Spring Training games thread

[Bull]

21 minutes ago, Gjfificifjdej said:

You gotta be the most optimistic person alive if you think either of those things are remotely possible. 

I'm being silly, or Super-bold. Sorry. Caught me on a weird day.

[Bull]

4 hours ago, Bull said:

Super-Bold prediction: Matt Shaw is your everyday left fielder by June.

Did I say LF? I meant RF. 

I hope Seiya is ok.

 

[cl smooth]

Seiya smashed his big-ass balls on the base.

[Bertz]

i.e. he banged it into the ground sliding like a klutz

[mk49]

If Seiya is kind of OK, I really want Japan to lose.  I don't want Seiya to try to play more games.

Edited March 15 by mk49

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

45 minutes ago, mk49 said:

If Seiya is kind of OK, I really want Japan to lose.  I don't want Seiya to try to play more games.

I think Palencia is VEN's closer, so def rooting for them at this point.

[CUBDOM4life]

Palencia slammed the door shut on Ohtani and team Japan

[Bertz]

The Venezuela/DR rematch on Tuesday is gonna hit hard as hell

[mk49]

18 minutes ago, CUBDOM4life said:

Palencia slammed the door shut on Ohtani and team Japan

I loved it.  I was talking to my brother on the phone, while we're watching the game.  My brother was rooting for Japan.  I was rooting for Palencia.

[We Got The Whole 9]

Palencia looks like he lost about 10 lbs maybe 

[TarzanJoeWallis]

The week of February 21 is nearly a month long. 

[Geographyhater8888]

14 hours ago, Bull said:

Nope. Love Happ. He is consistently above average to not-quite-special. The kind of very good role player every team needs.. I just think his age 31 season will show a significant drop off. I'm not all sure of this, and in fact, think it is unlikely that there's enough drop off that he's benched. That's why it's a "super-bold" prediction.

The average Cubs fan acts like he’s some Jacque Jones/Milton Bradley lab created outfielder just sucking the life out the Cubs with his above averageness. 

Edited March 15 by Geographyhater8888

[BKHoo]

Is our right fielder ok?! 

[Geographyhater8888]

How’s Ben Browns command?

[Rcal10]

13 hours ago, Bull said:

Nope. Love Happ. He is consistently above average to not-quite-special. The kind of very good role player every team needs.. I just think his age 31 season will show a significant drop off. I'm not all sure of this, and in fact, think it is unlikely that there's enough drop off that he's benched. That's why it's a "super-bold" prediction.

You may love Happ, but you grossly undervalue him. The man has had a WAR of between 3.5-4 the last 4 years. He has been consistently very good. Referring to him as above average and not quite special and then as a very good role player a team needs does not sound like you value him for what he is. Then to further your comments, suggesting “significant” drop off in his productivity doesn’t not sound like someone who likes a player. I get you made a “bold” prediction. But typically predicting someone will go bad is not a sign of love of a player.  
 

[Gjfificifjdej]

10 minutes ago, Rcal10 said:

You may love Happ, but you grossly undervalue him. The man has had a WAR of between 3.5-4 the last 4 years. He has been consistently very good. Referring to him as above average and not quite special and then as a very good role player a team needs does not sound like you value him for what he is. Then to further your comments, suggesting “significant” drop off in his productivity doesn’t not sound like someone who likes a player. I get you made a “bold” prediction. But typically predicting someone will go bad is not a sign of love of a player.  
 

I would argue that claiming Happ is replaceable by Matt Shaw this year is bordering on hating him 

[BKHoo]

If anything Happ is underrated.  Good D and consistent O.  He has a WTF moment every once in a while in the field but so does PCA who might be the best D player in baseball. 
 

Who has a better WAR in left field over the last three years? 

Edited March 15 by BKHoo

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

29 minutes ago, BKHoo said:

If anything Happ is underrated.  Good D and consistent O.  He has a WTF moment every once in a while in the field but so does PCA who might be the best D player in baseball. 
 

Who has a better WAR in left field over the last three years? 

Steven Kwan maybe, just off the top

[Bull]

All hail superstar Happ. Come on guys. I know it’s a slow stretch but no need to look for a fight. 
 

Happ is a top player on a rebuilding team, a role player on a playoff team. His 120 ops (very consistently) is above average to well above average, but not elite. It has been a pretty consistent narrative here (especially last off season) that the Cubs had a lot of really good building blocks but lacked the impact player to put them over the top.

LF gold glove defense is not the same as up the middle gold glove defense.

expecting a drop off from him acknowledges that there is something significant to drop off. 
 

He’s great, love him. I just don’t think he is a major factor going forward. Said differently, I think the Cubs have gotten his best years and his next team will pay for past production. He’s great may have another 2-3 years of 3-4 WAR left in him, but he will get a 5-6 year contract. The drop-off in production will come eventually.

Suggesting that this is the season it will happen is suggesting something unlikely and therefore (super-bold)

I apologize that I don’t post often enough that everyone intuitively knew that my use of “super-bold” was far enough outside my usual way of communicating that I was being a bit silly.

Edited March 15 by Bull

[Gjfificifjdej]

11 minutes ago, Bull said:

All hail superstar Happ. Come on guys. I know it’s a slow stretch but no need to look for a fight. 
 

Happ is a top player on a rebuilding team, a role player on a playoff team. His 120 ops (very consistently) is above average to well above average, but not elite. It has been a pretty consistent narrative here (especially last off season) that the Cubs had a lot of really good building blocks but lacked the impact player to put them over the top.

LF gold glove defense is not the same as up the middle gold glove defense.

expecting a drop off from him acknowledges that there is something significant to drop off. 
 

He’s great, love him. I just don’t think he is a major factor going forward. Said differently, I think the Cubs have gotten his best years and his next team will pay for past production. He’s great may have another 2-3 years of 3-4 WAR left in him, but he will get a 5-6 year contract. The drop-off in production will come eventually.

Suggesting that this is the season it will happen is suggesting something unlikely and therefore (super-bold)

I apologize that I don’t post often enough that everyone intuitively knew that my use of “super-bold” was far enough outside my usual way of communicating that I was being a bit silly.

You can’t say outlandish things on the internet and not expect people to call that out, even reasonable takes get flamed. 

[Stratos]

Happ has put up the 2nd most WAR at LF the last 3-4 seasons and the 11th best OF.  Most people like HR they don't care about walks or consistency and defense is often overlooked.

[Radar3454]

3 minutes ago, Stratos said:

Happ has put up the 2nd most WAR at LF the last 3-4 seasons and the 11th best OF.  Most people like HR they don't care about walks or consistency and defense is often overlooked.

Who is 1st and 3rd? Very good underrated player, but I don't see him getting a huge 5+ year deal. Afraid he could end up in Cincy where it seems he is Babe Ruth.

[CUBDOM4life]

 

Marquee able to scrap enough money together to broadcast today’s game! How lucky are we as fans??

[CUBDOM4life]

5 hours ago, BKHoo said:

Is our right fielder ok?! 

No news yet

 

 

[Bull]

42 minutes ago, CUBDOM4life said:

 

Marquee able to scrap enough money together to broadcast today’s game! How lucky are we as fans??

That’s an exciting/fun lineup, even without the Cubs 3 most exciting/fun players.