Jump to content
North Side Baseball

bukie

Old-Timey Member
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    20,385

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    20

 Content Type 

Profiles

Joomla Posts 1

Chicago Cubs Videos

Chicago Cubs Free Agent & Trade Rumors, Notes, & Tidbits

2026 Chicago Cubs Top Prospects Ranking

News

2023 Chicago Cubs Draft Picks

Guides & Resources

2024 Chicago Cubs Draft Picks

The Chicago Cubs Players Project

2025 Chicago Cubs Draft Pick Tracker

Blogs

Events

Forums

Store

Gallery

Everything posted by bukie

  1. bukie
    #45: Baez Plays Defense at a Level the Dodgers Do Not Comprehend Why on the list? - A snap judgment here by Baez, which was the perfect play, as both runners had to freeze, so he had two outs easily, as soon as Russell figured out what he was doing. Fortunately, he figured it out before Adrian Gonzalez did, and it turned what would have been an easy soft lineout into an even easier double play to end the inning.
  2. bukie
    #46: Chapman Makes it Look Easy as Cubs Eliminate Giants Why on the list? - The Cubs traded a lot of assets for Chapman for one reason, and it was to advance out of the NLDS...or something like that. Chapman had several trouble games, but this was not one of them, as he didn't allow contact at all a half inning after the Cubs shocked SF with a 4-run 9th to take a one run lead. Never did a one run lead feel so safe.
  3. bukie
    #47: Baez Completes Cub Comeback in 9th Why on the list? - After Heyward succeeded in failing to sacrifice so Brandon Crawford's defense could be blamed for blowing this game completely after a 3-base error earlier resulted in Baez scoring the second run, Baez immediately made the Giants pay after their 5th pitcher of the inning couldn't get him out on an 0-2 pitch. Strickland challenged Baez on an 0-2 pitch in the zone, because they'd apparently rather let Baez try to beat them than David Ross (who actually grounded into a DP on the next pitch), but the strategy came up short when a blue-hot Baez came through yet again in this series to give the Cubs a one-run lead that strangely felt safe.
  4. bukie
    Just to give an idea of how many moments there were overall, just for the NLCS in my notes, I had 70. When this is all done, I'd love to have you publish your notes. I'll see if I can compile it into something resembling English.
  5. bukie
    Just to give an idea of how many moments there were overall, just for the NLCS in my notes, I had 70.
  6. bukie
    #48: Baez Starts the Playoff Party at Wrigley Why on the list? - Now that's how to score the first run of the playoffs. Cueto and Lester were locked in a pitchers duel aided by the wind howling in from left field, preventing almost any ball from leaving the yard. Cueto had allowed just two hits in the game prior to this and no walks, while Lester allowed 5 hits, two of which found themselves caught stealing. But here, Cueto tried to quick pitch Baez, who demonstrated exactly where you could deposit that quick pitch. It just barely got out on this night, but most days that ball is probably leaving the park.
  7. bukie
    #49: Bryant Restores Hope in the 9th Why on the list? - Coming off a horrific 8th inning where Chapman failed to get two consecutive lefties out and the Giants fans were starting to get their Conor Gillaspie statue built, Bryant came up the next half inning and changed the game right back. Sure, the Cubs couldn't push across another run in this game, but it gave everyone hope that no game was ever out of reach, which would come in handy the next day.
  8. bukie
    People largely forgot this because the Cubs won anyway, but the sheer amount of low probability events that went the Indians way to get the game to extra innings was absurd .
  9. bukie
    #50: Contreras Comes Up Big to Tie Game Why on the list? - Continuing after the Zobrist AB, the Cubs decided to PH for Addison Russell (who had been miserable all series) with Chris Coghlan. The Giants, who had already not gotten an out with 3 pitchers, decided a 4th pitches was in order, and so brought in Will Smith to face Coghlan. One wonders if Maddon faked Coghlan to get a lefty in the game, because he immediately switched out Coghlan for Contreras, a much better hitter, who promptly hit a hanging curveball back up the middle to score Rizzo and Zobrist and tie a game that the Giants seemingly had complete control of for 8 innings with Matt Moore.
  10. bukie
    50 moments to go, 37 days to opening day.
  11. bukie
    #51: All Zobrist Does is Hit Clutch Doubles Why on the list? - Fun fact, when you search Youtube for "Zobrist clutch playoff double", this one is like 5th on the list. However, after a leadoff single by Bryant against Derek Law, and then a Javier Lopez walk to Rizzo, the Giants went to a 3rd pitcher for the 9th against Zobrist in prior playoff hero Sergio Romo, and he fared even worse, as Zobrist lined a double into the corner to score Bryant to cut the lead to 5-3 and put runners on 2nd and 3rd with nobody out. And that was only the beginning...
  12. bukie
    #52: Almora Saves 9th Inning of Game 3 Why on the list? - Almora had come in for Heyward in the late innings of game 3, and in the 8th inning he just missed a Gillaspie shot into no-mans (except Heyward, see earlier) land that commentators noted Heyward may have saved. But that wasn't really on Almora, and he showed everyone he's a defensive wizard also as he dove to rob Posey, and easily double up Belt to send the game improbably to extra innings after the Giants had seemingly deflated the Cubs in the 8th.
  13. bukie
    Reworked #73 to include the Lester squeeze: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=1194&p=149117#p149117
  14. bukie
    Kyle Schwarber - The Great Bambino Kris Bryant - The Splendid Splinter Anthony Rizzo - The Hammer Jason Heyward - The Say Hey Kid Addison Russell - Mr. October Willson Contreras - Pudge Javier Baez - The Mick Albert Almora - Man of Steal Ben Zobrist - The Man Kyle Hendricks - The Professor Jake Arrieta - Rocket Jon Lester - Big Unit
  15. bukie
    I hate everything about this nickname.
  16. bukie
    Crap, just realized I inadvertently skipped the Lester squeeze walkoff because I initially had it combined with another momenr.. I'll go back and sneak it back into the other moment.
  17. bukie
    #53: Wood Hits First Reliever Playoff HR in Modern Baseball Why on the list? - The Cubs had just had a scare when Hendricks took a liner off the arm, and the Giants had rallied for 2 runs to make the score tight again. Wood came into the game in relief, shut down the Giants, then promptly homered to left to end the scoring in game 2. Technically, it's only the first reliever HR since 1924, but it was a different game then, so doing it as he did there, it's a rare feat.
  18. bukie
    #54: Hendricks Gets the Offense Going in Game 2 Why on the list? - The Cubs jumped on Samardzija early in this game, but the big early damage was done by Hendricks, who hit a little flair with the bases loaded to score 2 and put the Cubs up 3-0 and put Wrigley fans mostly at ease (for at least an inning). If you look at Baez, he read the play the whole way from second and was almost pushing Heyward to make sure they both scored on the play.
  19. bukie
    #55: Baez Just Misses Span on One Spectacular Play, Gets Him on the Next Why on the list? - First, Span hits a ball up the middle that Baez fields, whirls, and throws. The ump initially calls Span out, and Span even tips his cap. The Giants challenge, and it turns out Span just beat out the throw and was safe. Not one to leave well enough alone, however, Span tries taking second in the next AB, and gets nailed by a fantastic Javy tag. You may beat Javy on defense once, but not twice in succession.
  20. bukie
    #56: Umpires Make Rizzo/Baez Switch Gloves...For One Pitch Why on the list? - During the season, the Cubs would employ a strategy with the opposing pitcher batting and a runner on 1st where Rizzo would play way up the line and the 2B would hold the runner. Clint Hurdle was the initial complainer about the strategy, so the umps started making the Cubs switch gloves so Rizzo was technically the 2B and Baez the 1B for this Cueto AB. Of course, it was really just all a smokescreen for a designed pickoff play on the first pitch, and it worked perfectly. Of course, in #57, I mentioned Lester allowed 5 baserunners, one of which was erased on that play, and another one erased on this play in the first inning: But yeah, you can run on Lester...
  21. bukie
    #57: Lester Shuts Down Giants in Game 1 Why on the list? - An excited and nervous full attendance Wrigley crowd showed up for a tense game 1 pitchers duel, and Lester was up to the task. He kept the Giants off the board for 8 innings, allowing just 5 hits and one tense situation when Pagan doubled with 2 out in the 4th, sending Posey to 3rd. After the 4th inning, no Giant reached base until there were 2 out in the 9th.
  22. bukie
    3 yes, 1 no Rondon Game 4 NLDS? No W for CJ. That is correct.
  23. bukie
    #58: Ross Shows Matt Moore Isn't Completely Unhittable Why on the list? - Sure, Moore baffled most Cub hitters in game 4 for 8 innings, but Ross showed he wasn't invincible, and that the Cubs weren't going to go quietly in this game. The Cubs actually put 2 runs on the board against Moore off a total of 2 hits, though the other run scored without a hit, thanks to some heads up baserunning:
  24. bukie
    #59: Baez Shows SF What 2B Defense Truly Is Why on the list? - So, this season, Joe Panik won the NL Gold Glove at 2B, mostly by default, since nobody qualified was even halfway decent there. In fact, Javy had as many runs saved in 400 innings at 2B as everyone else in the league did in full time 2B duty. It took all of one game for the announcers to start falling all over themselves about Javy, but here was where the Giant fans really got to see what he was capable of defensively. Some may argue Rizzo's foot was off the bag, but the call stood, and the fact it was even close was all Javy.
  25. bukie
    Stlll behind where I want to be at this point, so I'll keep doing 2 a day until I'm mostly caught up.
×
×
  • Create New...