2019 Spring Training Thread

[soccer10k]

something not absolutely abysmal from this team

 

[tweet]https://twitter.com/Cubs_Live/status/1097582209173778437[/tweet]

 

Well, one former board member thinks it's absolutely abysmal.

[Cubswin11]

Rizzo looks like he slimmed down a little from some of the pics today and that video.

[Sammy Sofa]

Oh, good; I can resurrect my popular "is Rizzo sick?" meme from seasons past.

[d_money]

Rizzo looks like he slimmed down a little from some of the pics today and that video.

His new wife is probably a horrible cook.

[squally1313]

For horsefeathers sake, Joe. He caught about 100,000 more innings than the next closest guy last year. Also, if the mental side of things is something that’s wearing on him maybe get a veteran backup in there to help ease that burden instead of horsefeathering Vic.

 

 

Essentially calling someone like Contreras, one of probably your top 5 important players this year, mentally weak is a bold play for the Player's Manager.

[Bertz]

Joe's inability to admit a mistake is almost pathological at this point. This would have been such an easy one to go "yeah we want to look for opportunities to get him a little more rest in the first half this year" and be done with it.

[squally1313]

Joe's inability to admit a mistake is almost pathological at this point. This would have been such an easy one to go "yeah we want to look for opportunities to get him a little more rest in the first half this year" and be done with it.

Yeah, I remember his 'smartest guy in the room' shtick wearing thin during the middle of winning 108 games and the World Series, much less now. At this point he just needs to shut up, or go away, or both.

[Sammy Sofa]

Coaches, FO and owners are all rotten to the core.

[Brian]

please do not slander forced to eat bread guy

[Brian]

Sutcliffe was in Cubs camp and the best thing he saw was James Norwood... we truly are doomed.

 

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[David]

Sutcliffe was in Cubs camp and the best thing he saw was James Norwood... we truly are doomed.

 

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this guy pitched in games for the cubs last year?

 

i have never heard this name

[Brian]

yeah he was up once or twice for a couple of days, my memory is that he was upper '90s but that's about it

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Sutcliffe was in Cubs camp and the best thing he saw was James Norwood... we truly are doomed.

 

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this guy pitched in games for the cubs last year?

 

i have never heard this name

 

Only a couple, and the results didn't match the stuff, but yeah. I think around AA or so he found another level as a reliever and has been pushing triple digits with the fastball. Across AA & AAA last year: 50.1 IP, 2.50 ERA, 36 H, 57/24 K/BB, 3 HR

 

If you want a 'Cubs prospect becomes a late inning fixture this year' story, it's probably Norwood throwing some more strikes.

[David]

Oh, good; I can resurrect my popular "is Rizzo sick?" meme from seasons past.

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[Brian]

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[Cubswin11]

[Cubswin11]

This year is totes gonna be different, guys!

 

[Deeg]

Ah, the rites of spring we cherish so much... Joe refusing to admit a mistake, a new swing for Heyward, Sutcliffe drunk by 11 AM.

[David]

i feel like he hits a ton of BP homers every spring

[Cubswin11]

Seems a little light on some of the offense (KB, Schwarber specifically stand out, the CF/RF trio of Happ/Almora/Heyward seems ~2.5 wins low as a whole, C seems ~.5 wins low but that could be like 2.7 war for Willy and -.3 war for Vic, 6.1 war between SS/2B seems right between the ~4 guys who will be playing there mostly) but good god if we get ~16 WAR out of the SPs this year this team is gonna horsefeathers.

 

[Cubswin11]

 

2 observations

 

1. After the first pitch you can hear someone talk that sounds like Ross say something like “Yes! That’s nice and quiet Willy.” So assume that’s in reference to working on his receiving and framing, so that’s good! Hopefully there’s some growth and results there.

 

2. Yu absolutely buckles Almora with the second pitch, which is good to see a nice breaking ball and also smart to have Almora face him to build Yu’s confidence.

[Brian]

1. After the first pitch you can hear someone talk that sounds like Ross say something like “Yes! That’s nice and quiet Willy.” So assume that’s in reference to working on his receiving and framing, so that’s good! Hopefully there’s some growth and results there.

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[Tim]

Seems a little light on some of the offense (KB, Schwarber specifically stand out, the CF/RF trio of Happ/Almora/Heyward seems ~2.5 wins low as a whole, C seems ~.5 wins low but that could be like 2.7 war for Willy and -.3 war for Vic, 6.1 war between SS/2B seems right between the ~4 guys who will be playing there mostly) but good god if we get ~16 WAR out of the SPs this year this team is gonna horsefeathers.

 

I think they're low on the middle infield.

 

Baez + Zobrist + Russell:

2018: 10.3; 2017: 4.2; 2016: 9.6

 

The pure average of those three years is around 8.0. Usage should be about the same. Hopefully Zobrist won't have a gimpy wrist

[Bluescale]

Seems a little light on some of the offense (KB, Schwarber specifically stand out, the CF/RF trio of Happ/Almora/Heyward seems ~2.5 wins low as a whole, C seems ~.5 wins low but that could be like 2.7 war for Willy and -.3 war for Vic, 6.1 war between SS/2B seems right between the ~4 guys who will be playing there mostly) but good god if we get ~16 WAR out of the SPs this year this team is gonna horsefeathers.

 

I think they're low on the middle infield.

 

Baez + Zobrist + Russell:

2018: 10.3; 2017: 4.2; 2016: 9.6

 

The pure average of those three years is around 8.0. Usage should be about the same. Hopefully Zobrist won't have a gimpy wrist

 

But since they're giving the starting staff 2x the WAR they had last year, doesn't it all even out? These projections are almost as good as the 2016 staff.

[Cubswin11]

Seems a little light on some of the offense (KB, Schwarber specifically stand out, the CF/RF trio of Happ/Almora/Heyward seems ~2.5 wins low as a whole, C seems ~.5 wins low but that could be like 2.7 war for Willy and -.3 war for Vic, 6.1 war between SS/2B seems right between the ~4 guys who will be playing there mostly) but good god if we get ~16 WAR out of the SPs this year this team is gonna horsefeathers.

 

I think they're low on the middle infield.

 

Baez + Zobrist + Russell:

2018: 10.3; 2017: 4.2; 2016: 9.6

 

The pure average of those three years is around 8.0. Usage should be about the same. Hopefully Zobrist won't have a gimpy wrist

You’re probably right now that you laid it out like that. Unless Joe falls in love with Descalso and he eats PAs from the better guys it should be a little higher than the 6.1. Seems like we’re ~6 wins light on offense there, spread around between guys but maybe ~4 wins high on pitching. The total WAR as a team seems rightish.