10/19 Cubs (Dickbag McHorseteeth) vs Dodgers (Urias) 7 p.m., FS1

[soccer10k]

CUBS are 107-61-1 when they play a baseball game

CUBS are 4-3 in the playoffs

CUBS are 47-36-1 on the road

CUBS are 18-12 when Lackey starts

CUBS are 6-6 against the Dodgers

 

Go CUBS !!

 

I think we're 5-5 against the Dodgers. 3-1 at Wrigley regular season, 1-2 at Dodger stadium regular season, then 1-2 in the playoffs

 

Something something database update.

 

Can't remember what Fred used to say if a number was wrong. It's fixed now though. Thanks.

[squally1313]

why is it this team cant hit a curve ball

I'd like to see a breakdown if this is really true.. Sure they are/have struggled against truly elite curveballs (Kershaw/Hill/Bumgarner) but almost everyone does, do they suck against all curveballs as a blanket statement or if you remove the truly elite ones are they still performing well?

 

the information is on fan graphs. I tried to look it up but I'm not smart and didn't know how to draw conclusions from the data.

 

I don't have any idea how they calculate this, but I think this shows where we are relative to everyone else in baseball.

 

http://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&stats=bat&lg=all&qual=0&type=7&season=2016&month=0&season1=2016&ind=0&team=0,ts&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0&sort=5,d

 

For those too lazy to click: 18th in baseball, one spot behind the Dodgers. We kill fastballs (4th), sliders (1st), and struggle against changeups.

[gobigred]

why is it this team cant hit a curve ball

I'd like to see a breakdown if this is really true.. Sure they are/have struggled against truly elite curveballs (Kershaw/Hill/Bumgarner) but almost everyone does, do they suck against all curveballs as a blanket statement or if you remove the truly elite ones are they still performing well?

 

It's just odd thinking of Hill being "Elite" at anything

Blisters

[Transmogrified Tiger]

The important thing to keep in mind is that measures damage when that particular pitch is thrown. So if the Cubs lay off curve balls out of the zone and then hammer fastballs, that's not reflected.

 

Eyeballing the game logs of the highest curveball users, I don't see much sustained success. There's a couple guys that had one good start against the Cubs(Pomeranz, Koehler, Moore), a few that the Cubs dominated(Wainwright) and mostly guys who gave up 3 runs in 5-6 innings(Gio Gonzalez, Quintana, Eickhoff).

[TMan92]

Anyone wanna discuss that weird [expletive] Jaguar ad with Stephen Hawking?

 

That and the Heineken ad.

[davell]

We're winning this game with ease. Lackey is pissed as horsefeathers he's pitching a Big Boy game against a toddler. If he'll leave his cancer stricken wife, what'll he do to Urias?

[We Got The Whole 9]

By the time Hill's curve hit its apex it seemed that most of our guys had already shifted their weight and were not in a position to hit the ball with authority. I'm not sure how you work on these things but they need to 'stay back' on the ball or they will continue to make really weak contact and be out in front of soft stuff. His curve is something else, granted. Not too many hitters had an answer for it this year. But it was very similar to what we saw when Pomeranz shut us down earlier in the season. That loopy curve got in our heads and we simply couldn't react to fastballs.

[Little Slide Rooter]

I'd be interested to see Almora get a start. I mean how much worse can he be than Heyward?

[badger]

I'd be interested to see Almora get a start. I mean how much worse can he be than Heyward?

 

And you really don't give up that much defense. Though he doesn't have Georgie's power. Although it doesn't look like Georgie has Georgie's power either right now.

[Little Slide Rooter]

I'd like to see a breakdown if this is really true.. Sure they are/have struggled against truly elite curveballs (Kershaw/Hill/Bumgarner) but almost everyone does, do they suck against all curveballs as a blanket statement or if you remove the truly elite ones are they still performing well?

 

the information is on fan graphs. I tried to look it up but I'm not smart and didn't know how to draw conclusions from the data.

 

I don't have any idea how they calculate this, but I think this shows where we are relative to everyone else in baseball.

 

http://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&stats=bat&lg=all&qual=0&type=7&season=2016&month=0&season1=2016&ind=0&team=0,ts&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0&sort=5,d

 

For those too lazy to click: 18th in baseball, one spot behind the Dodgers. We kill fastballs (4th), sliders (1st), and struggle against changeups.

 

If I'm reading those charts right, Kris Bryant's #39 in baseball at hitting the curve, with Zobrist and LaStella at 98 and 100 as the only other Cubs breaking the top 100.

 

Meanwhile, Rizzo ranks #1 vs. the changeup, but is beyond hapless against the curve. With this in mind, if we face another left handed curve-beast such as Kershaw or Hill, we should maybe do the unthinkable and move Rizzo down a few slots.

Edited October 19, 2016 by Little Slide Rooter

[Bull]

What the hell is with this gigantic doom-boner of a thread pregame?

 

WHERE ARE THE GIFS AND THE SIMPSONS QUOTES?

 

WHERE ARE THE NACHOS AND THE LOVE FOR OUR TEAM, THE BEST TEAM IN BASEBALL?

 

We weren't gonna win every [expletive] game, do you not realize that the best team wins only like 55%-66% of the time? Its a crapshoot you ninnies, go be closet crazy curse-calling Cubs fans by yourself, this is a place for wanting and expecting the Cubs to win.

 

Sweet [expletive] christ I hope I get a chance to start a thread this postseason. I'm third down the line, so only way I get in is if we're in the World Series.

 

That having been said,

 

PUT SOME [expletive] EFFORT INTO STARTING YOUR THREAD THOUGH PEOPLE.

 

What are we, getting ready for spring training to start? This is the best Cubs team anyone alive has ever seen, and they're 3 WINS FROM THE WORLD SERIES. How are we not thrilled to be here, regardless of a couple of tough days against two outstanding pitchers?

 

I want pictures and and stats and predictions and good vibes from these threads, at least from the game thread starters for horsefeathers sake.

 

The Cubs are struggling on offense right now, but it's exhilarating to have the chance to watch them turn it around tonight, TO TIE UP THE NLCS, in case any of you freakin schmucks forgot that it takes 4 losses to lose the series, not 2. Who in their right [expletive] mind thinks that simply because a pitcher throws a curveball, he has the golden ticket to automatically shutting down our offense? What the horsefeathers is that? You think our whole entire lineup is named Pedro Cerrano?

 

Go Cubs, just relax and go have fun. Play your game, it's what got you this far.

 

/rant

 

 

 

Edit: horsefeathers, really sorry about your dog gobigred. more impactful than anything that happens on a baseball field I'm sure.

 

I gave this same rant a few pages ago and it fell on deaf ears. This team (of posters) is a bunch of choking dogs.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

[tweet]

[/tweet]

[KatJ]

I think we see the same lineup (maybe different orders slightly) as last night except Ross or Contreras is going to be catching

 

So is Ross only playing when Lester's pitching? Just a question.

[jersey cubs fan]

i genuinely like sticking with the regular lineup here

[KatJ]

What the hell is with this gigantic doom-boner of a thread pregame?

 

WHERE ARE THE GIFS AND THE SIMPSONS QUOTES?

 

WHERE ARE THE NACHOS AND THE LOVE FOR OUR TEAM, THE BEST TEAM IN BASEBALL?

 

We weren't gonna win every [expletive] game, do you not realize that the best team wins only like 55%-66% of the time? Its a crapshoot you ninnies, go be closet crazy curse-calling Cubs fans by yourself, this is a place for wanting and expecting the Cubs to win.

 

Sweet [expletive] christ I hope I get a chance to start a thread this postseason. I'm third down the line, so only way I get in is if we're in the World Series.

 

That having been said,

 

PUT SOME [expletive] EFFORT INTO STARTING YOUR THREAD THOUGH PEOPLE.

 

What are we, getting ready for spring training to start? This is the best Cubs team anyone alive has ever seen, and they're 3 WINS FROM THE WORLD SERIES. How are we not thrilled to be here, regardless of a couple of tough days against two outstanding pitchers?

 

I want pictures and and stats and predictions and good vibes from these threads, at least from the game thread starters for horsefeathers sake.

 

The Cubs are struggling on offense right now, but it's exhilarating to have the chance to watch them turn it around tonight, TO TIE UP THE NLCS, in case any of you freakin schmucks forgot that it takes 4 losses to lose the series, not 2. Who in their right [expletive] mind thinks that simply because a pitcher throws a curveball, he has the golden ticket to automatically shutting down our offense? What the horsefeathers is that? You think our whole entire lineup is named Pedro Cerrano?

 

Go Cubs, just relax and go have fun. Play your game, it's what got you this far.

 

/rant

 

 

 

Edit: horsefeathers, really sorry about your dog gobigred. more impactful than anything that happens on a baseball field I'm sure.

 

I gave this same rant a few pages ago and it fell on deaf ears. This team (of posters) is a bunch of choking dogs.

 

Eh, some of us are a bunch of old coots, or almost old coots, who have witnessed Cub craptacularity and disasters for decades. I think we deserve some props for even being here after so many seasons. 8-)

[badger]

7-8-9 just made me vomit in my mouth a little. That is unless Addy can remember he is clutch and good.

[apete6]

i genuinely like sticking with the regular lineup here

 

I'm mostly OK with it. Would have gone Willson in the OF and Ross behind the plate with Heyward on the bench, though.

[PetermanRealityTour]

Heyward has no business in the starting lineup vs a lefty. A late inning sub if we are up, sure. The 7-8-9 are automatic outs right now.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

i genuinely like sticking with the regular lineup here

 

Yep, with a lefty starter you're going out of your way to get Almora and/or Ross in the lineup if you deviate. Ross had a good year against lefties, but probably not so good to jump through hoops to get rid of Heyward or Russell's glove(and the latter's offensive potential).

 

Also Urias will be done by the 5th anyway so you want as neutral a lineup as you can get.

[MWV]

i genuinely like sticking with the regular lineup here

Me too. I sense a return to normalcy tonight.

[trushar]

Only had 2 of the 6 ballast points last night. Let's win and I'll have the other 4, and whatever else is in the house.

 

Glad to see as many jittery folks as me on here (therapeutic), but we will rest easier after we hang a crooked number on this kid early.

 

It's only 2-1, and the Cubs are good baseballers. Let's see them remind everyone in a few hours.

[Cubswin11]

I like it, would've been fine with Soler in RF but get putting Heyward out there. Biggest game of the year, you dance with the girl you brought to the prom or however it goes. Also Lackey will probably allow a lot of balls in play with all the lefties so go with defense. Edited October 19, 2016 by Cubswin11

[MUCubsfan]

In the scenario where you have three really bad hitters in the lineup, do the numbers say it's better to have them bat 7-8-9 so that, in theory, the better hitters get more at bats, or is it optimal to balance the lineup a bit and spread the crap out?

[minnesotacubsfan]

i genuinely like sticking with the regular lineup here

 

Yep, with a lefty starter you're going out of your way to get Almora and/or Ross in the lineup if you deviate. Ross had a good year against lefties, but probably not so good to jump through hoops to get rid of Heyward or Russell's glove(and the latter's offensive potential).

 

Also Urias will be done by the 5th anyway so you want as neutral a lineup as you can get.

 

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA YEAH RIGHT

[JonJayCutler]

Heyward has no business in the starting lineup vs a lefty. A late inning sub if we are up, sure. The 7-8-9 are automatic outs right now.

 

He's 2 for 3 with a HR against Urias. Ride the defense this time and see if he can have similar success at the plate.