes it actually has to do with what he's doing. Other times it doesn't.

[CubbieBum]

What I take it as is he won't be experimenting. He's not going to start AAA pitchers to see what they can do he'll still start our rotation but have them only go 5 or 6. He won't start every normal starter but he'll start some and won't experiment with the lineup by pointing uys at 3 and 4 who shouldn't be there. They will still play to win they just might not play with a full deck of players.