Braves (Teheran) vs. Cubs (Quintana), 1:20, WGN/MLBN

[Aaron_Kennelly]

 

Ok, I'm done communicating with you for the year.

 

okay, but i hope you realize that i am complaining about a stupid sports team and you're trying to make this personal and act all offended about it.

 

Nothing personal. I'm just not going to bother with the same arguments all year with someone who is so clearly lost.

Edited May 14, 2018 by Duke Silver

[17 Seconds]

man, when did 17 seconds turn into rmack?

 

The Blackhawks being awful has broken his brain

 

this is actually kind of true. seeing the blackhawks descend into a lifeless group of ghosts has made me terrified of the cubs good times ending faster than we thought they would. the nfl is trash and the bulls are forever in purgatory, so this is all i have for sports.

[17 Seconds]

Nothing personal. I'm just not going to bother with the same arguments all year with someone who is so clearly lost.

 

i just don't know why you have to pretend like this isn't baseball, and that the cubs are pre-determined to be awesome. like kyle said, the 2015 nationals can happen to anyone. i shouldn't be predicting it to happen, but you shouldn't act like you know it won't. i think you want to be anti-meatball so much that you've basically become a new york sports fan.

Edited May 14, 2018 by 17 Seconds

[Cubswin11]

man, when did 17 seconds turn into rmack?

 

The Blackhawks being awful has broken his brain

 

this is actually kind of true. seeing the blackhawks descend into a lifeless group of ghosts has made me terrified of the cubs good times ending faster than we thought they would. the nfl is trash and the bulls are forever in purgatory, so this is all i have for sports.

I mean if the Cubs give us a run like the Blackhawks did (3 championships and multiple deep playoff runs, I don’t really follow them, over 6+ years?) why wouldn’t you take that if it means the team sucks for a bit in like 2025

[CyHawk_Cub]

Success can be really fleeting. That's why, IMO, it's better to enjoy what we have rather than fall into despair at every negative occurrence.

[Aaron_Kennelly]

Nothing personal. I'm just not going to bother with the same arguments all year with someone who is so clearly lost.

 

i just don't know why you have to pretend like this isn't baseball, and that the cubs are pre-determined to be awesome. like kyle said, the 2015 nationals can happen to anyone. i shouldn't be predicting it to happen, but you shouldn't act like you know it won't. i think you want to be anti-meatball so much that you've basically become a new york sports fan.

 

http://www.reactiongifs.com/r/goodday.gif

[17 Seconds]

The 2016 Cubs went to the All-Star break with a .602 winning percentage. The 2018 Cubs are 2 games going differently from that pace. This stuff is not linear, they aren’t digging themselves any holes in the division, and there’s little reason to think they’re a fundamentally different group than we expected in the preseason. Having to reiterate this every time the Cubs go 48 hours without a victory is incredibly tedious.

 

whatever, you guys sound like horsefeathering robots half the time. we were all hoping for a much better start than 21-17

 

36 hours ago the Cubs were playing at a 95 win pace. Taking a moment to not tie every frustrating thing that happens in a baseball season as some sign of tragedy or ultimate disappointment is healthy perspective, not being a robot. It’s not never getting upset, it’s understanding that the frustration you feel in the moment is not indicative of the larger whole.

 

and less than a week before that they were playing at like an 85 win pace. the aggravation comes from the fact that the "larger whole" keeps appearing to take shape, then they horsefeathers the bed again and have to start over

[JudasIscariotTheBird]

Nothing personal. I'm just not going to bother with the same arguments all year with someone who is so clearly lost.

 

i just don't know why you have to pretend like this isn't baseball, and that the cubs are pre-determined to be awesome. like kyle said, the 2015 nationals can happen to anyone. i shouldn't be predicting it to happen, but you shouldn't act like you know it won't. i think you want to be anti-meatball so much that you've basically become a new york sports fan.

 

http://www.reactiongifs.com/r/goodday.gif

[JudasIscariotTheBird]

Success can be really fleeting. That's why, IMO, it's better to enjoy what we have rather than fall into despair at every negative occurrence.

[Cubswin11]

Nothing personal. I'm just not going to bother with the same arguments all year with someone who is so clearly lost.

 

i just don't know why you have to pretend like this isn't baseball, and that the cubs are pre-determined to be awesome. like kyle said, the 2015 nationals can happen to anyone. i shouldn't be predicting it to happen, but you shouldn't act like you know it won't. i think you want to be anti-meatball so much that you've basically become a new york sports fan.

It’s not personal with me and you either. I guess what is the hard evidence and facts that you think this team will suck? I just never see you providing evidence for your claims? The 2015 Nationals sucked btw. Scherzer was their 10th rated offensive player by war, they only had 2 guys over 2 WAR and only 5 guys between 1 and 2.3 WAR. They were a horsefeathers team with horsefeathers players like Denard Span, Danny Espinosa, Yunel Escobar, Ian Desmond, Clint Robinson and broken Zimmerman comprising their offense around Bryce. They were also managed by Matt Williams.

Edited May 14, 2018 by Cubswin11

[CyHawk_Cub]

I have better rhythm than that.

 

No really, I do. Dammit.

[17 Seconds]

Nothing personal. I'm just not going to bother with the same arguments all year with someone who is so clearly lost.

 

i just don't know why you have to pretend like this isn't baseball, and that the cubs are pre-determined to be awesome. like kyle said, the 2015 nationals can happen to anyone. i shouldn't be predicting it to happen, but you shouldn't act like you know it won't. i think you want to be anti-meatball so much that you've basically become a new york sports fan.

 

http://www.reactiongifs.com/r/goodday.gif

 

i'm more annoying and irrational but at least i'm not really being a prick (except for the haircut comment). i'm taking out my frustration on the cubs, you're taking it out on an message board poster. i feel like my bitching in game threads actually allows you to vent your cubs frustrations without admitting that's what you're doing.

[17 Seconds]

 

The Blackhawks being awful has broken his brain

 

this is actually kind of true. seeing the blackhawks descend into a lifeless group of ghosts has made me terrified of the cubs good times ending faster than we thought they would. the nfl is trash and the bulls are forever in purgatory, so this is all i have for sports.

I mean if the Cubs give us a run like the Blackhawks did (3 championships and multiple deep playoff runs, I don’t really follow them, over 6+ years?) why wouldn’t you take that if it means the team sucks for a bit in like 2025

 

i never said the blackhawks were anything short of a massive success, just that i know how sad it is when that kind of magic fades away

[JudasIscariotTheBird]

I have better rhythm than that.

 

No really, I do. Dammit.

I just had a LOT of Wire gifs I wanted to use, and I'm not going to get the chance now. horsefeathering Quintana.

[17 Seconds]

Nothing personal. I'm just not going to bother with the same arguments all year with someone who is so clearly lost.

 

i just don't know why you have to pretend like this isn't baseball, and that the cubs are pre-determined to be awesome. like kyle said, the 2015 nationals can happen to anyone. i shouldn't be predicting it to happen, but you shouldn't act like you know it won't. i think you want to be anti-meatball so much that you've basically become a new york sports fan.

It’s not personal with me and you either. I guess what is the hard evidence and facts that you think this team will suck? I just never see you providing evidence for your claims? The 2015 Nationals sucked btw. Scherzer was their 10th rated offensive player by war, they only had 2 guys over 2 WAR and only 5 guys between 1 and 2.3 WAR. They were a horsefeathers team with horsefeathers players like Denard Span, Danny Espinosa, Yunel Escobar, Ian Desmond, Clint Robinson and broken Zimmerman comprising their offense around Bryce. They were also managed by Matt Williams.

 

for some reason i thought their rotation imploded that year

[Aaron_Kennelly]

I have better rhythm than that.

 

No really, I do. Dammit.

I just had a LOT of Wire gifs I wanted to use, and I'm not going to get the chance now. horsefeathering Quintana.

 

We've all been there. It's basically a coin flip.

 

[itisallpartoftheplan]

2016 nlcs games 2 and 3... we win the last 3 to head the World Series. WS we get shut out in 2 of the first 3 and are down 3-1 and comeback to win it all!!

 

The last 3 years have proven that when push comes to shove this team more often than not will overcome their obstacle. Individual losses can be very frustrating and we have had and will have bad stretches, but this team has earned a hell of a lot of leeway in the doom and gloom department. It’s mid freaking May.

[Cubswin11]

 

i just don't know why you have to pretend like this isn't baseball, and that the cubs are pre-determined to be awesome. like kyle said, the 2015 nationals can happen to anyone. i shouldn't be predicting it to happen, but you shouldn't act like you know it won't. i think you want to be anti-meatball so much that you've basically become a new york sports fan.

It’s not personal with me and you either. I guess what is the hard evidence and facts that you think this team will suck? I just never see you providing evidence for your claims? The 2015 Nationals sucked btw. Scherzer was their 10th rated offensive player by war, they only had 2 guys over 2 WAR and only 5 guys between 1 and 2.3 WAR. They were a horsefeathers team with horsefeathers players like Denard Span, Danny Espinosa, Yunel Escobar, Ian Desmond, Clint Robinson and broken Zimmerman comprising their offense around Bryce. They were also managed by Matt Williams.

 

for some reason i thought their rotation imploded that year

Not really. Their offense was just built on mostly horsefeathers players outside of Bryce, 17th in the league in WAR and that’s with a 9+ WAR from him, they were 4th in pitching WAR. Plus Matt Williams was an all time awful manager. Strasburg either did blow up that year or came back late. He only threw 120 innings.

Edited May 14, 2018 by Cubswin11

[jersey cubs fan]

Constantly worse

[imb]

I like how the reality is that out of very very very very few teams in our lifetimes, every good and very good team goes up and down and has good pitching sometimes and good hitting at others and we just don’t notice it because we only watch the cubs

[Cubswin11]

This is legit something I’m at least a little worried about.

 

https://twitter.com/mj99_1/status/996156885475741701?s=21

 

His margin for error goes down a ton at 90-91 vs 92-95 and maybe the horsefeathers command is a result that he knows his velo is down so he’s nibbling more. Either way hopefully it’s just dead arm or something minor and not more severe. Hopefully Darvish comes back fine and if Q is rocky another start or 2 he can get the 10 day DL break.

[cubsclapp]

 

well expectations used to be higher than getting excited about a 5 game win streak against bottom feeders following a 5 game losing streak

 

i'm just sick of the cubs constantly being worse than they should be

 

For the millionth time, they've won 292 games the last three years, been to three straight NLCS, and won the World Series.

 

What the horsefeathers are you talking about?

 

well we've already discussed how the 2017 season was oddly disappointing, and how we were supposed to be great again this season, so we don't really need to do that again. you're lying if you say things haven't been on a downward trend since the world series, but i understand that there should be more leeway since they've accomplished so much

 

but really you guys should at least admit that bitching about game thread bitching is just a different (less annoying) way of venting frustration over the cubs losing games

 

I keep seeing the "2017 was disappointing" stuff and I don't get quite get it. They won 92 games and went to the NLCS, a year after playing into November and hardly having a day off in the offseason. They won a playoff series with Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg pitching in 80% of the games.

 

That's a great baseball season, as ugly as it was for half the season.

[Bryants Disco Ball]

 

For the millionth time, they've won 292 games the last three years, been to three straight NLCS, and won the World Series.

 

What the horsefeathers are you talking about?

 

well we've already discussed how the 2017 season was oddly disappointing, and how we were supposed to be great again this season, so we don't really need to do that again. you're lying if you say things haven't been on a downward trend since the world series, but i understand that there should be more leeway since they've accomplished so much

 

but really you guys should at least admit that bitching about game thread bitching is just a different (less annoying) way of venting frustration over the cubs losing games

 

I keep seeing the "2017 was disappointing" stuff and I don't get quite get it. They won 92 games and went to the NLCS, a year after playing into November and hardly having a day off in the offseason. They won a playoff series with Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg pitching in 80% of the games.

 

That's a great baseball season, as ugly as it was for half the season.

 

I think you hit on it with your last sentence. When people look back and just see the win total and the NLCS, hell yeah that is and will be considered a great season. It was just such a dogfight to get to that point, being two games under .500 at the break, that made it not quite as fun for people who were anticipating another dominant season. It wasn't good, fun baseball for six months. It was like, four just blah months and two really awesome ones.

[itisallpartoftheplan]

 

For the millionth time, they've won 292 games the last three years, been to three straight NLCS, and won the World Series.

 

What the horsefeathers are you talking about?

 

well we've already discussed how the 2017 season was oddly disappointing, and how we were supposed to be great again this season, so we don't really need to do that again. you're lying if you say things haven't been on a downward trend since the world series, but i understand that there should be more leeway since they've accomplished so much

 

but really you guys should at least admit that bitching about game thread bitching is just a different (less annoying) way of venting frustration over the cubs losing games

 

I keep seeing the "2017 was disappointing" stuff and I don't get quite get it. They won 92 games and went to the NLCS, a year after playing into November and hardly having a day off in the offseason. They won a playoff series with Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg pitching in 80% of the games.

 

That's a great baseball season, as ugly as it was for half the season.

 

Clinching in Busch and making them watch the Cubs celebrate on their field and officially eliminating them with a game winning hit by Taylor Davis and a robbed homer by Leonys Martin a few days after crushing the Brewers hopes by taking 3 of 4 from them in their stadium in front of their our fans will never be disappointing.

[cubsclapp]

This is legit something I’m at least a little worried about.

 

https://twitter.com/mj99_1/status/996156885475741701?s=21

 

His margin for error goes down a ton at 90-91 vs 92-95 and maybe the horsefeathers command is a result that he knows his velo is down so he’s nibbling more. Either way hopefully it’s just dead arm or something minor and not more severe. Hopefully Darvish comes back fine and if Q is rocky another start or 2 he can get the 10 day DL break.

 

Yeah, I was just gonna share that in here as well.

 

I'd honestly feel a little better if it was a dead arm period and this isn't just who he is now out of nowhere (though he's thrown 200+ innings if we include the postseason for five straight years, and we know pitchers break, so who knows).

 

Making matters worse, this is a horrible week to give a guy rest with the 7 games in 6 days.

 

But I do think it's at least partly factoring into his command issues as you said. And giving up a homer to the first batter with your 90-mph fastball has to only put that thought into your head more. He probably doesn't trust his stuff right now, for good reason. His walk/9 numbers are over double what they were with the Cubs last year. His walk percentage is well above any season.

 

His whole game is locating his fastball on the edges or elevating it, and mixing in the curveball. He can afford to make more mistakes at 92-94 but at 90-91 a lot more are gonna get cranked. And hitters are catching up to the pitches on the corners and letter high now more at 90 mph. So naturally he's just nibbling/getting further and further off the plate.

 

It's definitely concerning, but hopefully it's just a dead arm or early-season weirdness where it takes time to make the velocity jump (like we've witnessed with Arrieta and Hendricks).