4/23 Cubs (Hendricks) @ Pirates (Locke) 11:35 CSN/MLBN

[HendryWallet]

No shits given by maddon. I love it

[jersey cubs fan]

lol, if Bryant is our long-term CF, I can't even.

 

Fowler acted like his groin was no big deal, so I seriously doubt this is long term.

I don't think he means next month, or duration of Fowler's contract, when he says long-term.

[sneakypower]

lol, if Bryant is our long-term CF, I can't even.

 

Fowler acted like his groin was no big deal, so I seriously doubt this is long term.

they just want him to get the positional eligibility in fantasy

[DiamondMind]

Bryant has been involved in every single nuance of everything since his call up

[abuck1220]

so a 3 man bench today, 2 of which are catchers? just when i thought the bench couldn't be worse...

[UMFan83]

I thought today would be a day off for Soler.

 

I know...he's played every game this year, hasn't he? I think if he was still on the 'protect the leg' program he was on last year, he'd have sat already and definitely would have sat today.

[treebird]

so a 3 man bench today, 2 of which are catchers? just when i thought the bench couldn't be worse...

fowler can probably pinch hit and then crawl to first if he hits the ball

[DiamondMind]

How quickly you all forget about the human swiss army knife, Travis Wood.

[Deeg]

Lol, Joe really is our wackiest manager since Popeye.

[DiamondMind]

Lol, Joe really is our wackiest manager since Popeye.

 

and I love it

[treebird]

um how could a cartoon manage the cubbies

[Cubfanintheknow]

It's been a lot of fun wondering what Joe Maddon will do next.

 

But I can't help wondering how much angst we'd feel if Rick Renteria had done similar moves. I justified Bryant in center myself last night thinking with the spacious dimensions of PNC he'd be less likely to run into a wall or a teammate running down a fly ball. But if Renteria had done the same thing, I'd have probably been nervous Bryant would pull a hammy slipping on the wet field.

 

Are we giving Joe too much of the benefit of the doubt?

[SouthSideRyan]

um how could a cartoon manage the cubbies

 

Robin Williams

[abuck1220]

Lol, Joe really is our wackiest manager since Popeye.

 

and I love it

 

until they're down 1 run in the 9th and lester has to pinch hit.

[Grimson]

I kind of like the 11:30AM start. It gives me something to follow to break up the work day.

 

Would be nice to win this series 3-1.

 

Bryant: 2/4 2 RBI today.

[SouthSideRyan]

It's been a lot of fun wondering what Joe Maddon will do next.

 

But I can't help wondering how much angst we'd feel if Rick Renteria had done similar moves. I justified Bryant in center myself last night thinking with the spacious dimensions of PNC he'd be less likely to run into a wall or a teammate running down a fly ball. But if Renteria had done the same thing, I'd have probably been nervous Bryant would pull a hammy slipping on the wet field.

 

Are we giving Joe too much of the benefit of the doubt?

 

Probably? I'm fine with Bryant in CF, but was kind of surprised at the lack of response to pulling one of our best hitters so Travis Wood can pinch run, and only then when it became a 3-2 count.

[Thed Hoyerstein]

It's been a lot of fun wondering what Joe Maddon will do next.

 

But I can't help wondering how much angst we'd feel if Rick Renteria had done similar moves. I justified Bryant in center myself last night thinking with the spacious dimensions of PNC he'd be less likely to run into a wall or a teammate running down a fly ball. But if Renteria had done the same thing, I'd have probably been nervous Bryant would pull a hammy slipping on the wet field.

 

Are we giving Joe too much of the benefit of the doubt?

 

Probably? I'm fine with Bryant in CF, but was kind of surprised at the lack of response to pulling one of our best hitters so Travis Wood can pinch run, and only then when it became a 3-2 count.

 

Definitely giving him the benefit of the doubt, we'd be up in arms if this was Dusty.

 

Maddon is that crazy old uncle.

[sneakypower]

It's been a lot of fun wondering what Joe Maddon will do next.

 

But I can't help wondering how much angst we'd feel if Rick Renteria had done similar moves. I justified Bryant in center myself last night thinking with the spacious dimensions of PNC he'd be less likely to run into a wall or a teammate running down a fly ball. But if Renteria had done the same thing, I'd have probably been nervous Bryant would pull a hammy slipping on the wet field.

 

Are we giving Joe too much of the benefit of the doubt?

 

Probably? I'm fine with Bryant in CF, but was kind of surprised at the lack of response to pulling one of our best hitters so Travis Wood can pinch run, and only then when it became a 3-2 count.

that's always justifiable to me, because if we reach the point where that matters it's a good thing, but i realize that might not be the most nuanced way to view the situation

[DiamondMind]

Joe's earned the benefit of the doubt as long as Schlitter isn't involved

[jersey cubs fan]

It's been a lot of fun wondering what Joe Maddon will do next.

 

But I can't help wondering how much angst we'd feel if Rick Renteria had done similar moves. I justified Bryant in center myself last night thinking with the spacious dimensions of PNC he'd be less likely to run into a wall or a teammate running down a fly ball. But if Renteria had done the same thing, I'd have probably been nervous Bryant would pull a hammy slipping on the wet field.

 

Are we giving Joe too much of the benefit of the doubt?

 

Probably? I'm fine with Bryant in CF, but was kind of surprised at the lack of response to pulling one of our best hitters so Travis Wood can pinch run, and only then when it became a 3-2 count.

 

That was the weirdest part for me. Was Bryant more likely to hit a double in a 3-2 count or something? Was he thinking the slight delay would work in their favor and against the pitcher? What the hell happened there?

[sneakypower]

i imagine the rationale was he'd be running with the pitch so a better baserunner can more likely score on something in the gap

[Guest]

I think the logic is that on 3-2 with 2 outs there's more potential balls in play where a faster runner is the difference in scoring/not scoring because he's moving on the pitch.

[DiamondMind]

That was the weirdest part for me. Was Bryant more likely to hit a double in a 3-2 count or something? Was he thinking the slight delay would work in their favor and against the pitcher? What the hell happened there?

 

Because the runner can take off with the pitch on a full count. I thought it was pretty damn smart. Puts some psych pressure on the pitcher, too, if you believe in that stuff.

[SouthSideRyan]

It's been a lot of fun wondering what Joe Maddon will do next.

 

But I can't help wondering how much angst we'd feel if Rick Renteria had done similar moves. I justified Bryant in center myself last night thinking with the spacious dimensions of PNC he'd be less likely to run into a wall or a teammate running down a fly ball. But if Renteria had done the same thing, I'd have probably been nervous Bryant would pull a hammy slipping on the wet field.

 

Are we giving Joe too much of the benefit of the doubt?

 

Probably? I'm fine with Bryant in CF, but was kind of surprised at the lack of response to pulling one of our best hitters so Travis Wood can pinch run, and only then when it became a 3-2 count.

that's always justifiable to me, because if we reach the point where that matters it's a good thing, but i realize that might not be the most nuanced way to view the situation

 

I get that it's worth pulling out the stops to get a tie because if you don't then the game's over anyway. But my opinion is the odds of a specific outcome in Bryant's(+) PA(s) resulted in Wood scoring(i.e. a specific double or BB followed by a specific single to score Wood only), but not Rizzo were so small as to not cancel out the risk of running a pitcher out to LF, along with whatever tradeoff you do to Bryant by stopping the game to sub Wood at 3-2

Edited April 23, 2015 by SouthSideRyan

[DiamondMind]

Because reasons.