5/22 - Giants (Blach) @ World Champion Chicago Cubs (Lackey) - 7:05 CDT WGN

[treebird]

welcome to gam thread i am treebird

 

wow cubs won even though they only got arrieta 13 runs phew lucky

 

today is good pitching matchup blach vs blech (great joke)

[Sammy Sofa]

[Banedon]

The initial notice was a physical appearance blach.

[We Got The Whole 9]

Joe says they're thinking maybe Kyle will get shifted less having Zo on base. Seems to me they're just gonna shift Zo also and turn a lot of hard hit balls into outs just the same.

[Sammy Sofa]

THEY'RE JUST GONNA SHIFT EVERYBODY. YOU GET A SHIFT, YOU GET A SHIFT, YOU GET A SHIFT.

[Banedon]

Joe says they're thinking maybe Kyle will get shifted less having Zo on base. Seems to me they're just gonna shift Zo also and turn a lot of hard hit balls into outs just the same.

 

Zobrist has been around long enough that he's probably less mentally affected by shifting than Schwarber.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Joe says they're thinking maybe Kyle will get shifted less having Zo on base. Seems to me they're just gonna shift Zo also and turn a lot of hard hit balls into outs just the same.

 

Zobrist in 2016

 

Bases empty: .288 AVG, .396 OBP

Men on: .253 AVG, .375 OBP

 

Schwarber

 

2015 bases empty: .223 AVG, .347 OBP

2015 men on: .270 AVG, .364 OBP

 

2017 bases empty: .165 AVG, .270 OBP

2017 men on: .222 AVG, .373 OBP

 

 

Schwarber has some progression coming his way regardless, but shifts aren't just a button you press with the bases empty that affect everyone equally. Even without looking up the numbers it's clear that Zobrist uses the whole field more than Schwarber(on top of being a switch hitter) and should be less susceptible to shifts.

[We Got The Whole 9]

Joe says they're thinking maybe Kyle will get shifted less having Zo on base. Seems to me they're just gonna shift Zo also and turn a lot of hard hit balls into outs just the same.

 

Zobrist has been around long enough that he's probably less mentally affected by shifting than Schwarber.

 

I guess that could be true. Statcast says Schwarber should have a 345 wOBA and that he's among the unluckiest hitters in baseball. It's gotta be a bit demoralizing watching so many rockets get caught.

[Aaron_Kennelly]

Joe says they're thinking maybe Kyle will get shifted less having Zo on base. Seems to me they're just gonna shift Zo also and turn a lot of hard hit balls into outs just the same.

 

Is there nothing you don't worry about?

[We Got The Whole 9]

Joe says they're thinking maybe Kyle will get shifted less having Zo on base. Seems to me they're just gonna shift Zo also and turn a lot of hard hit balls into outs just the same.

 

Is there nothing you don't worry about?

Seriously? These are like the 2nd posts I've made in the last few weeks with any tinge of "worry". You guys asked me to dial back the panic and i havent said horsefeathers for like a month even through a really poor stretch of baseball. I get bashed for the slightest little things around here. Meanwhile I can go into a GT in a game we lose and find about a hundred posts moaning to the moon about bad play from any given player.

 

All I was suggesting is that it doesn't seem to fix any problem.

[We Got The Whole 9]

Joe says they're thinking maybe Kyle will get shifted less having Zo on base. Seems to me they're just gonna shift Zo also and turn a lot of hard hit balls into outs just the same.

 

Zobrist in 2016

 

Bases empty: .288 AVG, .396 OBP

Men on: .253 AVG, .375 OBP

 

Schwarber

 

2015 bases empty: .223 AVG, .347 OBP

2015 men on: .270 AVG, .364 OBP

 

2017 bases empty: .165 AVG, .270 OBP

2017 men on: .222 AVG, .373 OBP

 

 

Schwarber has some progression coming his way regardless, but shifts aren't just a button you press with the bases empty that affect everyone equally. Even without looking up the numbers it's clear that Zobrist uses the whole field more than Schwarber(on top of being a switch hitter) and should be less susceptible to shifts.

Zobrist this year is hitting 80% of his batted balls to pull or up the middle. This is why I questioned how effective this will actually be. But thanks for not biting my head off. That horsefeathers is getting old.

[Aaron_Kennelly]

Zobrist this year is hitting 80% of his batted balls to pull or up the middle. This is why I questioned how effective this will actually be. But thanks for not biting my head off. That horsefeathers is getting old.

 

I'm not trying to bite your head off. It just seems like you worry about stuff a lot: "Zobrist's contact% is down after 10 games... We don't have any of the league leaders in average exit velocity... Our line drive% is down..." I keep seeing you harping on peripheral stats that may or may not mean anything long-term, without ever seeing you mention, say, that Kris Bryant's contact% is above 80%. You seem to pick and choose which peripheral stats to care about, and you always seem to pick the ones that look bad for Cubs' players. I don't think you are too negative or anything. You are a knowledgeable poster, and you aren't exclusively negative or anything. I think you've been a good addition to the board. I just think you worry too much.

[We Got The Whole 9]

Zobrist this year is hitting 80% of his batted balls to pull or up the middle. This is why I questioned how effective this will actually be. But thanks for not biting my head off. That horsefeathers is getting old.

 

I'm not trying to bite your head off. It just seems like you worry about stuff a lot: "Zobrist's contact% is down after 10 games... We don't have any of the league leaders in average exit velocity... Our line drive% is down..." I keep seeing you harping on peripheral stats that may or may not mean anything long-term, without ever seeing you mention, say, that Kris Bryant's contact% is above 80%. You seem to pick and choose which peripheral stats to care about, and you always seem to pick the ones that look bad for Cubs' players. I don't think you are too negative or anything. You are a knowledgeable poster, and you aren't exclusively negative or anything. I think you've been a good addition to the board. I just think you worry too much.

 

Fair enough. When I bring up stats like that, it is usually to illuminate a possible issue; not always to sound the alarm. Just something to keep a tab on. A hitter dropping 10 points in contact signaled to me that maybe Zobrist was hurt. Contact stabilizes quick and I found that to be a glaring decrease. The EV surprised me. I was even more shocked when you explained that they were roughly the same last year. I figured they were markedly better. However that's my fault for not checking.

 

I just try to bring up things that aren't already or haven't been talked about yet. You and my boy Brendan and company at cubsinsider pretty much cover everything, honestly. I don't see a reason to mention KBs contact rate, or Kyle's, because they are pretty much common knowledge at this point. But when Willson was making 50% contact early on, I was like, holy horsefeathers, that is significant (especially for a guy who didn't look to have huge swing and miss issues).

 

Truthfully, there aren't a ton of sexy peripherals this season beyond a couple guys. But you cover most of it already I'd there are some.

[sneakypower]

Bryant whiffed in 29% PAs at Iowa, and Contreras only 13%, so naturally KB's at 20% now and Will 28%

 

kind of blows my mind

[Sammy Sofa]

Joe says they're thinking maybe Kyle will get shifted less having Zo on base. Seems to me they're just gonna shift Zo also and turn a lot of hard hit balls into outs just the same.

 

Is there nothing you don't worry about?

Seriously? These are like the 2nd posts I've made in the last few weeks with any tinge of "worry". You guys asked me to dial back the panic and i havent said horsefeathers for like a month even through a really poor stretch of baseball. I get bashed for the slightest little things around here. Meanwhile I can go into a GT in a game we lose and find about a hundred posts moaning to the moon about bad play from any given player.

 

All I was suggesting is that it doesn't seem to fix any problem.

 

Don't worry, I've got your back; this is a butt team is made of butts.

[We Got The Whole 9]

I'll tell you a positive stat that holds a good bit of my interest for this year:

 

KB has a 802 oppo OPS and is maintaining his absurd numbers to pull and up the middle. He is going to post his best season yet.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

[tweet]

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[Bote McBoteface]

Not a fan of Schwarber-less lineups :(

[SparkMark1]

Lackey. Uh huh

[Schwarber Fan]

Lackey is such trash.

[Aaron_Kennelly]

At least it was a solo shot, I guess.

[Aaron_Kennelly]

Oh wow.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

hey teeth for brains, we're done with the first inning runs stuff, get with it

[WoodRules]

Can't start a game without first inning runs...Nice Russell!

[David]

THAT might be the best play I've ever seen Addi make