Top 108 Moments for the 2016 Cubs (Now complete!)

[CaliforniaRaisin]

I don't want to look a gift horse in the mouth, but there are absolutely not 26 better moments than Montero's grand slam. Easy Top 5.

 

Not wanting to speak for Bukie but it seems like he's valuing any big play from a series deeper in the playoffs more than those from previous series. (But I have to agree with you.)

[bukie]

#26: Cubs' Defense Finishes off the Dodgers

 

 

Why on the list? - 27 up, 27 down. Puig may have been safe at first there, but the Dodgers didn't challenge (and man, wouldn't that have ruined that moment?), the fans went nuts, Wrigley went nuts, and the party went on all night long. This was a game the Cubs dominated every facet, and the Dodgers never had a chance to get into it. Every runner they had on the basepaths was immediately eliminated, and they trailed from the second hitter on. The fans were still nervous because it was something nobody had seen for 71 years, so even the most minor thing like Hendricks allowing a second hit in the 8th inning, and then Maddon pulling him for Chapman, had the crowd on edge. But after that last out, the party was on, and everyone at that stadium stayed for hours (mostly because there was no real way to get out, thanks to the party outside and the police working to get the Dodgers safely out of the stadium area). I was there that night, too, and have a bunch of shaky cell phone videos of history in the making there. I didn't get that last DP, though, since it all happened so quick after the previous batter walked.

[bukie]

#25: Schwarber Returns to the Lineup

 

 

Why on the list? - At the end of the NLCS, there was some surprising news to fans and the team: Kyle Schwarber had been medically cleared to resume hitting. The Cubs quickly sent him to the AFL where he got some swings in against live pitching for 3 game, managing one hit. Then, not only was he put on the roster, he was put into the starting lineup for Game 1 against Corey Kluber. Most were concerned about how he'd do against real pitching and if he'd just look silly against Kluber and Miller after not having really been able to do anything for 6 months. However, Schwarber nearly hit one out in the 4th against Kluber:

 

 

Later in the game, Miller relieved Kluber, and the Cubs left him in against Miller as well in the 7th:

 

 

I mean, that's pretty much the most amazing story of the year, tearing an ACL during the season, and coming back during the season to play in the World Series and be successful, hitting .412 in the series with a .917 OPS.

[soccer10k]

I'd forgotten they had the Cubs come out to the Imperial March.

[UMFan83]

My favorite underrated Schwarber moment was his first AB in Game 7 right after Fowler's homer. The dude gets an IF hit and after he stops running up the line, looks at a group of Cubs fans in the first rows, lifts his leg and bends his knee several times with a huge smile on his face. Then the dude steals second base. 7 months after tearing his ACL and LCL. horsefeathering awesome.

 

The IF hit and showing off his repaired knee to the crowd:

 

[bbvideo=560,315]

[/bbvideo]

 

Link to SB (cant find on youtube)

 

[bbvideo=560,315]http://m.mlb.com/video/topic/63106348/v1211009683[/bbvideo]

 

Sorry to steal your thunder bukie, just really loved that moment

[bukie]

YES YOU ARE RIGHT IT COULD BE A TOP 25 MOMENT IN THE SEASON.

[Derwood]

Oh man, now he needs to start over

[JudasIscariotTheBird]

Oh man, now he needs to start over

[bbvideo=560,315]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwsi72YCmVs[/bbvideo]

[UMFan83]

YES YOU ARE RIGHT IT COULD BE A TOP 25 MOMENT IN THE SEASON.

 

whoops

[Clem Fandango]

#26: Cubs' Defense Finishes off the Dodgers

 

 

 

When the Cubs won the World Series, I felt a tremendous weight come off my shoulders, it was almost euphoric jubilation. But when this happened I broke down and cried because this was something I had never thought possible. It was almost as if once they got to the World Series I expected them to win with the utmost confidence, but the years of torment of getting close and failing made this particular moment so much more emotionally impactful to me, personally. Hell, I got teary eyed just watching this again.

 

I know it's #26, and winning the World Series was the pinnacle of Cubs fandom, but this for me is easily my #2.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

stuff

 

[Andy]

#26: Cubs' Defense Finishes off the Dodgers

 

 

 

When the Cubs won the World Series, I felt a tremendous weight come off my shoulders, it was almost euphoric jubilation. But when this happened I broke down and cried because this was something I had never thought possible. It was almost as if once they got to the World Series I expected them to win with the utmost confidence, but the years of torment of getting close and failing made this particular moment so much more emotionally impactful to me, personally. Hell, I got teary eyed just watching this again.

 

I know it's #26, and winning the World Series was the pinnacle of Cubs fandom, but this for me is easily my #2.

I had a bigger happy-cry meltdown when the ball hit Rizzo's glove Nov. 2, but I definitely agree with this - amazing moment. The fact that it happened at Wrigley adds a lot, obviously.

[Brian]

Really he only way that Game 6 NLCS could be better would be if Hendricks went CGSO. It's basically a perfect game, domination on all aspects of the game and winning the pennant at home.

[bukie]

#24: Cubs Get Lindor Out on Basepaths...Repeatedly

 

 

Why on the list? - At the beginning of the series, Lindor said the Indians would do what the Dodgers couldn't do effectively, run all over Cubs pitchers. Now to be fair, he did successfully steal one base in the series, but I hardly consider 1 for 4 a good use of aggressive running. On top of all that, Chapman beat him to first base in game 6:

 

[bcl412]

I love Ross's angry old man stare in the first clip. No wonder the entire team hates him with a gaze like that.

[bcl412]

Winning the pennant was almost the peak for me. It took about three World Series games for me to be fully invested again after that euphoria.

[bukie]

So, pop quiz time, anyone have an idea why Lindor didn't run on the Cubs in game 7?

[Transmogrified Tiger]

[tweet]

[/tweet]

[Transmogrified Tiger]

So, pop quiz time, anyone have an idea why Lindor didn't run on the Cubs in game 7?

 

 

Off the top of my head, because he didn't reach base, most of the time by strikeout.

 

EDIT: Mostly right, 0 for 5 with a K, the K coming from Lester. He did reach on Javy's error in the 1st, but it was with 2 outs and Hendricks had already picked him off in Game 3, so he stayed home.

[bukie]

So, pop quiz time, anyone have an idea why Lindor didn't run on the Cubs in game 7?

 

 

Off the top of my head, because he didn't reach base, most of the time by strikeout.

 

EDIT: Mostly right, 0 for 5 with a K, the K coming from Lester. He did reach on Javy's error in the 1st, but it was with 2 outs and Hendricks had already picked him off in Game 3, so he stayed home.

Yeah, his CS in game 5 was from the last hit he had in the series, and he stayed home in games 6 and 7 because Arrieta immediately struck out Napoli, and he wanted no part of getting away from first in game 7 after Hendricks picked him off in game 3.

[CubColtPacer]

From someone who regrettably didn't see most of his starts during the season, were the pickoffs by Hendricks during the playoffs just a tiny sample size, or is he really one of the best in the league at that? He had at least two of them and maybe three of them during the postseason, which seems usually like a whole season's worth for a pitcher.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

From someone who regrettably didn't see most of his starts during the season, were the pickoffs by Hendricks during the playoffs just a tiny sample size, or is he really one of the best in the league at that? He had at least two of them and maybe three of them during the postseason, which seems usually like a whole season's worth for a pitcher.

 

I think it's both. Hendricks had 3 pickoffs in the regular season(and 4 in 2015), which from a quick compilation looks to be high up there for RHP. Here's the NL leaders:

 

Cueto 5

Colon 4

Nelson 4

Hendricks 3

Teheran 3

Wacha 3

DeSclafani 3

Gray 3

 

I imagine once you control for number of runners on first base, Hendricks looks just as good if not a bit better too.

 

But it's not so good that I'd expect what we saw in the postseason, where he picked off 3 guys, one in each of his last 3 starts. Different person each time too, Reddick, Lindor, and Ramirez.

[imb]

i have so many thoughts

 

1.) ross is a stud, i still cant believe the turnaround he made here

2.) that was fun watching Lindor get owned but I still want him to come here somehow

3.) MAN ROSS IS A STUD

4.) It's going to be weird watching regular season baseball at wrigley when my last memories of baseball were the playoffs. just listening to the crowd in those videos gives me goosebumps

[Transmogrified Tiger]

i have so many thoughts

 

1.) ross is a stud, i still cant believe the turnaround he made here

2.) that was fun watching Lindor get owned but I still want him to come here somehow

3.) MAN ROSS IS A STUD

 

Probably a good time to bump this: viewtopic.php?p=149881#p149881

 

In short, Contreras has a better pop time than Ross and even though he's dealt with the slowest delivering pitchers in baseball he still catches 44% of runners(RHP and steals of 2nd only).

[Hunter]

I'd love to see a highlight video of all the caught-stealing and pickoffs we had in the playoffs. It was hilarious listening to Joe Buck and John Smoltz go on and on about how the other team should constantly steal on us as we continued to pickoff or throw out runners. Heck throw in some of the throws to home we nailed people on too.