Sammy Sofa

I'm still trying to talk my dad and uncle into selling our tickets if it goes to a 5th game at Wrigley. Yes, even if it's a clincher; we'll get to go to the previous two (my dad going to both), but Christ, these prices are INSANE, and we could potentially pay for next year's tickets, including adding a third set AND moving to a better spot in the stadium. It was so easy to sell tickets this year, and it'll just get easier if the team stays good.

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Mojo would be giving up his spot in the rotation to allow this to happen. Would it make sense for him to be the one to draft the OP and PM it to a mod who can use it to edit one of Fred's old posts? Is that making it too complicated? I'm happy to step aside and let the mods handle it.

The only time I got a little nervous was when Toles came up for the first AB of the game and immediately ripped that single. I just suddenly pictured the Dodgers with taste for blood and belly-fire behind Kershaw and things seemed a bit precarious. Then Baez immediately negated Toles with yet another great defensive play and I felt great the rest of the way.

If you watch the post-game celebration you will see that there were many, many beers going on between them.

The board was getting flooded by traffic (and some nefarious efforts to bring it down) during the playoffs and it was causing the board to lag and crash, so for the time being people have to be registered to access the game threads.

It's certainly not a given that an extremely rusty player is going to get in there at all, or for more than a handful of AB's. Deep playoff teams seem to always have guys that are there just in case and rarely, if ever, used. Obviously, that's a weird spot to have Schwarber in, but it's not clear cut he's a better option to be getting the DH over Contreras right now. Our guts might say, "horsefeathers it, just put Willson in the OF," but clearly this is a team that greatly values how fantastic their defense is, and it's questionable if they're going to potentially shake that up in the WS to make room for a guy who has been injured since the first week of the season. Basically if all he ends up being is a bench bat, that's still awesome and makes sense and is better than no Schwarber at all. First of all, this is a Schwarber thread....hence my assumption. Secondly, the rumor is he could be added to the roster to DH. There are no comments from Theo or Maddon that mention him as a bench bat. Third, if he IS a bench bat, then you basically shorten your roster by not only his spot, but for a 2nd spot for whoever is going to come in and play the field if A) he doesn't bat in the bottom of the 9th or B) if he doesn't bat for the pitcher at Wrigley. He's either going to DH in Cleveland (bench bat in Wrigley) or he's going to be with the team watching 25 other guys play. 0 doubt about it. Seems unlikely that an org this creative is going to approach it like that. They'll make it work.

Where did I say Heyward had to be out there? Just repeat the lineup from last night with Contreras at the DH and Ross or Montero catching. I'm operating under the assumption that if the Cubs activate Schwarber it will be for more than him taking 1 AB per game vs. a non-Andrew Miller reliever, which may not even be possible considering they only basically use 2 RHRPs, and only 1 of them comes into play if their starter goes less than 6. It's certainly not a given that an extremely rusty player is going to get in there at all, or for more than a handful of AB's. Deep playoff teams seem to always have guys that are there just in case and rarely, if ever, used. Obviously, that's a weird spot to have Schwarber in, but it's not clear cut he's a better option to be getting the DH over Contreras right now. Our guts might say, "horsefeathers it, just put Willson in the OF," but clearly this is a team that greatly values how fantastic their defense is, and it's questionable if they're going to potentially shake that up in the WS to make room for a guy who has been injured since the first week of the season. Basically if all he ends up being is a bench bat, that's still awesome and makes sense and is better than no Schwarber at all.

Rememeber: these stupid pricks still use this for a logo. IN 20 horsefeathering 16. [spoil][/spoil] *Spoilered for oversized dumbassery*

horsefeathers Chapman. Jansen would be a fantastic get.

Ehhhhhhh...say what you will about defensive metrics, but wasn't Contreras rated as being pretty bad when he was out there? Basically just a good arm and not much else? I wouldn't mind doing something like that later in the series, but it would be a crime if the Cubs don't take at least one of those first two games in Cleveland, and it would suck if something as dumb as bad corner OF defense helped keep that from happening. Contreras rated pretty poorly in LF, however: - That was a 20 game sample - Part of that measurement was him inexplicably not rating well for his arm - Cleveland has a small and pretty straight forward LF with the 19 foot wall at 325 feet - Maddon clearly trusts Contreras more than that 20 game sample since Contreras has already finished 2 playoff games in LF Good points. Basically defensive metrics seem like bunk and bone-throwing at this stage. Well, except for Soler. He just sucks.

Ehhhhhhh...say what you will about defensive metrics, but wasn't Contreras rated as being pretty bad when he was out there? Basically just a good arm and not much else? Don't care. Heyward was rated as being pretty bad by offensive metrics. Where did I say Heyward had to be out there? Just repeat the lineup from last night with Contreras at the DH and Ross or Montero catching.

Ehhhhhhh...say what you will about defensive metrics, but wasn't Contreras rated as being pretty bad when he was out there? Basically just a good arm and not much else? I wouldn't mind doing something like that later in the series, but it would be a crime if the Cubs don't take at least one of those first two games in Cleveland, and it would suck if something as dumb as bad corner OF defense helped keep that from happening.

I mean, we're already rooting for that. I want this to end at Wrigley so badly. Obviously; I'm just jealous of the folks talking about sticking around just be in Chicago regardless of whether the Cubs win it there or in Cleveland.

I'm really, really, reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeealllllllly hoping they can win this within 5 games, because I just can't work it where I am in Chicago for any of the games past Sunday. I have Monday off as a travel day since I am driving, so anything I stick around for would require the next day off, too, and my paid time off is REAL dicey right now and I have just enough to cover what I need at the holidays to, ironically, see family in the Chicago area if I only need Friday-Monday to witness history.

Tim should totally offer up some banned names that we can then Barabbas back up into this piece.

Not a sexy gif (yet), but a story so sexy (with sexy video!) that it had to go in this thread: http://screengrabber.deadspin.com/god-bless-bullpen-catchers-1788119786 Please be sure to post gifs, sexy or otherwise, from last night in this thread as you find them.

FUN FACT: it's Lackey's birthday today.

Fred would not have wanted it that way. The man maintained game thread standards! Agreed. Gotta ride the Soccer wave first. Fred should have one if the Cubs don't sweep. I'm next if they don't sweep, and I'll happily give up my spot to Fred if needed. Odds are I'd completely forget about it since I'll be in Chicago, so it just makes all of the sense to have Fred do it.

I don't know if "content unavailable" is a hilariously self-aware statement about being a drunk robot or what, but I laughed either way.

Like the game 5 win, this is one of those times where I do not mind the days off at all.

Fred would not have wanted it that way. The man maintained game thread standards!

RIP Roast

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Man, Zobrist is fast.