BigbadB

Green Bay fans need abuse, too.

Especially since the games are no longer on national broadcast like WGN anymore. I pay for the streaming service, but I'm sure a lot either don't want to pay for it or can't afford it. I would imagine radio would still have a strong following. Maybe podcasts have replaced the need for radio coverage?

There was a huge need for pass protection, AND for Caleb to trust the pass protection. I think they got both with the guys they signed. I also think the backups will be a lot better than last year if someone needs to miss some time. Couple the pass protection with much better coaching and play calling, and I believe they have the makings of a 10-12 win team. A lot still needs to go right. I think I'm going to like Dennis Allen's defensive scheme better than Eberflus' as well.

He'd be a great addition to the starting rotation (along with a top 3 rotation starter) to end the regular season and as a bullpen guy for the playoffs, which is the kind of help you are looking for at the trade deadline.. Horton is going to need to slow down on his innings.

There's no reason to be afraid to pull the trigger on a premium upgrade this year. They already kinda went all in on a rent a player in Tucker. You look foolish if you don't do more when you are sitting in the driver's seat in your division, but still being challenged. Especially if Tucker doesn't sign long term. There is no doubt room to add a SP that can be a playoff starter, because this team is highly likely to be in the playoffs. Everything after that is added bonus. There is enough talent in the minors to make the upgrades to get whoever they want. Ryan and Suarez would be a great trade deadline get. Ryan and Castro or Kelly and Suarez would be great deadline grabs. But I'd be fine with a top line starter and a bench bat that can play 3rd better than either of the two current options. Amaya will be back and contributing soon, too. Assad should be a boost to the pen with a fresh arm. Amaya and Assad will feel like deadline upgrades since we haven't had their production most or all of the year, and are likely improvements over what is already on the roster. Getting Carson more rest will be good for him as well. Bottom line, they left money on the table preseason. The offer for Bregman should be the bare minimum they have to spend (with less than half a season to play, which ends up being a lot of money). The talent in the minors is plentiful. Now just don't be slow to make some trades. Get your offers out there to the teams that have the players you covet. The Cubs are not the only team looking to upgrade. Even the teams on the bubble should be fielding phone calls from Jed. This is his moment. So I don't want to see him in the booth doing interviews with Boog and JD right now. I'd rather think he's working the phones with his own team of scouts and other team's GM's instead of wasting time telling us what he's up to. Plenty of time for that after August 1. It will be very frustrating if some guys the Cubs could really want or need go somewhere else for less than what could have been offered by Jed because he was slow to the show or unwilling to close out what he started when he traded for Tucker.

Not true. He made an impression that he wasn't going to get to that ball, which the runner bought into. Why do you think the runner was so far away from the bag?

Not sure if anyone responded to this, but watch that play again. PCA duped the runner into thinking that ball was going to drop. I don't always catch stuff like that, but this one I saw right away. PCA sorta pulled up as if he was going to play it on a hop and then the runner took off and he then sprinted to the ball and caught it. PCA even seemed surprised that he had a play at 2nd. Pure genius.

PCA had a HR stolen from him.

Biggest strike zone I’ve seen this year, but only when Rodon is on the mound. F this game.

That's why I think a Willi Castro type would be a good fit. This team needs a better hitting bench guy who could technically play every day. He can play every position, spelling people where needed and allow Shaw to continue developing at the major league level. Brujan is just a waste of a roster spot. Berti isn't much better. Minnesota seems to me like a perfect trade partner for a SP, RP and a utility guy, not necessarily in that order, but also possibly filling all 3 needs in one trade.

This has been the best called game I’ve seen all season.

The Sutcliffe/Carter trade would rate higher on my list.

If they could have swept Minnesota, maybe they could have come back home with Willi Castro. Not so sure they end up with Suarez. Not so sure they add 3 guys. 2 guys, yeah. Maybe a SP and a 3b. Maybe a SP and a reliever.

I still would have much rather seen Madlock retire a Cub. He was so amazing.

This is me being lazy and quoting this post instead of the one I meant to quote, but I've seen about 98% of the innings the Cubs have played this year, and based on what I have seen, Tucker is a below average outfielder. I can't even remember a play that would have made it on Sportscenter's plays of the game. He misplays a lot of balls out there. I still want them to sign him long term, but if he has a gold glove award, he got Palmeiro'd.

Meanwhile, Madlock was winning the World Series with the Pirates.

A better response might have been, "yeah, that was a bit out of line, sorry guys," Instead, you decided to double down. Not the best way to make friends here. I suggest a bit more diplomacy in the future.

Had to go to a funeral 45 minutes west of St. Louis, so I got to listen to Cardinal radio all the way home yesterday. Not the worst radio guys, but I don't like that they only cheer when the Cardinals do something good. Got to my dad's house to pick up the animals at the exact moment Keller was coming in. Missed that entire half inning. Other than learning of the Cubs score after Keller's outing, it was a fun listen.

Crowd is pumped after that catch.

Two times tonight the camera man had zoomed in on the back of the bleachers on a Hoerner fly ball. What’s up with that?

I don't care if people gamble, but I want an ignore feature on my tv removing ads from any and all gambling sites, as well as muting of any gambling references in sports events. I don't feel that instituting odds on every aspect of a game adds to the enjoyment of the game itself. I actually hate it. Maybe there needs to be a non gambling button next to the close caption and parental guidance buttons.

Show me a closer with a 0.00 ERA for the season. EVER? Or how about a closer with a 0.00 WHIP? It's baseball. The other team is doing everything they can to score because they to do not want to lose. If Shaw doesn't miss that groundball, this inning is probably uneventful. But, it's baseball. A guy is going to misplay a ball from time to time, even at unfortunate times. Occasionally, it will cost the Cubs a game. Palencia is not without flaws, but I'm quite happy with the results of him basically being thrust into the position due to poor results by the others given that same opportunity.

Another odd one is 28 pitches for the Cleveland starter through 2 innings facing 10 batters and two of them were walks.

They will be getting Brandon Woodruff back soon, but the Cubs have way more resources to improve their team at the deadline, and the Cubs have a better roster overall.

Taillon had served up zero runs at that point, so the hope is that he gets through the 5th so he can have a chance at getting the win. In the big picture, that might seem tacky, but it's probably very important to the pitcher that he be given an opportunity to finish 5 innings, especially given the goose egg on the scoreboard. He worked out of several earlier jams and wasn't really in a jam when he served up the homer, which is a lazy fly ball in about 29 other parks. It's just a damned if you do and damned if you don't situation.