Has a +43 run differential at this point in the season ever been achieved?

[David]

It just seems like it has to be a record and I'm amazed that nobody has said it is.

[Careless]

As I just posted in the game thread, the Cubs have a bigger run differential than 22 teams have runs scored in total

[David]

i think we might be underperforming our pythag

 

also we are over halfway to the 2015 run differential

[Ding Dong Johnson]

As I just posted in the game thread, the Cubs have a bigger run differential than 22 teams have runs scored in total

I count 21, but that's still horsefeathering awesome as horsefeathers.

[Careless]

As I just posted in the game thread, the Cubs have a bigger run differential than 22 teams have runs scored in total

I count 21, but that's still [expletive] awesome as [expletive].

And the dirty secret: the stat came from Kaplan

[bukie]

It just seems like it has to be a record and I'm amazed that nobody has said it is.

Well, it depends how far back you want to go.

 

In 1875, Boston began the year 9-0 and outscored their opponents 122-21. But the game was largely different before then.

 

If we want to go since the World Series era began, only the 1999 Indians got off to a better start, starting 8-1 and outscoring their opponents 79-35, for a +44 differential (damn it, Grimm!)

 

If you are looking Pythagorean record, the best post-silly era pythag after the first 9 games was the 1940 Brooklyn Dodgers, who started 9-0 with 54 runs scored and 14 runs allowed, for a .937 pythagorean. The Cubs are 5th all time on that list, though:

 

1. 1940 Dodgers, 54 RS, 14 RA, .937 Pyth

2. 1981 Athletics, 49 RS, 13 RA, .934 Pyth

3. 2002 Giants, 46 RS, 13 RA, .926 Pyth

4. 1905 Giants, 63 RS, 20 RA, .908 Pyth

5. 2016 Cubs, 64 RS, 21 RA, .903 Pyth

[David]

thanks bukie

 

and yep

 

[tweet]

[/tweet]

 

stupid jerk grimm. guess we'll just have to go for the 10 game pythag record tomorrow.

[bukie]

thanks bukie

 

and yep

 

[tweet]

[/tweet]

 

stupid jerk grimm. guess we'll just have to go for the 10 game pythag record tomorrow.

Both those other teams lost their 10th game. Biggest differential after first 10 games is +48, by the then 9-1 1959 Indians.

[bukie]

Also, in case anyone besides me is curious, the worst ever 9-game start was the 1955 Kansas City Athletics, who started 2-7 with a -57 run differential, scoring 38 runs and giving up 95.

 

One last quirk...the 2003 Braves started 3-6 and were outscored 65-36 to start the year, and proceeded to finish 101-61 and have the best record in baseball.

 

So if anything, it's too early to take too much from 9 games.

[Clem Fandango]

I love how smug these thread titles sound, even though they're genuinely curious subjects. I just imagine rival fans viewing our board to see how we're reacting to all this and just getting super pissed at how smug they think we are.

 

Although, to be fair, I'm feeling pretty damn smug about this team, so...

[UMFan83]

thanks bukie

 

and yep

 

[tweet]

[/tweet]

 

stupid jerk grimm. guess we'll just have to go for the 10 game pythag record tomorrow.

 

I'll blame us not having sole possession of the record on pitching to Goldschmidt

[Cubswin11]

thanks bukie

 

and yep

 

[tweet]

[/tweet]

 

stupid jerk grimm. guess we'll just have to go for the 10 game pythag record tomorrow.

 

I'll blame us not having sole possession of the record on pitching to Goldschmidt

I blame Babe Segura

[WrigleyField 22]

I love how smug these thread titles sound, even though they're genuinely curious subjects. I just imagine rival fans viewing our board to see how we're reacting to all this and just getting super pissed at how smug they think we are.

 

Although, to be fair, I'm feeling pretty damn smug about this team, so...

It could be September of a lost season and a 9 game stretch could make a fan base cocky. We're not just winning, we're systemstically dismantling opponents.

 

Be smug.

[UMFan83]

I love how smug these thread titles sound, even though they're genuinely curious subjects. I just imagine rival fans viewing our board to see how we're reacting to all this and just getting super pissed at how smug they think we are.

 

Although, to be fair, I'm feeling pretty damn smug about this team, so...

 

I don't even care, we've gone through enough horsefeathers as Cubs fans in our lives, and we've already had to deal with one of our young studs suffering a horrific injury this year. I'm going to be as smug and cocky as possible. If we fail other fans will make fun of the Cubs regardless of whether we acted smug or humble so who cares.

[Tracer Bullet]

I don't think we need to be smug after 9 games, but I don't really give a horsefeathers about how poorly fans of every other team are taking this either. I'm just genuinely enjoying being a good team of awesomely fun players. If others are suddenly going to hate Cubs fans b/c we finally don't suck, well horsefeathers off, I don't care.

[CubInOK]

I think we've earned the right to become insufferable, at least for a few years anyway.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

In as much as any fan who had nothing to do with the success has a right to be smug, we have a right to be smug. This team is really, really good and is projected to win the division by a dozen games (literally, Fangraphs currently projects them for 97.1 wins, Cardinals second at 85.1).

 

If some horrible combination of circumstances causes them to not make the playoffs, I was gonna be sad either way. Same for the 80% of the time that they'll get knocked out of the playoffs in a year like this. I'm not gonna be extra sad just because I was excited about the team early and now other fans will laugh at me.

[CubinNY]

What does it mean to be smug? I mean if a person goes to a posting board of another team and trolls, that person is a horsefeathering ass, not smug. If a person talks horsefeathers with their buddies that's just part of busting ball.

[UMFan83]

What does it mean to be smug? I mean if a person goes to a posting board of another team and trolls, that person is a [expletive] ass, not smug. If a person talks [expletive] with their buddies that's just part of busting ball.

 

Do you have a lot of buddies that have had testicular cancer or something?

[Tracer Bullet]

What does it mean to be smug? I mean if a person goes to a posting board of another team and trolls, that person is a [expletive] ass, not smug. If a person talks [expletive] with their buddies that's just part of busting ball.

 

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=smug

[Fro]

We're at +60 now through 16 games. :shock:

[UMFan83]

We're at +60 now through 16 games. :shock:

 

Only +17 in their last 7 games? They are slacking.

[TruffleShuffle]

We're at +60 now through 16 games. :shock:

 

Only +17 in their last 7 games? They are slacking.

 

yeah, but +16 in their last 1 game, so things are trending better.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

[tweet]

[/tweet]

[squally1313]

Best record in the league, underperforming their pythag by 2 games. Good enough.