7/10 - Cubs (Lackey) @ Pirates (Niese) - 12:35 WGN

[David]

I'm gonna try to shake things up and skip SSR's turn since he probably doesn't even realize it's his turn (does anyone know if Fred is ok?)

 

7.5 game lead going into the break (and 8 in the loss column) would be respectable. let's make it happen. we need lackey to take a bite out of the pirates.

 

http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/730b4277f432e0ab182fc890e64777ece1ef2052/c=382-155-2910-2056&r=x404&c=534x401/local/-/media/2016/04/19/USATODAY/USATODAY/635966295164186981-USP-MLB-CHICAGO-CUBS-AT-ST-81326901.JPG

 

faces this idiot

 

 

we will dong him into bolivia

[tawfiqmp]

SuperCobs

[dfnowak]

Damn! Now the Cubs will lose since I was going to secretly start the thread w/out originally signing up and not regularly contributing here.

[UMFan83]

Looking at the L10 in the standings and seeing 1-9 next to the Cubs is weird.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Looking at the L10 in the standings and seeing 1-9 next to the Cubs is weird.

 

It's even weirder seeing that juxtaposed with their record and location in the standings.

[treebird]

fair warning: fatalism thread coming if they lose this one.

 

go cubs.

[UMFan83]

 

To compare the Cubs first 6 series are Rangers, Mets, Brewers, White Sox, Mariners, Marlins 5/6 at or above .500

 

We should probably go ahead and win today

[muntjack]

5-15. Bad 20 games. It happens. 1/3 of those losses were by 1 run. Some were like last night. More baserunners, more xbh, still lose. Bad luck and bad sequencing making bad play look much worse.

 

Fowler

Zobrist

Bryant

Rizzo

Contreras

Baez

Heyward

Russell

 

is still the best lineup in baseball.

 

Pitching needs to get right, of course.

[weis21]

epic battle between teeth

 

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/images/players/head_shot/407793.jpg

 

and nose

 

http://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=%2Fphoto%2F2012%2F0220%2Fmlb_eg_niese_gb1_576.jpg

[weis21]

also, win you mother [expletive]

[Bryants Disco Ball]

 

To compare the Cubs first 6 series are Rangers, Mets, Brewers, White Sox, Mariners, Marlins 5/6 at or above .500

 

We should probably go ahead and win today

 

That doesn't seem good.

[Schwarber Fan]

We need to win today. Lackey needs to step up.

[Sammy Sofa]

epic battle between teeth

 

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/images/players/head_shot/407793.jpg

 

and nose

 

http://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=%2Fphoto%2F2012%2F0220%2Fmlb_eg_niese_gb1_576.jpg

 

He looks like the dude worried about getting someone fired at Burger King.

[weis21]

 

To compare the Cubs first 6 series are Rangers, Mets, Brewers, White Sox, Mariners, Marlins 5/6 at or above .500

 

We should probably go ahead and win today

 

That doesn't seem good.

Rangers are very good. Cubs are very good, as well, regardless of how they look now. Should be a good series.

 

Mets are losing a SP per day.

 

Brewers suck.

 

White Sox are pretty much an average team. Not scared.

 

Mariners are literally average. See above.

 

Marlins are annoying (seemingly always) but of course beatable.

 

Plus, after today the Cubs won't go on the road again (other than the all stars) until July 21st. And even then it's only to Milwaukee and then directly back to Chicago to play the white sox. So, other than a short trip to Milwaukee, the Cubs essentially won't travel again until August 4th when they go to Oakland (hopefully Hill will be pitching against his old team for that trip). Plenty of time to rest up, regroup, and start kicking ass again. There is literally no reason a team this talented should be playing so poorly. It's just baseball and it'll balance itself out very soon. I'm as frustrated as anyone, but it's an aberration.

[Sammy Sofa]

They finally get some days off mixed in again, too.

[UMFan83]

 

To compare the Cubs first 6 series are Rangers, Mets, Brewers, White Sox, Mariners, Marlins 5/6 at or above .500

 

We should probably go ahead and win today

 

That doesn't seem good.

Rangers are very good. Cubs are very good, as well, regardless of how they look now. Should be a good series.

 

Mets are losing a SP per day.

 

Brewers suck.

 

White Sox are pretty much an average team. Not scared.

 

Mariners are literally average. See above.

 

Marlins are annoying (seemingly always) but of course beatable.

 

Plus, after today the Cubs won't go on the road again (other than the all stars) until July 21st. And even then it's only to Milwaukee and then directly back to Chicago to play the white sox. So, other than a short trip to Milwaukee, the Cubs essentially won't travel again until August 4th when they go to Oakland (hopefully Hill will be pitching against his old team for that trip). Plenty of time to rest up, regroup, and start kicking ass again. There is literally no reason a team this talented should be playing so poorly. It's just baseball and it'll balance itself out very soon. I'm as frustrated as anyone, but it's an aberration.

 

Your right we shouldn't be concerned with a bunch of teams hovering around .500 and the Rangers. It's just difficult to keep perspective when you've 1 game against a team that's not the Reds over the last 21 days

[weis21]

Your right we shouldn't be concerned with a bunch of teams hovering around .500 and the Rangers. It's just difficult to keep perspective when you've 1 game against a team that's not the Reds over the last 21 days

 

Oh I totally understand that. But unless you really think the SP is irrevocably broken and bullpen will never again hold a lead (plus I'd expect a move (or moves) there in the next week or two) and the offense will continue to strand runners and hit abysmal with RISP - it's important to remember that this is just bad play/luck. It's kind of insane that SO many things could simultaneously go SO wrong for this amount of time.

 

I mean the ASB is basically just an arbitrary point, but at least they get 4 days off now and mentally i think/hope they look at the second half as a "fresh start". The players seem to be obviously pressing and as frustrated as any fan (probably more, I'm sure). But I have full confidence in Maddon and this supremely talented club. Things will turn around soon. They may not be as good as they looked in April, but they are much closer to that level of talent that what they've shown the past three weeks.

[davell]

5-15. Bad 20 games. It happens. 1/3 of those losses were by 1 run. Some were like last night. More baserunners, more xbh, still lose. Bad luck and bad sequencing making bad play look much worse.

 

Fowler

Zobrist

Bryant

Rizzo

Contreras

Baez

Heyward

Russell

 

is still the best lineup in baseball.

 

Pitching needs to get right, of course.

 

25-27 after a 27-8 start.

[weis21]

this really isn't aimed at anyone particularly, but i'm tired of seeing previous records being posted.

 

yes, the cubs started out historically hot and have been somewhat good/average/bad since. they are playing very bad recently, but they are a reflection of their overall record. 52-35. 17 games over .500.

 

there is no reason or expectation for them to continue on their horrid stretch recently anymore than there is reason or expectation for them to return to their 27-8 form.

[Stu]

I think it's the Sports Illustrated Naked Jake curse.

[Sammy Sofa]

That's ESPN's magazine.

[Stu]

Well that then

[Bryants Disco Ball]

Maybe Sofa has to go back to the Baez picture. Or better yet the Castro one. That's when the Cubs were playing at a historic pace.

[Sammy Sofa]

Nah, the Baez pic carried over into the bad times. I think Castro really is a good luck totem. As much as I will miss ogling Jake's majestic ass, it's time for drastic measures. Edited July 10, 2016 by Sammy Sofa

[Cubbie Swagger]

Oh no... The Body Issue Curse...

 

We're doomed.