Pirates (Ashcraft) vs Cubs (Rea): 8/15/25, 1:20pm

[mul21]

The meatballing and doom bonering in this thread is actually making me laugh about this.  Great job gents.

If any of you think Counsell isn't riding these guys hard behind the scenes you're crazy.  What he's absolutely not going to do is throw any of them under the bus publicly to make you feel better about the job he's doing.  I hate this cold streak as much as anyone but as they say, you have to dance with who you brought and reshuffling the deck chairs on the Titanic isn't going to make a bit of difference at this point.  The best hitters on the team need to hit and if they don't, they're screwed.  

[Geographyhater8888]

The pirates were capable of hitting a fly ball to the warning track with the wind blowing out unlike the Cubs. My enthusiasm is 30% of what it was a few weeks ago. This team is boring and mentally soft.

[JHBulls]

PCA catching the 2nd out thinking it was the 3rd, Dansby not touching 1st base, PCA over-sliding 2nd base. I really can’t wait to see what they come up with tomorrow. 

Did the Cubs piss off that horsefeathers goats ancestors after winning the World Series? 

[NorthsideAvenger]

10 minutes ago, Connor McConnor said:

It is a mathematical certainty.  

Fixed it for my amusement. 

[SpongeWorthy]

5 minutes ago, mul21 said:

you have to dance with who you brought 

[We Got The Whole 9]

Did Pete think they didnt throw down to 2nd or did he think he was sliding into home? That was probably the grossest overslide ever. He almost reached the grass. And he was safe by a mile.

[17 Seconds]

they have like a +300 run differential over a 3 year stretch and might get zero playoffs appearances out of it

[Papa Cub]

35 minutes ago, Dmac said:

Nah, they will still make it.  Who else is going to?  The Mets aren't playing well either and I don't see the Reds passing both.  They have a tough schedule as well.  

I disagree - I hope I’m wrong, and that the Cubs make it in, but this team is more than just “slumping.” They’re in a dark place. 
Due to their poor management, I don’t think they dig out of this free fall quick enough. I believe they will cause too much damage that the Mets & Reds or even the Giants will pass them. Mets will snap out of their funk like they did last year and make it in, along with the reds and cubs fighting it out along with another possible team like SF. You know the Padres, Dodgers, Phillies, and Brewers are shoe ins, and I believe like last two years, the Cubs will once again be home watching the playoffs in October. 

Edited August 15, 2025 by Papa Cub

[Irrelevant Dude]

I haven't seen the play in question, but there is no excuse for a player in 2025 to be oversliding a base.  Replay has been a thing for years now and everyone knows how it works.  I understand this particular overslide was egregious enough to not even require replay, so that is even worse.

[Wilson A2000]

17 minutes ago, mul21 said:

The meatballing and doom bonering in this thread is actually making me laugh about this.  Great job gents.

If any of you think Counsell isn't riding these guys hard behind the scenes you're crazy.  What he's absolutely not going to do is throw any of them under the bus publicly to make you feel better about the job he's doing.  I hate this cold streak as much as anyone but as they say, you have to dance with who you brought and reshuffling the deck chairs on the Titanic isn't going to make a bit of difference at this point.  The best hitters on the team need to hit and if they don't, they're screwed.  

The last line is correct, but I have not heard that Craig is riding any of his players hard behind the scenes. Pete has been asked this when he makes mental mistake after mental mistake and he said Craig doesn't talk to him about it. 

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

Coomer was mentioning PCA having coffee with Craig or some horseshit. Couldn't really make out the gist.

[We Got The Whole 9]

3 minutes ago, Irrelevant Dude said:

I haven't seen the play in question, but there is no excuse for a player in 2025 to be oversliding a base.  Replay has been a thing for years now and everyone knows how it works.  I understand this particular overslide was egregious enough to not even require replay, so that is even worse.

He overslid by multiple feet. Seriously slid like he was going into home.

[Papa Cub]

19 minutes ago, mul21 said:

The meatballing and doom bonering in this thread is actually making me laugh about this.  Great job gents.

If any of you think Counsell isn't riding these guys hard behind the scenes you're crazy.  What he's absolutely not going to do is throw any of them under the bus publicly to make you feel better about the job he's doing.  I hate this cold streak as much as anyone but as they say, you have to dance with who you brought and reshuffling the deck chairs on the Titanic isn't going to make a bit of difference at this point.  The best hitters on the team need to hit and if they don't, they're screwed.  

I can’t argue your comment on certain parts. Especially about “if they don’t hit they’re screwed” part. 
Your comment is intelligent and is appreciated as a reader myself. 
 

Personally, I think Counsell is definitely a liability. What manager do you know pinch hits their “leadoff” or clean up hitters?? His moves make no sense whatsoever. He insists batting Busch at lead off and then most of the time pinch hits for him? If people say “oh it’s a righty/lefty thing” then riddle me this: why didn’t he bring in Keller or Kittredge in that situation yesterday against Vlad? No - he’s not managing well. Period. It’s not about “throwing your players under the bus” - you don’t do that. But have some backbone and own some of this slump yourself. Good leaders do that. Yes, it’s obvious this team is struggling at the plate, but when you have 2 dozen coaches for everything (hyperbole of course, but you get the point), then some of this, if not a lot of this, should fall on the management. 

[Rcal10]

I don’t think you blame Counsell for what PCA did. But WTF was PCA doing. It wasnt like you momentarily slid off the base. It wasnt horsefeathers close. They need to get their heads out of their ass and start playing better. And as for Tucker, I don’t even want him. He might be playing himself into a Bellinger/Correa sort of contract next year. I mean is anyone really going to give him 10/$380? I don’t see it. Maybe 3/$105 with opt outs each year. I don’t see more for him. Honestly, he hasn’t been good. 

[Papa Cub]

11 minutes ago, Irrelevant Dude said:

I haven't seen the play in question, but there is no excuse for a player in 2025 to be oversliding a base.  Replay has been a thing for years now and everyone knows how it works.  I understand this particular overslide was egregious enough to not even require replay, so that is even worse.

It was an egregious over slide man - he nearly reached the grass. At least the kid hit today, but the bonehead, mistakes continue. 

[Dmac]

42 minutes ago, 17 Seconds said:

the reds are pretty good and the mets are too, they could easily both pass the cubs

They are pretty good, the Cubs are good too though.  They are just in a slump.  The Reds have one of the hardest schedules in baseball left.  It won't be easy.  If the Cubs just go 500 the rest of the way, they will get in. 

[Irrelevant Dude]

Is Tucker hearing the boo birds yet?  If not, it has to be getting damn close.

[Tryptamine]

Well they're now an under .500 team since June 7th and showing no signs of pulling out of this nosedive.

[Tryptamine]

1 minute ago, Dmac said:

They are pretty good, the Cubs are good too though.  They are just in a slump.  The Reds have one of the hardest schedules in baseball left.  It won't be easy.  If the Cubs just go 500 the rest of the way, they will get in. 

More than 2 months of mediocre to bad baseball is not  a slump. 

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

If anyone lost count, it's 11 games since Tucker had an XBH, and 20 since a homer.

[soccer10k]

42 minutes ago, 17 Seconds said:

the reds are pretty good and the mets are too, they could easily both pass the cubs

The Reds have a brutal schedule the rest of the way. Two easy series and maybe a third (Mil to end the year) but everyone else is at or above .500. Their third easiest series is whichever of Ari/LAA/StL is the worst.

Thats not to say the Cubs will make the playoffs. I mean they’re only 4.5 games up. But unless they just tank (which considering they’re 9-14 in their last 23, I won’t rule out), the Reds will have to play well against good teams to pass us.

 

If the Cubs maintain their 9-14 pace, they’ll go 16-25 the rest of the way (a 63 win pace). That would leave them at 84-78. Reds would have to go 20-20 to tie us. Cubs still play Col x3, Wash x3, Pit x5, Atl x6. It would be pretty disappointing for them to go 16-25 the rest of the way.

[Dmac]

2 minutes ago, soccer10k said:

The Reds have a brutal schedule the rest of the way. Two easy series and maybe a third (Mil to end the year) but everyone else is at or above .500. Their third easiest series is whichever of Ari/LAA/StL is the worst.

Thats not to say the Cubs will make the playoffs. I mean they’re only 4.5 games up. But unless they just tank (which considering they’re 9-14 in their last 23, I won’t rule out), the Reds will have to play well against good teams to pass us.

 

If the Cubs maintain their 9-14 pace, they’ll go 16-25 the rest of the way (a 63 win pace). That would leave them at 84-78. Reds would have to go 20-20 to tie us. Cubs still play Col x3, Wash x3, Pit x5, Atl x6. It would be pretty disappointing for them to go 16-25 the rest of the way.

Exactly.  As disappointing as the Cubs have been playing, the Reds would still have to go on a Brewers type streak against tough teams to pass them.  The Cubs will get in, and then get swept in the playoffs. 

[NorthsideAvenger]

If the Cubs can not take advantage of their schedule, nothing else will matter. The Cubs season is in their hands, right now. 

[Caesar]

19 minutes ago, Tryptamine said:

More than 2 months of mediocre to bad baseball is not  a slump. 

Exactly! This is who they’ve been for 3 years but you got people on this message board using the word slump. My god haven’t people been watching this team over the last 3 years. They go cold every year in August and September 

[cubfansince77]

56 minutes ago, mul21 said:

The meatballing and doom bonering in this thread is actually making me laugh about this.  Great job gents.

If any of you think Counsell isn't riding these guys hard behind the scenes you're crazy.  What he's absolutely not going to do is throw any of them under the bus publicly to make you feel better about the job he's doing.  I hate this cold streak as much as anyone but as they say, you have to dance with who you brought and reshuffling the deck chairs on the Titanic isn't going to make a bit of difference at this point.  The best hitters on the team need to hit and if they don't, they're screwed.  

All true, and they aren't alone: Tigers, Yankees and to some extent the Phillies have all gone through a stretch like this already this season. In the Tigers case the rest of their division is horrible so they can afford to coast. Like another poster said....this is the 3rd year in a row of this: all our vet position players with thee exception of PCA should be ashamed because  losing to  the Bucs today is just a kick in the nads. No excuse for it really. Yeah, he's probly riding them but at this point you can see them squeezing the saw dust out of their bats. Choke-A-rama

Edited August 15, 2025 by cubfansince77