3/28/19 CUBS (Lester) @ The Texas School Book Depository (Minor) - 3:05 CST - WGN

[Sammy Sofa]

Clearly you gave Maddon WAY too much credit.

[JudasIscariotTheBird]

To pour salt on the wound:

https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/split.fcgi?id=minormi01&t=p&year=2018

 

What a second, isn't Joe into advanced metrics and what not? If so, why isn't Schwarber at DH?

 

Because there's selection bias in those splits. He doesn't see very many left handed hitters, and the few that he does see are guys like Rizzo who are going to skew the stats.

 

That's the idea, anyway. It's certainly possible he jut has reverse splits, but I'm way to lazy to do any real digging into this.

That's true, but I feel that Schwarber is a guy like Rizzo, where as Zagunis is not a guy like Rizzo.

[Bull]

If this is our starting lineup with a DH, left handed pitching is going to be really, really painful to watch this year.

Add Russell, keep Zobrist, lose Zag and Bote. That’s your normal lineup vs lefties. Oh and apparently bat the pitcher 8th.

[Bull]

 

What a second, isn't Joe into advanced metrics and what not? If so, why isn't Schwarber at DH?

 

Because there's selection bias in those splits. He doesn't see very many left handed hitters, and the few that he does see are guys like Rizzo who are going to skew the stats.

 

That's the idea, anyway. It's certainly possible he jut has reverse splits, but I'm way to lazy to do any real digging into this.

That's true, but I feel that Schwarber is a guy like Rizzo, where as Zagunis is not a guy like Rizzo.

Schwarber is not a “guy” like Rizzo. Zagunis is not a lefty. Your words are broken.

[JudasIscariotTheBird]

 

Because there's selection bias in those splits. He doesn't see very many left handed hitters, and the few that he does see are guys like Rizzo who are going to skew the stats.

 

That's the idea, anyway. It's certainly possible he jut has reverse splits, but I'm way to lazy to do any real digging into this.

That's true, but I feel that Schwarber is a guy like Rizzo, where as Zagunis is not a guy like Rizzo.

Schwarber is not a “guy” like Rizzo. Zagunis is not a lefty. Your words are broken.

What I was trying to say is that Zagunis sucks and Schwarber is exactly the kind of player that can juice a dong against this lefty loser.

[Flames24Rulz]

our OF horsefeathering sucks

[Brian]

entire team has been traded

 

[tweet]

[/tweet]

[Bluescale]

 

Because there's selection bias in those splits. He doesn't see very many left handed hitters, and the few that he does see are guys like Rizzo who are going to skew the stats.

 

That's the idea, anyway. It's certainly possible he jut has reverse splits, but I'm way to lazy to do any real digging into this.

That's true, but I feel that Schwarber is a guy like Rizzo, where as Zagunis is not a guy like Rizzo.

Schwarber is not a “guy” like Rizzo. Zagunis is not a lefty. Your words are broken.

 

We all wish he was like Rizzo, but so far he hasn't shown it. Personally, I'd still rather see him over Zagunis when facing a mediocre lefty. How else are we going to find out if he can fix his lefty issues like Rizzo did.

[David]

I know last year was a down year for Rizzo and all (and Schwarber is being helped by, gasp, defense) but Schwarber actually had a higher fWAR in 20 fewer games last year.

[squally1313]

That's true, but I feel that Schwarber is a guy like Rizzo, where as Zagunis is not a guy like Rizzo.

Schwarber is not a “guy” like Rizzo. Zagunis is not a lefty. Your words are broken.

 

We all wish he was like Rizzo, but so far he hasn't shown it. Personally, I'd still rather see him over Zagunis when facing a mediocre lefty. How else are we going to find out if he can fix his lefty issues like Rizzo did.

 

To the bigger point, Rizzo >>> Schwarber

 

But

 

2018 vs LHP

Rizzo: 169 PAs, .248/.315/.369, 88 wRC

Schwarber: 91 PAs, .224/.352/.303, 85 wRC

 

Obviously a one year dip for Rizzo on this, but a 15% walk right against lefties from Schwarber shows there is a chance of something there. Then again...maybe they just don't think it's worth it. Heyward actually did better against lefties than both of them (97 wRC)

[Bluescale]

Schwarber is not a “guy” like Rizzo. Zagunis is not a lefty. Your words are broken.

 

We all wish he was like Rizzo, but so far he hasn't shown it. Personally, I'd still rather see him over Zagunis when facing a mediocre lefty. How else are we going to find out if he can fix his lefty issues like Rizzo did.

 

To the bigger point, Rizzo >>> Schwarber

 

But

 

2018 vs LHP

Rizzo: 169 PAs, .248/.315/.369, 88 wRC

Schwarber: 91 PAs, .224/.352/.303, 85 wRC

 

Obviously a one year dip for Rizzo on this, but a 15% walk right against lefties from Schwarber shows there is a chance of something there. Then again...maybe they just don't think it's worth it. Heyward actually did better against lefties than both of them (97 wRC)

 

Once again, selection bias here. Rizzo sees a lot more plate appearances against premium lefties than either Schwarber or Heyward. Again, I'm all for letting Schwarber try to figure it out against lefties rather than giving those at bats to frikkin' Zagunis. I'm just saying, the comparison isn't apples to apples.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

I would like to see Schwarber get more chances against LHP, but even if he's better/fixed against them I have a hard time seeing the expectations being very different than what I'd expect from Zagunis, especially now that Zagunis is healthy.

[Sammy Sofa]

How can you tell that Zagnuts is healthy when he looks like he's dying in literally every single picture.

[squally1313]

I would like to see Schwarber get more chances against LHP, but even if he's better/fixed against them I have a hard time seeing the expectations being very different than what I'd expect from Zagunis, especially now that Zagunis is healthy.

 

Yeah, it's detrimental to his development and his slim potential to turn into an every day guy who mashes against everybody. But in an non-DH game against a lefty, you can put Bryant in left (Bote and Zobrist at 3B and 2B), and in a few weeks you're going to have Russell and Baez in the middle infield, so you're going to need to move KB or Zobrist to the outfield to create room for Zobrist or Bote.

 

I get the logic, though it all falls apart if it turns out they consider Almora an every day player. They needed Happ to be able to hit LHP to cover Heyward/Schwarber, and he couldn't, so here's create a player from AAA instead, and Descalso or Bote essentially becomes Almora's handcuff.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

I would like to see Schwarber get more chances against LHP, but even if he's better/fixed against them I have a hard time seeing the expectations being very different than what I'd expect from Zagunis, especially now that Zagunis is healthy.

 

Yeah, it's detrimental to his development and his slim potential to turn into an every day guy who mashes against everybody. But in an non-DH game against a lefty, you can put Bryant in left (Bote and Zobrist at 3B and 2B), and in a few weeks you're going to have Russell and Baez in the middle infield, so you're going to need to move KB or Zobrist to the outfield to create room for Zobrist or Bote.

 

I get the logic, though it all falls apart if it turns out they consider Almora an every day player. They needed Happ to be able to hit LHP to cover Heyward/Schwarber, and he couldn't, so here's create a player from AAA instead, and Descalso or Bote essentially becomes Almora's handcuff.

 

I think what this helps me with is understanding the true value in having Schwarber be able to hit LHP well. If he can that's great and as a fan I feel happier that he's a more complete player I can rely on seeing every day. From a value perspective, a lefty mashing corner OF is not difficult to find nor is it a huge opportunity cost on the roster(to your point, if that wasn't Zagunis, it'd be some combo of Happ, Bote, Zobrist instead), so maybe it's not as big a loss for a corner OF position? Different if Schwarber was higher on the defensive spectrum. This isn't a fully formed thought so there might be some holes but today I can't immediately think of big flaws in the logic.

[Clem Fandango]

I would like to see Schwarber get more chances against LHP, but even if he's better/fixed against them I have a hard time seeing the expectations being very different than what I'd expect from Zagunis, especially now that Zagunis is healthy.

 

Yeah but if he is fixed vs. lefties we'll get more dongs in the lineup and that's way more fun.

 

Also, I hate that they continue to platoon Schwarber. The Cubs tout Schwarber as having a special bat, but it's apparently not special enough to let him work out his LHP struggles like they did with Rizzo. They let Rizzo do it. They let Javy do it. They let Happ do it. Schwarber's not allowed though. I said it elsewhere, but last year they platooned him with Happ who was far worse than Schwarber was vs lefties. If Zagunis struggles I see no reason to continue to platoon Schwarber unless you just want someone who is better at defense, even though Schwarber is perfectly cromulent there.

 

FREE KYLE SCHWARBER! UNLEASH THE DONGVIATHAN!

[CyHawk_Cub]

Clearly the best way for a young'ish hitter like Schwarber to get better vs. LHP is to not start him vs LHP.

[squally1313]

We know Zobrist is good against lefties. Between him and Almora, that's two outfielders. I think it's a safe bet to assume Descalso or Bote are going to be better against lefties than Schwarber, and either can push KB to a corner spot to fill out the outfield. It's not ideal for him, but I don't think it's in the best interest for the team to give him those ABs to see if he figures it out.

 

Rizzo got the chance to do it because we were a terrible baseball team, and then in 2014 he OPSed 930 against lefties. Baez got 230 ABs in the majors, and then got sent to AAA for most of the next year (and also the other side of the platoon, and also provides way more value elsewhere than Schwarber). Happ is in AAA right now because he hasn't figured it out.

[badger]

It was nice hearing Len's voice again. You ninnies. Can't anyone let me have fun today?

[chicagocubs04]

Time for baseball!

[Ding Dong Johnson]

The first AB was so bad they had to cut to a commercial in the middle of it.

[UMFan83]

Javy asking for his own swing call from 1B ump count: 1

[Cubswin11]

Thought Bryant Dong’d but the wind must really be blowing in. 111 mph off the bat.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

Andrus is using that Baby Shark song as his walk-up music. I think I hate him now.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

My calibration on ground balls is completely shot, I thought both of those ground balls were 50/50 to be infield hits and it wasn't close.