Cubs (Rea) vs Twins (Paddack): 7/10/25, 12:10pm

[chibears55]

I've said it a few times lately, just wish Counsell would hit Swanson leadoff for now as he is hot, just not getting the hits with a RISP, and with Happ hitting with bad luck the last month, he should move down and hope to have better luck.(😏)

[gflore34]

WTF was that?  The opposition not taking advantage of a two on, no out, is that allowed?

[JHBulls]

Something told me this was a night game again and I just checked. Nope, I missed the first two innings lol.

[gflore34]

Hey, there is someone who can hit a hanging slider after all!!

[chibears55]

Unless Shaw has a big series in NewYork, have to think he starts the second half in Iowa and somebody from Iowa comes up to play 3B until Hoyer gets a replacement. 

I know when I mentioned this before I was told he has nothing to gain by playing in Iowa as he dominates there, but i just feel that it would be beneficial for him to just finish the season in Iowa and find himself again mentally and just get that confidence built back up while working with the coaches there.

It cant hurt and it better then having the kid just lose total confident in himself at this level by struggling everyday and pressing harder then normal because they are a playoff team and not a rebuilding one.

[chibears55]

Yea, there we go, PCA

Needed that

[Chicago Al]

If I was pitching to PCA I would never throw a fastball down the middle for the first pitch.

[mul21]

1 minute ago, chibears55 said:

Unless Shaw has a big series in NewYork, have to think he starts the second half in Iowa and somebody from Iowa comes up to play 3B until Hoyer gets a replacement. 

I know when I mentioned this before I was told he has nothing to gain by playing in Iowa as he dominates there, but i just feel that it would be beneficial for him to just finish the season in Iowa and find himself again mentally and just get that confidence built back up while working with the coaches there.

It cant hurt and it better then having the kid just lose total confident in himself at this level by struggling everyday and pressing harder then normal because they are a playoff team and not a rebuilding one.

I'm very glad you have nothing to do with the Cubs front office.

[KCCub]

I thought Bader was bringing that one back for sure 

[gflore34]

horsefeathers finally, they hit a meatball, about time.

[gflore34]

Just now, KCCub said:

I thought Bader was bringing that one back for sure 

Oh for sure, definitely thought that schmoe was going to catch it, on replay though, it wasn't close.

[Derwood]

I dig these Twins uniforms

[Rcal10]

5 minutes ago, mul21 said:

I'm very glad you have nothing to do with the Cubs front office.

👍

[JHBulls]

TIL, PCA has tattoos. 

[chibears55]

1 minute ago, mul21 said:

I'm very glad you have nothing to do with the Cubs front office.

Why, you'd rather have a 23yo rookie continue to struggle and look lost at the plate for what ?

He has 10 hits in his last 83 AB, 1 in his last 25. There's no good reason to just let this kid continue to look lost at the plate now.

He can go down til the end of Iowa season and return in September when rosters expand and get a fresh start, not like it hasn't been done before, they did it with Happ in 2019 and that was his 3rd year with them, he went down for 100 games that season before returning. 

[Derwood]

Nice to see Nico driving pitches rather than trying to lift them

[NorthsideAvenger]

15 minutes ago, mul21 said:

I'm very glad you have nothing to do with the Cubs front office.

Shaw has got to start hitting or I am jumping on the send Shaw back to AAA.

[JHBulls]

Time for a hit, Matt! 

[NorthsideAvenger]

2 minutes ago, JHBulls said:

Time for a hit, Matt! 

Anytime he wants to go supernova, I will be here for it.

[Derwood]

Sac fly is a perfectly cromulent result

[Jason Ross]

8 minutes ago, chibears55 said:

Why, you'd rather have a 23yo rookie continue to struggle and look lost at the plate for what ?

He has 10 hits in his last 83 AB, 1 in his last 25. There's no good reason to just let this kid continue to look lost at the plate now.

He can go down til the end of Iowa season and return in September when rosters expand and get a fresh start, not like it hasn't been done before, they did it with Happ in 2019 and that was his 3rd year with them, he went down for 100 games that season before returning. 

Matt Shaw xwOBA entering game: .307
League 3b wOBA: .306

zOPS: .723
OPS (as of 7/1): .617

Matt Shaw BABIP: .247
zBABIP (as of 7/1): .341

You know all of those conversations we just had about Ian Happ? Yeah, same here. Anything with a z in front is what ZiPS projects he should be at. So by almost every system we have, expected data, ZiPS data, a look at recent BABIP vs hard hit, it's pretty clear he's a recipient of massive bad luck. 

Sending him down isn't the answer. 

[mul21]

5 minutes ago, chibears55 said:

Why, you'd rather have a 23yo rookie continue to struggle and look lost at the plate for what ?

He has 10 hits in his last 83 AB, 1 in his last 25. There's no good reason to just let this kid continue to look lost at the plate now.

He can go down til the end of Iowa season and return in September when rosters expand and get a fresh start, not like it hasn't been done before, they did it with Happ in 2019 and that was his 3rd year with them, he went down for 100 games that season before returning. 

You continuing to ignore the development path of rookie hitters in today's MLB isn't going to change the way it works.  Now, if he's not showing signs of improvement a week or 10 days after the break, then yeah, they have to look at doing something.  But it's not a coincidence that we've seen PCA breakout after a bunch of PAs and adjustments and other rookies do similar things on similar timelines.  It may never happen for Shaw, but sending him back to Iowa isn't going to help him in any way.

[JHBulls]

Poor Amanda Anisimova, who just had her surname destroyed in that tweet earlier lol. 

Edited July 10, 2025 by JHBulls

[Derwood]

Rea looking sharp (again). Haters gonna hate

[chibears55]

9 minutes ago, Derwood said:

Nice to see Nico driving pitches rather than trying to lift them

We joke about his power but this is the Nico we want to see, driving balls through the infield and in the gaps.

He would actually be a solid leadoff hitter in the 80s with his base stealing speed if he played then.