6/21 World Champion Cubs (Butler) vs Padres (Diaz) 1:20 CT WGN/MLBN/670

[17 Seconds]

god damn they suck

[Transmogrified Tiger]

This team will be lucky to make the playoffs. The Padres pathetic offense was really the only reason they won this series.

Okay

 

I know the reality sucks. The Cubs won the last two games by their sheer talent alone.

 

This is your magnum opus. It's breathtaking.

[Aaron_Kennelly]

Jeez guys, it's one freaking game. We've played better lately. And you go back to full ninny after one loss.

[We Got The Whole 9]

Jeez guys, it's one freaking game. We've played better lately. And you go back to full ninny after one loss.

Agreed.

 

But the total lack of small ball I think will keep us in mediocrity offensively.

 

I'm feeling a lot better about the team as a whole but there are still several glaring weaknesses and batting average is certainly one of them.

[Bryants Disco Ball]

Jeez guys, it's one freaking game. We've played better lately. And you go back to full ninny after one loss.

 

To be fair, only Schwarber fan was being a ninny, becoming the second person in the club for 2017 along with me.

 

It's been an interesting year. There probably would be more ninnies if we were playing in either of the other two divisions and were six to nine games out right now. As Jed Hoyer has said, it's really about where you are in relation to .500 than where you are in the division when evaluating your ball club and its chances. We are extremely lucky to be in the division we are in for 2017.

 

I'm intrigued by these next eight games against the Marlins and Nationals on the road. Miami seems like a dreadful stadium to have to play, and it seems like it's never easy there (I just TOTALLY wrote that without even looking it up, we might be awesome there), and the Nationals are on another level than us so far this season.

 

Let's see what happens. Go Cubs, and thanks for the World Series title in 2016. That will make whatever happens in 2017 OK by me.

[Cubswin11]

Jeez guys, it's one freaking game. We've played better lately. And you go back to full ninny after one loss.

Agreed.

 

But the total lack of small ball I think will keep us in mediocrity offensively.

 

I'm feeling a lot better about the team as a whole but there are still several glaring weaknesses and batting average is certainly one of them.

We are "only" .017 points lower on BA this year than last year, so about 6-7% off, we hit .256 last year with a .302 BABIP and are at .239 with a .278 BABIP this year. So it's not like we are woefully off of where we were last year.

[Sammy Sofa]

This team will be lucky to make the playoffs. The Padres pathetic offense was really the only reason they won this series.

Okay

 

I know the reality sucks. The Cubs won the last two games by their sheer talent alone.

 

Holy horsefeathers.

 

Motion to make this the site's new motto.

[dfnowak]

Hand would look good in the Cubs bullpen.

Definitely need a lefty. Duensing sucks

[Aaron_Kennelly]

Jeez guys, it's one freaking game. We've played better lately. And you go back to full ninny after one loss.

Agreed.

 

But the total lack of small ball I think will keep us in mediocrity offensively.

 

I'm feeling a lot better about the team as a whole but there are still several glaring weaknesses and batting average is certainly one of them.

We are "only" .017 points lower on BA this year than last year, so about 6-7% off, we hit .256 last year with a .302 BABIP and are at .239 with a .278 BABIP this year. So it's not like we are woefully off of where we were last year.

 

Yeah. And I agree that this has been a problem. I don't agree that it will keep us down. I think they'll turn it around. These are guys who have hit the ball well before. Talent will win out with the offense. It's already started to turn around in June.

 

Look no further than Rizzo. He started out the year as probably the biggest problem on the team, outside of Schwarber maybe, as far as what kind of contact he was getting and how he was putting balls in play. He's completely turned it around in June. Tons of line drives. Lots of hard contact. Not much weak contact. Keeping the ball off the ground.

 

It just isn't likely that all of these guys forgot how to hit or something. They've shown the same approaches. They've shown they still have power. It's just been fluky that they have all decided to stop hitting line drives at the same time. We've had a really weird and fluky first half. But, eventually, Ben Zobrist and Kris Bryant are going to start hitting line drives and getting balls to fall in.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Hand would look good in the Cubs bullpen.

Definitely need a lefty. Duensing sucks

 

By the end of the season and in the playoffs, Montgomery will be in the pen for sure but Hand (or Doolittle) would be a nice addition against a team like the Dodgers.

 

I'm all for the Cubs to win it the way the Royals did in 2015, with a mediocre rotation and a super elite bullpen.

[soccer10k]

[cubsclapp]

This team will be lucky to make the playoffs. The Padres pathetic offense was really the only reason they won this series.

Okay

 

I know the reality sucks. The Cubs won the last two games by their sheer talent alone.

 

You just proved why they'd have to likely be UNlucky to not make the playoffs. Talent almost always wins out over 162 games.

 

The Cubs playing to their floor -- hell, their horsefeathering basement -- through 71 games while the Brewers are maxing out their potential. And yet, these teams are tied in the loss column. In all likelihood, the Cubs can play crappy baseball for themselves and still win the division.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

I don't know about you but I hated it when the Cubs out-talented the Giants, Dodgers and Indians last fall.

[cubsclapp]

Jeez guys, it's one freaking game. We've played better lately. And you go back to full ninny after one loss.

 

To be fair, only Schwarber fan was being a ninny, becoming the second person in the club for 2017 along with me.

 

It's been an interesting year. There probably would be more ninnies if we were playing in either of the other two divisions and were six to nine games out right now. As Jed Hoyer has said, it's really about where you are in relation to .500 than where you are in the division when evaluating your ball club and its chances. We are extremely lucky to be in the division we are in for 2017.

 

I'm intrigued by these next eight games against the Marlins and Nationals on the road. Miami seems like a dreadful stadium to have to play, and it seems like it's never easy there (I just TOTALLY wrote that without even looking it up, we might be awesome there), and the Nationals are on another level than us so far this season.

 

Let's see what happens. Go Cubs, and thanks for the World Series title in 2016. That will make whatever happens in 2017 OK by me.

 

Where did Jed say that last part? I've heard him multiple times in the last week talk about evaluating the team in terms of performance, not in relation to their divisional competition, which is absolutely how it should always be. Regardless of how high up they are in the standings, that doesn't excuse them playing .500 ball with this much talent. Just like when the team won 97 games in 2015, you don't look down on them for finishing third place. It doesn't change how *your* team is playing, and how you should evaluate your own ballclub.

 

But their chances are nearly the same as they were entering the year, because of how how awful the division's been. Their World Series chances are significantly higher than the currently dominant Rockies and Diamondbacks, because if they can just beat out these NL Central teams, they automatically get a playoff series. Theo and Jed know this.

 

So, unless the Cubs somehow play even worse the rest of the way and/or the Brewers/Cardinals/Pirates play much better, they should be attacking the trade deadline the same way as a 95-win-paced team should. You get in the tournament and you have a 7-20% shot just like everyone else does.

[Bryants Disco Ball]

Jeez guys, it's one freaking game. We've played better lately. And you go back to full ninny after one loss.

 

To be fair, only Schwarber fan was being a ninny, becoming the second person in the club for 2017 along with me.

 

It's been an interesting year. There probably would be more ninnies if we were playing in either of the other two divisions and were six to nine games out right now. As Jed Hoyer has said, it's really about where you are in relation to .500 than where you are in the division when evaluating your ball club and its chances. We are extremely lucky to be in the division we are in for 2017.

 

I'm intrigued by these next eight games against the Marlins and Nationals on the road. Miami seems like a dreadful stadium to have to play, and it seems like it's never easy there (I just TOTALLY wrote that without even looking it up, we might be awesome there), and the Nationals are on another level than us so far this season.

 

Let's see what happens. Go Cubs, and thanks for the World Series title in 2016. That will make whatever happens in 2017 OK by me.

 

Where did Jed say that last part? I've heard him multiple times in the last week talk about evaluating the team in terms of performance, not in relation to their divisional competition, which is absolutely how it should always be. Regardless of how high up they are in the standings, that doesn't excuse them playing .500 ball with this much talent. Just like when the team won 97 games in 2015, you don't look down on them for finishing third place. It doesn't change how *your* team is playing, and how you should evaluate your own ballclub.

 

But their chances are nearly the same as they were entering the year, because of how how awful the division's been. Their World Series chances are significantly higher than the currently dominant Rockies and Diamondbacks, because if they can just beat out these NL Central teams, they automatically get a playoff series. Theo and Jed know this.

 

So, unless the Cubs somehow play even worse the rest of the way and/or the Brewers/Cardinals/Pirates play much better, they should be attacking the trade deadline the same way as a 95-win-paced team should. You get in the tournament and you have a 7-20% shot just like everyone else does.

 

Good call. I shouldn't have added the chances part as he just talked about evaluation by record.

[David]

[tweet]

[/tweet]

 

also check out the meatball complaining about hustle on the replies

[cubsclapp]

 

To be fair, only Schwarber fan was being a ninny, becoming the second person in the club for 2017 along with me.

 

It's been an interesting year. There probably would be more ninnies if we were playing in either of the other two divisions and were six to nine games out right now. As Jed Hoyer has said, it's really about where you are in relation to .500 than where you are in the division when evaluating your ball club and its chances. We are extremely lucky to be in the division we are in for 2017.

 

I'm intrigued by these next eight games against the Marlins and Nationals on the road. Miami seems like a dreadful stadium to have to play, and it seems like it's never easy there (I just TOTALLY wrote that without even looking it up, we might be awesome there), and the Nationals are on another level than us so far this season.

 

Let's see what happens. Go Cubs, and thanks for the World Series title in 2016. That will make whatever happens in 2017 OK by me.

 

Where did Jed say that last part? I've heard him multiple times in the last week talk about evaluating the team in terms of performance, not in relation to their divisional competition, which is absolutely how it should always be. Regardless of how high up they are in the standings, that doesn't excuse them playing .500 ball with this much talent. Just like when the team won 97 games in 2015, you don't look down on them for finishing third place. It doesn't change how *your* team is playing, and how you should evaluate your own ballclub.

 

But their chances are nearly the same as they were entering the year, because of how how awful the division's been. Their World Series chances are significantly higher than the currently dominant Rockies and Diamondbacks, because if they can just beat out these NL Central teams, they automatically get a playoff series. Theo and Jed know this.

 

So, unless the Cubs somehow play even worse the rest of the way and/or the Brewers/Cardinals/Pirates play much better, they should be attacking the trade deadline the same way as a 95-win-paced team should. You get in the tournament and you have a 7-20% shot just like everyone else does.

 

Good call. I shouldn't have added the chances part as he just talked about evaluation by record.

 

Ah okay. I was just legitimately curious if I missed him saying something like that.