General Cubs Chit-Chat

[17 Seconds]

member the beginning of 2004 when we thought his leg was the concern?

[Rob]

I picked up Prior in the new MLB game, and it's so depressing to use him and remember what could have been. Looking at the list of best pitching seasons since 2000 it's littered with people who are in the Hall of Fame or got darn close to it before injuries derailed them.

 

And there's Mark Prior sitting by himself. Wishing he even had the longevity of Lincecum or Ben Sheets. They at least made it to 32/33. Prior was only 25 when he threw his last pitch in the majors.

[OleMissCub]

I picked up Prior in the new MLB game, and it's so depressing to use him and remember what could have been. Looking at the list of best pitching seasons since 2000 it's littered with people who are in the Hall of Fame or got darn close to it before injuries derailed them.

 

And there's Mark Prior sitting by himself. Wishing he even had the longevity of Lincecum or Ben Sheets. They at least made it to 32/33. Prior was only 25 when he threw his last pitch in the majors.

 

Very sad. Especially so in light of the fact that I remember all these analysts saying how his mechanics were so flawless that it’s unlikely he’d have any issues.

[UMFan83]

I picked up Prior in the new MLB game, and it's so depressing to use him and remember what could have been. Looking at the list of best pitching seasons since 2000 it's littered with people who are in the Hall of Fame or got darn close to it before injuries derailed them.

 

And there's Mark Prior sitting by himself. Wishing he even had the longevity of Lincecum or Ben Sheets. They at least made it to 32/33. Prior was only 25 when he threw his last pitch in the majors.

 

As a Cubs fan, I can only think of a few times where we had a pitcher that was so dominant that I woke up excited on the days they started because I knew the Cubs were going to win that game. Second half 2003 Prior and Second half 2015 Arrieta are really in a class of their own. I never would have imagined that he'd be out of baseball 2.5 years later

[imb]

I picked up Prior in the new MLB game, and it's so depressing to use him and remember what could have been. Looking at the list of best pitching seasons since 2000 it's littered with people who are in the Hall of Fame or got darn close to it before injuries derailed them.

 

And there's Mark Prior sitting by himself. Wishing he even had the longevity of Lincecum or Ben Sheets. They at least made it to 32/33. Prior was only 25 when he threw his last pitch in the majors.

 

As a Cubs fan, I can only think of a few times where we had a pitcher that was so dominant that I woke up excited on the days they started because I knew the Cubs were going to win that game. Second half 2003 Prior and Second half 2015 Arrieta are really in a class of their own. I never would have imagined that he'd be out of baseball 2.5 years later

 

i remember his first start against the pirates. I watched it with a friend, then we went to a party and interrupted it to watch the highlights on sportscenter lol

[Rob]

I picked up Prior in the new MLB game, and it's so depressing to use him and remember what could have been. Looking at the list of best pitching seasons since 2000 it's littered with people who are in the Hall of Fame or got darn close to it before injuries derailed them.

 

And there's Mark Prior sitting by himself. Wishing he even had the longevity of Lincecum or Ben Sheets. They at least made it to 32/33. Prior was only 25 when he threw his last pitch in the majors.

 

As a Cubs fan, I can only think of a few times where we had a pitcher that was so dominant that I woke up excited on the days they started because I knew the Cubs were going to win that game. Second half 2003 Prior and Second half 2015 Arrieta are really in a class of their own. I never would have imagined that he'd be out of baseball 2.5 years later

 

i remember his first start against the pirates. I watched it with a friend, then we went to a party and interrupted it to watch the highlights on sportscenter lol

To this day, I think the filthiest at bat I ever saw was Mark Prior v. Frank Thomas. He was throwing some low and away breaking stuff that was making a hitter the caliber of Frank Thomas look totally outmatched.

[stitchface]

 

As a Cubs fan, I can only think of a few times where we had a pitcher that was so dominant that I woke up excited on the days they started because I knew the Cubs were going to win that game. Second half 2003 Prior and Second half 2015 Arrieta are really in a class of their own. I never would have imagined that he'd be out of baseball 2.5 years later

 

i remember his first start against the pirates. I watched it with a friend, then we went to a party and interrupted it to watch the highlights on sportscenter lol

To this day, I think the filthiest at bat I ever saw was Mark Prior v. Frank Thomas. He was throwing some low and away breaking stuff that was making a hitter the caliber of Frank Thomas look totally outmatched.

 

Jeff Bagwell

[CubinNY]

I was at the game where Prior got hit in the elbow. It was a moment I'll never forget because it seemed like time slowed down for a few seconds. I was sitting in the bleachers and you can hear the crack of the bat, silence, Prior groan, and then more silence. It was really weird how quiet it was for about 10 or 15 seconds as he lay on the mound.

 

But it really was his collision with Marcus Giles that changed his future.

[Sammy Sofa]

I picked up Prior in the new MLB game, and it's so depressing to use him and remember what could have been. Looking at the list of best pitching seasons since 2000 it's littered with people who are in the Hall of Fame or got darn close to it before injuries derailed them.

 

And there's Mark Prior sitting by himself. Wishing he even had the longevity of Lincecum or Ben Sheets. They at least made it to 32/33. Prior was only 25 when he threw his last pitch in the majors.

 

As a Cubs fan, I can only think of a few times where we had a pitcher that was so dominant that I woke up excited on the days they started because I knew the Cubs were going to win that game. Second half 2003 Prior and Second half 2015 Arrieta are really in a class of their own. I never would have imagined that he'd be out of baseball 2.5 years later

 

Rich Harden in 2008 was also up there for me like that.

[Bertz]

I picked up Prior in the new MLB game, and it's so depressing to use him and remember what could have been. Looking at the list of best pitching seasons since 2000 it's littered with people who are in the Hall of Fame or got darn close to it before injuries derailed them.

 

And there's Mark Prior sitting by himself. Wishing he even had the longevity of Lincecum or Ben Sheets. They at least made it to 32/33. Prior was only 25 when he threw his last pitch in the majors.

 

As a Cubs fan, I can only think of a few times where we had a pitcher that was so dominant that I woke up excited on the days they started because I knew the Cubs were going to win that game. Second half 2003 Prior and Second half 2015 Arrieta are really in a class of their own. I never would have imagined that he'd be out of baseball 2.5 years later

 

Rich Harden in 2008 was also up there for me like that.

 

Because of how weird he was at this point only being able to throw Fastballs and Changeups this is still the most fun I've had watching a pitcher. Like I remember a game against the Brewers where he broke a hitter's brain by throwing like an 88 MPH fastball and then following it with a changeup with insane movement at like 91.

[UMFan83]

I picked up Prior in the new MLB game, and it's so depressing to use him and remember what could have been. Looking at the list of best pitching seasons since 2000 it's littered with people who are in the Hall of Fame or got darn close to it before injuries derailed them.

 

And there's Mark Prior sitting by himself. Wishing he even had the longevity of Lincecum or Ben Sheets. They at least made it to 32/33. Prior was only 25 when he threw his last pitch in the majors.

 

As a Cubs fan, I can only think of a few times where we had a pitcher that was so dominant that I woke up excited on the days they started because I knew the Cubs were going to win that game. Second half 2003 Prior and Second half 2015 Arrieta are really in a class of their own. I never would have imagined that he'd be out of baseball 2.5 years later

 

Rich Harden in 2008 was also up there for me like that.

 

I almost mentioned Rich Harden, but the problem with Rich was that half of his starts were under 6 IP. Hard to have unflinching confidence in the Cubs ability to win when other pitchers have to cover the last 3-4 innings. Alas the Cubs were 9-4 in his 13 starts that year vs. 10-1 in Prior's stretch and 12-0 during Jake's stretch

 

 

BTW when looking at up, I again looked at that stretch by Jake. 4 ER in 12 starts. Here are how the 4 ER scored:

 

-IF single, regular single, walk, and GIDP scores the run

-HR by some Phillies guy I only vaguely remember

-Ground ball double that sneaks by 3B

-Justin Grimm inherited a 1 on, 2 out situation and promptly throws a WP and gives up a single.

 

-

[CubinNY]

[UMFan83]

 

funny, he used to make radio appearances all the time. wonder why he stopped?

[Sammy Sofa]

 

funny, he used to make radio appearances all the time. wonder why he stopped?

 

Face for radio; voice not fit for human consumption.

[CubinNY]

Thompson had a pretty good 4 inning start today. He didn’t miss many bats but he looked good.

[ChiCubsFan]

Thompson had a pretty good 4 inning start today. He didn’t miss many bats but he looked good.

 

7 baserunners allowed in 4 innings? Didn’t watch the game. What am I missing?

[abuck1220]

that might be the game that ends any optimistic hope of being decent. giving that one away followed by going like 4-10 in this next brutal stretch and being 9 games out seems pretty possible.

 

damn did i nail that.

[sneakypower]

remind yourself that, next year's going to be even worse

 

we have the best catcher in the game right now, whom the GM despises the idea of extending

[Tim]

remind yourself that, next year's going to be even worse

 

we have the best catcher in the game right now, whom the GM despises the idea of extending

lol - so dramatic.

[squally1313]

we have the best catcher in the game right now, whom the GM despises the idea of extending

Contreras is 30. Since 2017, his first year as a full time member of the Cubs, he's third in PAs for catchers, behind Realmuto and Grandal (who both put up roughly twice as much value in that time frame, but I digress). He's been catching in the organization since 2009. I love the guy, though realistically we're talking about a guy who maxed out at 2.6 fWAR and was not Kyle Schwarber in terms of postseason awesomeness. But someone is going to give him 4-5 years, and it should not be us.

[sneakypower]

we have the best catcher in the game right now, whom the GM despises the idea of extending

Contreras is 30. Since 2017, his first year as a full time member of the Cubs, he's third in PAs for catchers, behind Realmuto and Grandal (who both put up roughly twice as much value in that time frame, but I digress). He's been catching in the organization since 2009. I love the guy, though realistically we're talking about a guy who maxed out at 2.6 fWAR and was not Kyle Schwarber in terms of postseason awesomeness. But someone is going to give him 4-5 years, and it should not be us.

well yes it's these 'thoughtful decisions' that have us a bottom-5 team

 

if you build the whole team out of hopeful minor league retreads you won't have any bad contracts!

[squally1313]

we have the best catcher in the game right now, whom the GM despises the idea of extending

Contreras is 30. Since 2017, his first year as a full time member of the Cubs, he's third in PAs for catchers, behind Realmuto and Grandal (who both put up roughly twice as much value in that time frame, but I digress). He's been catching in the organization since 2009. I love the guy, though realistically we're talking about a guy who maxed out at 2.6 fWAR and was not Kyle Schwarber in terms of postseason awesomeness. But someone is going to give him 4-5 years, and it should not be us.

well yes it's these 'thoughtful decisions' that have us a bottom-5 team

 

if you build the whole team out of hopeful minor league retreads you won't have any bad contracts!

 

Without relitigating the entire last 4-5 years, they essentially brought up an entire crop of incredible baseball players that were all around the same age/contract status, and then supplemented those players with essentially nothing in terms of home grown players after that. Yes, some of that was due to trading from the farm to supplement the current rosters with short term fixes. They are now all on the back side of their career, on the verge of being very expensive if not there already, and Contreras does not have the elite career numbers that would justify keeping him around for his decline years in the way you could have made the argument for a KB or a Baez (or Hendricks). Every member of that core deserves far more money from PTR than what they got for what they gave all of us (and what they gave PTR financially). But as a forward looking Cubs fan who has watched The Jason Heyward Contract take up far more of a percentage of total salary than it should, I'm not super excited about doing the same with Contreras as we figure out what supplements we need for the next competitive Cubs team.

[sneakypower]

sure these are all probably fair points, which is to say:

next year's going to be even worse

 

we won't have to worry about Willson [glow=red]possibly being on a bad contract[/glow], because Yan Gomes will be a garbage starter there on the relative cheap :D

 

same fortunate luxury we enjoy this season not having to worry about an expensive FA costing too many dollars because we only risked 4 mil on Andrelton Simmons, it's just good fiscal management =D>

[squally1313]

sure these are all probably fair points, which is to say:

next year's going to be even worse

 

we won't have to worry about Willson [glow=red]possibly being on a bad contract[/glow], because Yan Gomes will be a garbage starter there on the relative cheap :D

 

same fortunate luxury we enjoy this season not having to worry about an expensive FA costing too many dollars because we only risked 4 mil on Andrelton Simmons, it's just good fiscal management =D>

 

There's just...no one here worth paying. There were absolutely free agents out there last offseason that we should have paid, and didn't. I don't want Contreras at $20m a year putting up a 650 OPS being the excuse for why we don't sign FAs in 2024.

 

We clearly aren't going to throw around the kind of money needed to build this team into a contender from where it is now through big contracts. Thankfully(?) it's hard to imagine the guys at the upper levels of the minors who are pretty highly regarded and not 30 year old randoms being worse than what we have, and I'm hoping that when we're 20 games out by July, we start to see a lot of them. We need pitching for sure, and similarly I hope we see Kilian and...hopefully more by the end of the year. Figure out what we have, and fill the gaps.

[sneakypower]

I don't want Contreras at $20m a year putting up a 650 OPS being the excuse for why we don't sign FAs in 2024.

oh there'll be other excuses lol

 

the guys at the upper levels of the minors who are pretty highly regarded

we have like.. 2 of these guys, one has back disease from whiffing too frequently and the other is a pitchability guy who's doing decent and can slot in as a typical #3-4

 

hey i just want Jed Hoyer fired and somebody brought in who can inspire any small level of confidence that there's anything worth carrying about in the somewhat even distant future, these are meager demands