General Cubs Chit-Chat

[We Got The Whole 9]

We have 5 players with 15 Dongs or more, no other team has more than 3. That's kinda cool. Both and Heyward could make it 6 or 7 relatively soon if they get on a heater, Bote is at 9 and Heyward is at 10.

Should call up Robel. He'd join the group shortly after the ASB.

[Regular Show]

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The Cubs hit five home runs during that Los Angeles series, but drew just five walks and managed to slash just .211/.243/.346. After Tuesday’s loss, the Cubs have scored 48.9 percent of their runs via the homer, seventh in baseball and third in the National League behind the Milwaukee Brewers and San Diego Padres. Hitting too many home runs isn’t a bad thing, but a team also needs to find other ways to score runs. And right now the Cubs are in a stretch where they just don’t seem capable of doing that.

 

The team is hitting .243 with runners in scoring position, 27th in baseball. They’re a below-average team when it comes to scoring runners from third with fewer than two outs, converting those situations 48.7 percent of the time, 17th in baseball. Once a top scoring team in the game, the Cubs have dropped to 5.06 runs per game and are 13th in baseball and fifth in the NL. Hardly unacceptable, but this is a group that expects to be elite on offense. And right now, that’s just not the case.

 

Ideally they could fix these issues internally, but unless someone steps up, there doesn’t appear to be an obvious option currently in the organization. Nico Hoerner is working his way back from a fracture in his wrist and likely won’t be back in Double-A until early July. His chance of impacting the big-league club was minuscule to start the season and is now non-existent. Taking a flyer on Carlos González has yet to really pay off and at some point, they’ll call upon Ian Happ and see if his adjustments in the minors lead to any consistency in the big leagues. Right now the best bet to surprise this offense with some impact might be 26-year-old power bat Robel Garcia, who spent the previous half-dozen years playing professional baseball in Italy. The athletic switch-hitter has 17 home runs and an ISO above .300 across Double-A and Triple-A this year.

Someone finally mentioned Robel Garcia!

 

[PackLandVA]

We have 5 players with 15 Dongs or more, no other team has more than 3. That's kinda cool. Both and Heyward could make it 6 or 7 relatively soon if they get on a heater, Bote is at 9 and Heyward is at 10.

 

Surely this cannot be true?!?!

[squally1313]

We have 5 players with 15 Dongs or more, no other team has more than 3. That's kinda cool. Both and Heyward could make it 6 or 7 relatively soon if they get on a heater, Bote is at 9 and Heyward is at 10.

 

Surely this cannot be true?!?!

 

One more and he ties his high in a Cubs uniform!

 

(weeps quietly)

[BigSlick]

It’s weird, Heyward is having a relatively Ho-hum season, but adding another 20-30 points to his OPS like he’s done every successive year as a Cub. He’ll run into a home run every week or so.

 

By the end of the contract, who knows, he may break an .800 OPS

[squally1313]

It’s weird, Heyward is having a relatively Ho-hum season, but adding another 20-30 points to his OPS like he’s done every successive year as a Cub. He’ll run into a home run every week or so.

 

By the end of the contract, who knows, he may break an .800 OPS

 

Agreed, the offensive numbers would be fine if we were getting Jason Heyward, shut down outfielder. But his FG defensive metrics have taken a nose dive pretty much since he signed with us. 11.3 in his last year with the Cardinals, then 9.6, 2.8, 0.7, and this year at a -3.3. For comparison, Franmil Reyes, who looks to be about 275 pounds, is at a -2.8 playing full time in right field this year.

[BigSlick]

It’s weird, Heyward is having a relatively Ho-hum season, but adding another 20-30 points to his OPS like he’s done every successive year as a Cub. He’ll run into a home run every week or so.

 

By the end of the contract, who knows, he may break an .800 OPS

 

Agreed, the offensive numbers would be fine if we were getting Jason Heyward, shut down outfielder. But his FG defensive metrics have taken a nose dive pretty much since he signed with us. 11.3 in his last year with the Cardinals, then 9.6, 2.8, 0.7, and this year at a -3.3. For comparison, Franmil Reyes, who looks to be about 275 pounds, is at a -2.8 playing full time in right field this year.

 

I’ve had concerns about Heyward as a regular CF, I hope he hasn’t lost his corner outfield play too.

 

According to Fangraphs UZR, he’s a -20 run Center Fielder if you extrapolate his season there to 150 games, while still a plus 5 run corner outfielder

[JennieGarthAlgar]

We have 5 players with 15 Dongs or more, no other team has more than 3. That's kinda cool. Both and Heyward could make it 6 or 7 relatively soon if they get on a heater, Bote is at 9 and Heyward is at 10.

 

Surely this cannot be true?!?!

 

It is true, the ball is juiced.

[Bertz]

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[jersey cubs fan]

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[JudasIscariotTheBird]

I have an inkling as to what Contreras was up to there, but when I did (what I think he had to do) in a similar situation, I at least had to pause to vomit. Well played Willie!

[Stu]

How did the Cubs ever let Derek Johnson get away? Look what he’s done with Cincinnati’s pitching this year

[Cubswin11]

How did the Cubs ever let Derek Johnson get away? Look what he’s done with Cincinnati’s pitching this year

Losing him was a massive blow. I hope he’s the #1 choice to become the next manager when Joe is gone.

[NOLA]

 

Adbert and Chatwood coming up.

[Regular Show]

How did the Cubs ever let Derek Johnson get away? Look what he’s done with Cincinnati’s pitching this year

Losing him was a massive blow. I hope he’s the #1 choice to become the next manager when Joe is gone.

 

I read his book on pitching philosophy and I really like Derek Johnson, but I'm not all-in on hiring him to be a manager. Great guy to be your pitching coach, but I'm just not sure about being a modern manager.

 

He did say he grew up a Cubs fan so that's something.

 

EDIT: I wanted Rocco Baldelli to be the next manager of the Cubs. There's no way that happens now, but I'm happy the Twins are doing well. I thought for sure an extension for Maddon was fait accompli.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

As a thought exercise, how many good managers were good pitching coaches before that? I'm struggling to think of even one.

[Cubswin11]

All seem pretty encouraging

 

[Regular Show]

As a thought exercise, how many good managers were good pitching coaches before that? I'm struggling to think of even one.

 

Yeah, I agree. I had problems thinking of one, but how many pitching coaches get the chance to be a manager? I mean Mickey Callaway is a horsefeathering disaster but that shouldn't tarnish all pitching coaches.

[Derwood]

Criteria for being a manager:

 

1. Were you a mediocre or worse professional catcher?

2. If not, were you on deck when Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth’s home run record?

 

 

That’s pretty much it.

[BigSlick]

I refuse to believe that Brandon Morrow will ever pitch again for the Cubs until I see him on a mound in a Cubs uniform in a game

[Banedon]

As a thought exercise, how many good managers were good pitching coaches before that? I'm struggling to think of even one.

 

Yeah even google-fu isn't really helping me out much. Bob Lemon I guess? This article is from 2012.

 

https://www.boston.com/sports/boston-red-sox/2012/10/25/pitching-coaches-who-became-managers

[squally1313]

As a thought exercise, how many good managers

 

This is also a good thought exercise.

[cl smooth]

Update on the 2-year old hit by Almora’s foul ball:

 

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/27061819/family-2-year-old-hit-foul-ball-details-injuries

[minnesotacubsfan]

uggh

[squally1313]

Sounds like Kimbrel has left Iowa. Given the timing, probably makes it more likely it's for Alzolay right?