Cubs vs Red Sox Doubleheader, 9/25/26: Game 1 @ 12:05pm (Holmes vs Gamboa); Game 2 @ 4:35pm (Peterson vs Bello)

[Gjfificifjdej]

25 minutes ago, Rcal10 said:

So it is fun to you to watch angry all the time. Cubs are a good team and yet any time they lose you lose your mind. How is that fun? What will happen when you actually follow a bad team? I’m not criticizing you. I honestly am asking “how much fun are you really having”? 

I would do the same thing I did in 2021 and 2022 and before 2015 lol, what kind of question is that. I would disagree that I lose my mind when the Cubs lose, you massively overestimate how I feel based on nothing but words. Saying “X player is awful”, doesn’t mean my evening is ruined, theres no emotion there. Theres nothing wrong with saying someone sucks if they suck, I get destroyed if I make mistakes in my job, blowing up at the bullpen is kind of part of the fun in its own way. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[Rcal10]

1 hour ago, Gjfificifjdej said:

I would do the same thing I did in 2021 and 2022 and before 2015 lol, what kind of question is that. I would disagree that I lose my mind when the Cubs lose, you massively overestimate how I feel based on nothing but words. Saying “X player is awful”, doesn’t mean my evening is ruined, theres no emotion there. Theres nothing wrong with saying someone sucks if they suck, I get destroyed if I make mistakes in my job, blowing up at the bullpen is kind of part of the fun in its own way. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Glad to know you realize there is more to life than baseball and whether the Cubs win or lose. In the grand scheme of things it doesn’t matter. I say that as someone who used to have mood changes based on if the Cubs won or lost. Now, I just can’t get too worked up about a loss. And just because someone doesn’t perform well one day, I don’t call him out as sucking. I also don’t get all over Counsell whenever he makes a move that doesn’t work, even if it is something I wouldn’t do. Not worth it to me. 

Edited 4 hours ago by Rcal10

[Soul]

2 hours ago, Derwood said:

It's nothing to do with past years and everything to do with how recent champions have profiled (and how the Brewers profile differently). Great pitching is great and all, but the Brewer offense is not one that typically succeeds in the postseason

What exactly is it that makes the Brewers offense incapable of succeeding in the postseason even after 162 games of enormous success?

[Derwood]

4 minutes ago, Soul said:

What exactly is it that makes the Brewers offense incapable of succeeding in the postseason even after 162 games of enormous success?

To quote my friend Dean (from FB):
 

"The last 6 World Series winners have finished in the top 5 in HR and SLG in the regular season. In fact, of the last ten winners, only the 2016 Cubs and 2019 Nationals didn't finish in the top 5 in those categories. Yet both those teams were in the top half in those categories. Milwaukee is 29th in HR and 13th in SLG. You have to be able to score runs in bunches in the playoffs. I’m not saying they won't win it all, but they aren't built like recent Champs."

 

[Bertz]

9 minutes ago, Soul said:

What exactly is it that makes the Brewers offense incapable of succeeding in the postseason even after 162 games of enormous success?

People love to say "XXX is key in the playoffs" and most of those are made up but hitting a lot of homeruns is one of the very few things that's been definitively proven because it's relatively easy to math out.

[Soul]

6 minutes ago, Derwood said:

To quote my friend Dean (from FB):
 

"The last 6 World Series winners have finished in the top 5 in HR and SLG in the regular season. In fact, of the last ten winners, only the 2016 Cubs and 2019 Nationals didn't finish in the top 5 in those categories. Yet both those teams were in the top half in those categories. Milwaukee is 29th in HR and 13th in SLG. You have to be able to score runs in bunches in the playoffs. I’m not saying they won't win it all, but they aren't built like recent Champs."

 

Good point.

my counter argument is that I don’t see teams succeeding on offense using the Brewers approach much at all.  Lots of teams win with HR power. So how much of it is just that teams with HR power just happen to be the best offenses? The Brewers are 3rd in OPS. It’s not like they can only hit singles.

Impossible to know what will happen.  It just strikes me as something where the Brewers can absolutely succeed, even if it would be an outlier, because they ARE an outlier.

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

Foolish Bailey has an interesting video on this topic if anyone is interested 

https://youtube.com/watch?v=NEFtx2wDuEM

[Rcal10]

12 minutes ago, Soul said:

Good point.

my counter argument is that I don’t see teams succeeding on offense using the Brewers approach much at all.  Lots of teams win with HR power. So how much of it is just that teams with HR power just happen to be the best offenses? The Brewers are 3rd in OPS. It’s not like they can only hit singles.

Impossible to know what will happen.  It just strikes me as something where the Brewers can absolutely succeed, even if it would be an outlier, because they ARE an outlier.

They absolutely can win. But not hitting homers makes it harder. Couple that with not dominating starting pitching (now that Harrison is struggling) makes it harder. But it wouldn’t be a shock if they won. 

[BKHoo]

Phillies in trouble. 

[Stratos]

6 hours ago, mk49 said:

I can't say it'll never happen, but they won't trade Amaya.  His wRC+ is the same as Kelly, and he's rated as a better defender than Kelly.  He's also cheap + Kelly will be a free agent.  

I think the Cubs will sign a veteran catcher that could go along with Amaya and Ayers.

They won't trade Amaya.  If the past is any indication they'll probably sign some other catcher to go with Amaya and keep Ayers in AAA as backup and work him in over the season that way.  If he looks decent maybe he be our #2 with Amaya in 2028.

It's possible Kelly gets a 2 year deal from somebody. I'm doubtful the Cubs would match that.

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

These are the FA catchers fwiw

[Papa Cub]

Well - Five seed it is. PetCo Park it seems. 

Edited 1 hour ago by Papa Cub

[BKHoo]

Cubs better bring some fans.  

[UMFan83]

The Padres move into a tie for 2nd most playoff series against the Cubs.  Dodgers have also played the Cubs 3 times (all between 2008 and 2017).  The most is the Tigers who have played the Cubs 4 times, all prior to the 1950s.

Edited 1 hour ago by UMFan83

[Rcal10]

23 minutes ago, BKHoo said:

Cubs better bring some fans.  

If they win game 1, I will be at game 2 and if needed, game 3.

[chibears55]

1 hour ago, Stratos said:

They won't trade Amaya.  If the past is any indication they'll probably sign some other catcher to go with Amaya and keep Ayers in AAA as backup and work him in over the season that way.  If he looks decent maybe he be our #2 with Amaya in 2028.

It's possible Kelly gets a 2 year deal from somebody. I'm doubtful the Cubs would match that.

Kelly has mutual option for 7.5 mil, he could very well come back and they can trade Amaya for a pitcher if they feel Ayers is ready enough to at least play behind kelly to start out and eventually increase his PT as the year goes on.

Cubs and Ayers would benefit big having him spend a year learning behind Kelly, that my hope at least 

[Rcal10]

3 minutes ago, chibears55 said:

Kelly has mutual option for 7.5 mil, he could very well come back and they can trade Amaya for a pitcher if they feel Ayers is ready enough to at least play behind kelly to start out and eventually increase his PT as the year goes on.

Cubs and Ayers would benefit big having him spend a year learning behind Kelly, that my hope at least 

I doubt true mutual option is taken. Also, don’t care to keep him at $7.5M. I would rather keep Amaya, cheaper.